Hugh Oge Macmahon, a grandson of the great Tyrone, who had been a colonel in the Spanish service, lived on his property near Clones in Monaghan. He had a relation named Owen O'Connolly, belonging to the same county but employed by Sir John Clotworthy, married to an Englishwoman, and apparently a sincere Protestant. Some six months before the outbreak, when Macmahon complained to him of his neighbour Aldrige's behaviour, O'Connolly replied that a conquered people must submit; to which the other retorted that he hoped they would soon be delivered from the slavery and bondage under which they groaned. O'Connolly warned him against engaging in plots, and advised him to report what he knew to the Lords Justices, 'which would redound to his great honour.' He refused to have anything to do with the business, and told several magistrates what he had heard, but they neglected it as baseless gossip. Finding that he had gone too far, Macmahon promised to move no more in the matter, and the kinsmen did not meet again until October 22, on which day O'Connolly, who had been summoned by letter, rode sixty miles and reached Dublin at seven in the evening. Macmahon took him to Lord Maguire, who disclosed the whole plot. Strafford had stored arms for 30,000 men in the Castle, with which the conspirators expected to free the country easily. 'And whereas,' said Maguire, 'you have of long time been a slave to that Puritan Sir John Clotworthy, I hope you shall have as good a man to wait upon you.' They then went with several others to the sign of the Lion in Wine Tavern Street, where they turned the waiter out of the room and fell to drinking health on their knees to the success of next day's work. In order to make the others drink, O'Connolly had to swallow a good deal, and at last, to use his own words, 'finding an opportunity, this examinate leaped over a wall and two pales and so came to the Lord Justice Parsons,' who lived near.[274] [Sidenote: Action of the Irish Government.] [Sidenote: Proclamation of Oct. 23, 1641.] [Sidenote: News comes from Ulster.] [Sidenote: Weakness of the Government.]