The Battle of The Yellow Ford
Hill of the O'Neill
26 Market Square
Dungannon
Co. Tyrone
BT70 1AB
The Battle of The Yellow Ford
Saturday 6 September OR Saturday 20 September 2025
The battle of the yellow Ford was fought on the 14th of August 1598. Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone engaged and defeated queen Elizabeth I’s field army in Ireland. It remains the greatest victory of Irish arms over the English. But the quiet fields on which it was fought betray little of their violent past. Four thousand English troops marched from Armagh to relieve the beleaguered Blackwater Fort. Led by Sir Henry Bagnall, it was one of the most powerful and well-equipped armies deployed in Ireland by the Tudor Queen, but O'Neill engaged and overthrew the Crown army with his better trained and well-equipped Irish army.
On Saturday the 6th of September and Saturday, 20th September 2025, Dr James O'Neill will lead a walking tour through the key sites in the landscape where the bloody events of 1598 took place. He will take the group from hill to hill, describing the events as they unfolded, from the confident beginning of the English March north, the slow escalation of gunfire and the growing panic on the ensuing carnage as the English army collapsed under a hail of Irish gunfire. The tour will cover just over 2 miles as Dr O'Neill explains the course of the battle, the tactics used and the brutal reality of late 16th century warfare.
Bio: Dr James O'Neill worked in archaeology and Northern Ireland for 16 years where he specialised in battlefield archaeology of 20th century defence heritage. He received his doctorate at Queen's University Belfast in 2013 and has published extensively on the nine years war including a monograph titled ‘The nine years war 1583 – 1603: O’Neill, Mountjoy and the Military Revolution’.
The tour will begin at 10am at the Hill of The O’Neill & Ranfurly House. An additional pick-up point is available at St Colmcille’s GFC. A comfort break, including light refreshments, is planned for approximately 12:30pm. The tour will return to St Colmcille’s GFC at approximately 2.30pm ending at Hill of The O’Neill & Ranfurly House at 3pm.
Please note that this is a walking tour and requires a moderate level of fitness. Participants should be prepared for walking along country paths and ascending slopes to reach key vantage points for viewing the relevant battlefields.
As these locations may be exposed to the elements including sun, wind, or rain, sensible footwear and suitable outdoor clothing are essential.
