DANIEL  O'

NEILL (c . 1612—1664), son of Conn MacNeill MacFagartach O'Neill, a member of the Clanaboy branch of the family, whose wife was a sister of Owen Roe, was prominent in the Civil Wars . He spent much of his early life at the court of Charles I., and became a Protestant . He commanded a troop of horse in Scotland in 1639; was involved in army plots in 1641, for which he was committed to the Tower, but escaped abroad; and on the outbreak of the Civil War returned to England and served with Prince Rupert, being present at Marston Moor, the second battle of Newbury and Naseby . He then went to Ireland to negotiate between Ormonde and his uncle, Owen Roe O'Neill . He was made a major-general in 1649, and but for his Protestantism would have succeeded Owen Roe as chief of the O'Neills . He joined Charles II. at the Hague, and took part in the expedition to Scotland and the Scotch invasion of England in 1652 . At the Restoration he received many marks of favour from the king, including grants of land and lucrative monopolies . He died in 1664 .