The MacCarthy dynasty of Muskerry is a tacksman branch of the MacCarthy Mor dynasty, the Kings of Desmond.

MacCarthy
Mac Cárthaigh
A shield of arms showing a red stag on a white ground
Parent familyMacCarthy Mor
Founded1353
FounderDermot, 1st Lord of Muskerry
Final rulerDonogh, 4th Earl of Clancarty
TitlesLord of Muskerry, Viscount Muskerry, and Earl of Clancarty
Estate(s)Muskerry

Origins and advancement edit

Family tree
The main line of the MacCarthys of Muskerry.[a]
Dermot
1st Lord

1310–1367
Cormac
2nd Lord

d. 1374
Teige
6th Lord

1380–1448
Owen
7th Lord

Cormac
8th Lord

Cormac
Laidir
9th Lord

1411–1494
Mary
Fitzmaurice
Owen
MacCarthy

d. 1498
Cormac
Oge Laidir
10th Lord

1447–1536
Catherine
Barry
Teige
11th Lord
1472–1565
Callaghan
12th Lord
Dermot
13th Lord
1501–1570
Ellen
FitzGerald
Cormac
14th Lord
d. 1583
tanist
Callaghan
15th Lord
tanist
resigned 1584
Donogh
O'Brien
4th Earl
Thomond

d. 1624
Cormac
MacDermot
16th Lord

1552–1616
Mary
Butler
Margaret
O'Brien

d. c. 1599
Charles
1st Viscount
Muskerry

d. 1641
Ellen
Roche
Donough
1st Earl
1594–1665
Eleanor
Butler

1612–1682
Charles
Viscount
Muskerry**

c. 1633 – 1665
d.v.p.*
Margaret
Bourke

d. 1698
Callaghan
3rd Earl

d. 1676
Elizabeth
FitzGerald

d. 1698
Justin
Viscount
Mountcashel

c. 1643 – 1694
Charles James
2nd Earl
1663–1666
infant
Donough
4th Earl

1668–1734
Elizabeth
Spencer

1671–1704
Robert
MacCarty

1698–1769
Elizabeth
Farnelly
Legend
XXXLords & Viscounts Muskerry,
as well as Earls of Clancarty
XXXViscount
Mountcashel
*d.v.p. = predeceased his father (decessit vita patris)
**courtesy title

The MacCarthy of Muskerry are a cadet branch of the MacCarthy Mor, Kings of Desmond. This cadet branch was founded by Dermot MacCarthy, 1st Lord of Muskerry, second son of Cormac MacCarthy Mor, King of Desmond,[10] who was in 1353 created Lord of Muskerry by the English.[11] This title's position is unclear. Cormac Laidir MacCarthy, 9th Lord of Muskerry was called Dominus and F. Dermot's descendant Cormac Oge MacCarthy, 17th Lord of Muskerry, was in 1628 created Charles MacCarthy, 1st Viscount Muskerry, and his son, the 2nd Viscount Muskerry, was in 1658 created Donough MacCarty, 1st Earl of Clancarty.

Lands edit

The family's ancestral lands of were situated along the River Lee in the baronies of Muskerry West and Muskerry East, in central County Cork west of the City of Cork.

Castles edit

Monasteries edit

Kilcrea Friary, built by Cormac Laidir MacCarthy, 9th Lord of Muskerry

Blarney Stone edit

The Blarney Stone passed from MacCarthy hands during the Williamite wars. Following the forfeiture by Donogh McCarthy, 4th Earl of Clancarthy, the castle property passed to the Hollow Sword Blade Company who subsequently sold it to Sir James St. John Jefferyes, Governor of Cork in 1688.

DownFall edit

Donough MacCarthy, 4th Earl of Clancarty fought in the Williamite War in Ireland for James II of England against William III of England. He was attainted at the defeat in 1691 and the MacCarthys of Muskerry lost the noble titles of Earl of Clancarty, Viscount Muskerry, and Baron Blarney.[13]

The titles of Mountcashel and Baron Castleinch, of the (1689 creation, went extinct with the death of Justin MacCarthy in 1694. At that date the MacCarthys of Muskerry had therefore lost all their noble titles in the peerage of Ireland.

Legacy edit

The dynasty is still in existence and can be considered to still broadly belong to the Irish nobility, but its leadership is in confusion. There also remains some dispute with their (friendly) rivals and kinsmen the MacCarthys Reagh, concerning the title Prince of Desmond. The main line of the MacCarthy Mor dynasty became extinct in the late 16th century and it has ever since been unclear who inherits the title, because of the advent of the career of Florence MacCarthy. See Kingdom of Desmond. There are also earlier MacCarthy Mor septs in existence who are claimants. The situation was recently thrown into even more exotic confusion by the impostor Terence Francis MacCarthy.(the dyanasty is not extinct most of the family moved to America and the family name was changed ever so slightly over the years to McCarthy, McCarty and then through marriage McClendan it became both an Irish and Scottish family.

Notes and references edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ This family tree is based on a tree of the Lords of Muskerry,[1] a tree showing Donough and near family around him,[2] and on genealogies of the Earls of Clancarty,[3][4][5] the MacCarthy of Muskerry family,[6] the Earls of Thomond,[7][8] and the Earls of Ormond.[9]

Citations edit

  1. ^ Gillman 1892, fold-out.
  2. ^ Butler 1925, p. 255, Note 8The following rough pedigree ...
  3. ^ Burke 1866, p. 344, left columnGenealogy of the earls of Clancarty
  4. ^ Cokayne 1913, pp. 214–217Genealogy of the earls of Clancarty
  5. ^ Keating 1723, p. 2.
  6. ^ Lainé 1836, pp. 74–78Genealogy of the MacCarthy of Muskerry family
  7. ^ Burke 1866, pp. 405–406Genealogy of the earls of Thomond
  8. ^ Cokayne 1896, pp. 391–395Genealogy of the earls of Thomond
  9. ^ Burke & Burke 1915, pp. 1548–1552Genealogy of the earls of Ormond
  10. ^ O'Hart 1892, p. 122, top. "Cormac MacCarty Mor, Prince of Desmond (see the MacCarty Mór Stem, No. 115,) had a second son, Dermod Mór, of Muscry (now Muskerry) who was the ancestor of MacCarthy, lords of Muscry and earls of Clan Carthy."
  11. ^ O'Hart 1892, p. 122, left column, line 3. "... created, by the English, in 1353 'Lord of Muskerry';"
  12. ^ "Drishane Castle". millstreet.ie. Retrieved 26 February 2023. Dermot Mór, the second son of Teige the 3rd Lord of Muskerry [..] is said to have built Kilmeedy and Carrigaphooca in the great period in which his brother, Cormac Láidir, was building Blarney and Kilcrea. Dermot died in 1448
  13. ^ Cokayne 1913, p. 217, line 3: "... his immense estates (worth at their now value £200 000 a year) having been forfeited, and he himself attainted, when all his honours became forfeited, 11 May 1691."

Sources edit