The Fighting Prince of Donegal (1966)

You won't be disappointed!

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

Blistering performances.

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

Peter McEnery in a good early role as "Red" Hugh O'Donnell, the head of the O'Donnell clan and the hope of Ireland in its war against the English. Rising to fulfill the legend that he will set Ireland free, McEnery sets out to win the other clans to band with him to stand against English dominance. McEnery rises to the energy and enthusiasm of the role, and blends well with cast members Andrew Keir, Susan Hampshire, Tom Adams. His fight sees him clashing with Gordon Jackson, who is a superb villain as the lord in charge in Dublin. Because it's Disney, it isn't bloody or over-violent. Look for a very young Maurice Roeves as Martin, the servant boy. Great fun for all.

If not as good as the films that Walt Disney put out in the Fifties with Richard Todd, The Fighting Prince Of Donegal is a return to that swashbuckling era of Disney live action films. Peter McEnery in the second of two films he made for Walt Disney Studios is a dashing head of the O'Donnell clan of Donegal. McEnery is Hugh O'Donnell succeeding his father, also Hugh O'Donnell. And the Irish being a people attached to mystical prophecy have it on record that when a Hugh succeeds a Hugh its time to rise and kick the English out.McEnery had previously done The Moonspinners for Disney with Hayley Mills as his co-star. But Hayley had grown up and left the Magic Kingdom and in a role I'm sure that was meant for Mills, Susan Hampshire steps in as the daughter of Andrew Keir head of the McSweeney clan.The Fighting Prince Of Donegal is based on a true story that was not hardly the lighthearted romp that McEnery and his mates seem to have chastising the English occupiers. Another reviewer covered the real story quite nicely. I will say that a true telling of the tale would hardly have been good for the audience that Disney films were trying to reach.Still The Fighting Prince Of Donegal holds up quite well though adult audiences might find it a bit hard to take. Save it for the juvenile trade.

The 1966 Walt Disney film, The Fighting Prince of Donegal was a bright memory for those of us who saw it first run in 1966. My friends and I bought the book upon which the film was based. It was an opportunity to consider Irish history not told in the encyclopedia and the junior high textbooks available in our town. We followed the acting career of Susan Hampshire as far as we could.For extra fun, We wrote short fictional stories and scenes to embellish parts we liked. We also wrote new fiction time travel stories based using these historic Irish settings. It was a lot of fun.I write this to say that we hope someday to find the film, hope to buy it, and see it again. Should anyone be listening, this is a film that should be brought back out for sale.

Certainly Walt Disney took liberties with the story of Hugh O'Donnell in order to make it more appealing to to the teen magazine culture of the 60's but his history is not that far off the mark. Much of the music is based on traditional Irish themes, most notably, "O'Donnell Abu" the marching song of the O'Donnell clan. Interestingly, the main cast though playing Irish figures, were English (McEnery, Hampshire, Adams). -------Red Hugh O'Donnell (1571 - 1602)In the early 1500's the Irish families and clans were still warring amongst themselves - O'Donnell's own grandfather was imprisoned by Hugh's half-uncle who warred with Hugh's father. In the mid-1500's some chieftains, most notably, the O'Donnell, were working to unify the Irish clans.Sir John Perrot (English deputy), in order to check the rising power of the O'Donnells planned to capture Hugh. A ship with a cargo of Spanish wine came into Lough Swilly, and the seventeen year old Red Hugh and two companions were invited on board where Hugh was captured. He was taken to Dublin Castle where he was imprisoned. Three years later at Christmas time, Hugh, Henry & Art O'Neill escaped. It was their second attempt. Enduring a freezing three-day march across the snow-covered Wicklow Mountains they became separated. Art died of exposure but Hugh, aided by countrymen, made it to his father's castle in Donegal. Hugh lost at least two toes to frostbite and was said to limp after.After his escape, his father made Hugh "the O'Donnell" and retired to a monastery. In 1598 he, with the O'Neills, defeated the English in the battle of the Yellow Ford. After a defeat at Kinsale a few years later Hugh went to Spain for help. He was received by Philip III but fell ill in 1602, possibly of poisoning at the hand of an English spy. He was 31 and left no heirs. He was buried in Spain but the church no longer exists and his burial site is lost forever.