The Irish tricolor, the symbol of our nation, was first unfurled on March 7, 1848, by Thomas Francis Meagher in County Waterford.

This replaced the traditional symbol of Ireland which was green with a harp in the centre. That flag was first used in 1642, by Owen Roe O’Neill. Also known as Eoghan Ruadh Ó Néill, he had been forced to flee to Spain and had returned to Ireland as the leader of the O’Neill dynasty and a major figure in the Irish Confederation.

The precise year of his birth is disputed but it is thought that Owen Roe was born between 1585 and 1590 at his father’s estates in County Armagh. He was the son of Art MacBaron O’Neill the younger brother of the great Hugh O’Neill Earl of Tyrone. His mother was the daughter of Hugh Connolly O'Reilly, lord of Breifne O'Reilly in County Cavan.

His early life witnessed bloodshed and war. His family played a prominent part in the Nine Years' War, sometimes called Tyrone's Rebellion led by Owen Roe’s Uncle Hugh. Six of his brothers died in the conflict leaving a lasting impression on the young Owen Roe who developed a deep-rooted hatred of English rule in Ireland.

In September 1607, Owen Roe left Ireland for mainland Europe to accompany his uncle Hugh in what became known as the flight of the Earls from Rathmullan in Donegal.

They landed in Normandy and went on to the Spanish Netherlands.

It was here that Owen Roe’s military career began in earnest. He joined an Irish regiment in the Spanish Army eventually becoming its commander and becoming known as Don Eugenio O’Neill.

He fought during the Eighty Years' War against the Dutch Republic in Flanders and against the French in the Franco-Spanish War. He was gaining valuable experience and earning a reputation as a capable and skilled military strategist.

Owen Roe, like many Gaelic Irish officers in the Spanish service, was very hostile to the English presence in Ireland. In 1627, he petitioned the Spanish monarchy for an invasion of Ireland led by the Irish Spanish regiments.

His proposal was that an Irish Republic under Spanish protection be established to avoid in-fighting between Irish Catholic landed families, over which of them would provide a prince or king of Ireland. His idea was rejected. 

His greatest feat was in 1640 when he distinguished himself notably at the Siege of Arras where he commanded the Spanish garrison and held out for 48 days with 2,000 men (many of whom were fellow Irishmen), against a French army of 35,000.

In April 1642, a deputation arrived from his native Ireland imploring him to return to lead the Ulster Forces in what would become known as the Irish Confederate Wars.

Owen Roe accepted and set sail from Dunkirk in June onboard the French ship St Francis that sailed into Sheep Haven Bay in Donegal proudly flying the Green flag and Harp which would become the symbol of the rebellion and Ireland's first national flag.

Landing at Doe Castle, Owen Roe was invested with supreme command in Ulster.

Heavily outnumbered by the Scottish Covenanter army and following a defeat at Clones, Owen Roe had to abandon central Ulster and was followed in retreat by thousands of Catholic refugees.

Owen Roe complained that the devastation of Ulster made it look, “not only like a desert, but like hell, if hell could exist on earth.”

He did his best to stop the killings of Protestant civilians, for which he received the gratitude of many Protestant settlers. From 1642-46 a stalemate existed in Ulster; Owen Roe utilised the time to train his Ulster Army.

In June 1646, Papal Nuncio Rinuccini provided Owen Roe with new mercenaries and supplies and ordered an attack on Major-General Robert Munro’s Covenanter Army, who had landed in Ireland that June. Despite being heavily outnumbered, Owen Roe defeated Monro at Benburb in Tyrone, killing or capturing up to 3000.

However, Rinuccini ordered him south for an urgent meeting which meant the attack stalled allowing Monro to regroup at Carrickfergus. Many historians have speculated that if Owen Roe had continued the attack the war could have been won.

In 1647, Owen Roe led his joint Leinster/Ulster army, in a failed attempt to capture Dublin.

As the Irish confederation fell into disarray with parties for both peace and war forming, Owen Roe was steadfast in his desire to keep fighting. Unity was only achieved with the arrival of Oliver Cromwell in Ireland.

After the Sack of Drogheda, all differences were put aside and Owen Roe with 6000 men marched to face the parliamentary army at Wexford.

However, Owen Roe took ill and died at Clougher Castle on November 6, 1649. Some speculate he was poisoned to remove a major obstacle to peace with the fearsome Cromwell.

This article was submitted to the IrishCentral contributors network by a member of the global Irish community. To become an IrishCentral contributor click here.