Crossing Conventions
In 1627, the young Irish noble Mary Stuart O’Donnell, daughter of the earl of Tyrconnell, fled in male attire from England to the Catholic Netherlands to seek asylum and financial support from the Spanish crown. The countess’s flight amazed and amused the court and soon a book was published narrating her fascinating crossing of gender conventions and the English Channel. This is the story that Professor Montserrat Pérez-Toribio explores in her latest book chapter: “Seeking Support from the Spanish Monarchy: The Manly Flight of Mary Stuart O’Donnell, Countess of Tyrconnell.” Professor Pérez-Toribio unveils how Mary’s carefully constructed image of a martyr and pious Catholic crusader did not match her real-life experiences. The chapter concludes that, despite the countess’s adventurous legend, her refusal to submit to the Irish leaders and the Spanish Monarchy resulted in a penurious life financially dependent on the Spanish crown and the Pope in Rome.