... from the defeat; suddenly a determined nation was giving up. Would the English have been defeated if the course of events leading up to the battle had been different? Hugh O'Neill and Hugh O'Donnell led their own and other allied armies against the English in a vicious Nine Years War prior to the battle of Kinsale. Both O'Neill and O'Donnell had their own personal motives against the English. O'Neill had previously allied himself with the O'Donnell family using powerful marriage connections making this one of the most powerful alliances in Ireland. O'Neill was familiar with English customs as he had grown up following them. He received an English education and was familiar with the English style of battle and army. Despite the fact that he was Catholic he was loyal to the Queen, joining England in battle against Irish rebels many times. O'Neill however recognised the power held by others in Ireland ...

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