In 1607, Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, and other Gaelic chieftains, fled to the continent and settled in Rome. Their lands were declared forfeit to the Crown and cleared for the Plantation of Ulster that followed. Why did they flee? John McCavitt's widely praised study provides the answer to this, one of the enduring mysteries of Irish history.

Following the failure of his rebellion in 1603, Hugh O'Neill made a successful peace with the royal government in London. He was left in possession of his lands, and his surrender was acknowledged. However, grasping crown officials in Dublin maintained a relentless campaign of harassment against him. It was this that prompted his flight, and that of the other Ulster Gaelic leaders. They saw it as a temporary expedient and intended to return, although they never did. Instead, their long, winding journey to Rome was an end, not a beginning.