source of his strongest support, had defended him to the last and were decimated at Farsetmore. Abandoned by his tanisté and all of his Urríthe, literally under-kings, and with the destruction of his army, the 'most powerful force Gaelic Ireland had yet witnessed', Shane began looking for a mercenary force to sustain him until he could make good his losses. With all other options closed he turned to a warband hired to fight against him the previous winter by William Piers from among the MacDonald's of Dunnyveg. He arrived at their camp at Cushendun with a small retinue, during their negotiations an altercation occurred, in which Shane was killed. Despite being engineered by Piers, this assassination has gone down in history as retribution for Shane's military action against the MacDonalds in 1565. Shane was buried in a place called CrossSkern Church at Ballyterrim townland in the hills above Cushendun, later his remains were exhumed his head then being sent to Dublin. Notes Sources G.A. Hayes McCoy, Irish Battles, (Belfast 1989). Tomás Ó Brógáin, 'The battue of the Swilly (Farsetmore), 8 May 1567', History Ireland'', Vol.XIX Issue 3 (May/June 2011), pp. 16–18. 1567 in Ireland Farsetmore 1567 Farsetmore Clan MacDonald of Dunnyveg Farsetmore Farsetmore O'Donnell dynasty O'Neill dynasty