The title of Earl of Tyrone was an Irish peerage title created several times. It was created first in 1542 for The O'Neill Mór, King of Tir Eoghan, Conn Bacach O'Neill, who submitted to the English king Henry VIII and was rewarded with the title of Earl. A writ for Conn's son Shane O'Neill was signed by Queen Elizabeth and he is considered by some to have been the second earl. However, he went into rebellion and killed before the title could be conferred. The title was forfeited in 1608 by his grandson, the third earl: Hugh, after the Flight of the Earls. The English-Irish version went into abeyance in 1616 when Hugh died in Rome. The O'Neill version of the title then became a Spanish creation, due to their lengthy participation in the armies of the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain.

The English title was created again in 1673 for Lord Power, but became extinct upon the death of the third earl in 1704. It was created a final time in 1746 for Marcus Beresford, 1st Earl of Tyrone Marcus Beresford, son-in-law of the last Power earl. His son was created Marquess of Waterford in 1789, and the title has since been a subsidiary title of the Waterford title.

The title Count of Tyrone, was also created for the O'Neill family. It started as a Spanish Netherlands creation in 1621 when Patrick O'Neill, the second son of Sean O'Neill (eldest son of Earl Hugh O'Neill) was granted this courtesy title by Infanta Isabella of the Spanish Netherlands. See Link.

Earls of Tyrone, first Creation (1542)

• Conn O'Neill, 1st Earl of Tyrone (c.1484-1559)
• Brian O'Neill, heir of Earl, killed early (d.1562)
• Hugh O'Neill, 2nd Earl of Tyrone (1550-1616)
• Sean O'Neill, 3rd Earl of Tyrone, d. 1641
• Hugh Eugene O'Neill, 4th Earl of Tyrone 1633-1650
• Hugh Dubh O'Neill, 5th Earl of Tyrone 1610-1650
• Hugo O'Neill, 6th Earl of Tyrone d. 1667 (Grandson of General Owen Roe O'Neill)
• Brian Roe O'Neill, 7th Earl of Tyrone 1616-1685
• Thomas O'Neill, 8th Earl of Tyrone (b.1930)
• His Heir apparent, Francis O'Neill (b.1955)
• First Heir apparent, his brother, Fearghal O'Neill (b.1962)

Earldoms

Earls of Tyrone, second creation (1673)

• Richard Power, 1st Earl of Tyrone (1630-1690)
• John Power, 2nd Earl of Tyrone (c.1665-1693)
• James Power, 3rd Earl of Tyrone (1667-1704)

Earls of Tyrone, third creation (1746)

• Marcus Beresford, 1st Earl of Tyrone (1694-1763)
• George de La Poer Beresford, 2nd Earl of Tyrone (1735-1800), created Marquess of Waterford in 1789
• ''for later earls, see Marquess of Waterford

Counts of Tyrone, Spanish-Netherlands creation of 1st Creation (1622)

• Sean O'Neill, 3rd Earl of Tyrone, eldest living son of Hugh-2/3nd Earl
• Patrick O'Neill, 1st Count Tyrone, 2nd son of Sean, b. 1622 Holland, created Count at birth
• James O'Neill, 2nd Count of Tyrone,b. 1660, lived in Ireland then moved to Martinique
• Henry O'Neill, 3rd Comte d' Tyrone
• Jacques Henri, 4th Comte d' Tyrone, brother was Jean Laurent, 1st Viscount Tyrone, Dillon Regt
• Paul Francois Henri, 5th Comte d' Tyrone, b. 1749
• Jacques, 6th Comte d' Tyrone, 1783-1839, brother was Francois Henri, 2nd Viscount Tyrone
• Louis Jacques Tiburce, 7th Comte d' Tyrone, d. 1859
• Francois Henri, 8th Comte d' Tyrone (brother of Louis Jacques)d. after 1887. The family line continued in the distaff through Mary Auguste O'Neill, daughter of Louis Jacques, wife of Baron Bodman of Baden,
• Dormant from 1888
• James, 9th Count of Tyrone (b. 1937) Vatican restoration of dormant Spanish Netherlands title

Sources:

• Annals of the Four Masters;
• Calendar of State Papers of Ireland;
• The Ancient and Royal Family of O'Neill;
• The Great O'Neill;
• The Patent Rolls of Queen Elizabeth and King James I;
• The Ancient and Royal Family of O'Neill;
• Burkes Peerage;

Wars of the Three Kingdoms

Earl of Tyrone