While his official superior was at Court, Fitzwilliam had no easy time in Dublin. He disliked and distrusted Kildare, who declined all responsibility for his bastard kinsfolk, the old scourges of the marches living at free quarters and disdaining honest industry. The MacCoghlans surprised one of the Earl's innumerable castles, in which they were assisted by Ferdinando O'Daly, an Irishman in Fitzwilliam's service. Kildare made a prisoner of O'Daly, and the Lord Justice thought his position as the Queen's representative required his liberation. They were 'tickle times, and many evil and rude men depend upon his Lordship, who with one wink might stir mischief.' The Lord Justice offered to make good any harm that O'Daly might have done, but insisted on his enlargement, because it did not stand with the credit of his office that any servant of his should lie in gyves. Kildare at first refused to give the man up, and on the Lord Justice persisting, said he was in the custody of his captor, who had been promised a ransom of forty marks. O'Daly was ultimately released, and probably Fitzwilliam paid the forty marks. In the meantime Shane had been acting while his opponents talked.[24] [Sidenote: Shane seizes O'Donnell and his wife.] The O'Donnells, under a son of the chief, besieged an island in Lough Veagh, occupied by one of those pretenders who were never wanting in any Irish country. The chief himself lay at a Franciscan friary, eleven miles from his son, and with only 'a few soldiers, besides women and poets.' Among the women was his wife, by birth a Maclean, widow of an Earl of Argyle, noted for her wisdom and sobriety, a good French scholar with a knowledge of Latin, and a smattering of Italian, but at heart a rake who had been dazzled by Shane's successful career. She contrived to let the object of her admiration know her husband's defenceless condition, and he was only too ready to take the hint. A meeting of the two chiefs was arranged for May 15. O'Neill was not far off, and on the night of the 14th he appeared in force at the monastery gates. Had they been shut defence might have been possible, for O'Donnell had 1,500 Scots mercenaries within five miles; but they had been left open, probably on purpose, and O'Donnell and his wife were carried off into Tyrone. The night attack of four years before was thus amply avenged. Calvagh was kept in close and cruel confinement, and as Shane's mistress the wise countess soon had reason to deplore her folly and perfidy.[25] [Sidenote: Shane is supreme in Ulster.]