| MacCarthy Mac Cárthaigh | |
|---|---|
 Arms of MacCarthy | |
| Parent family | Eóganachta |
| Country | Kingdom of Munster Kingdom of Desmond |
| Founder | Cárthach mac Saorbhreathach |
| Final ruler | Florence MacCarthy |
| Historic seat | Blarney Castle |
| Titles | |
| Cadet branches | MacCarthy Reagh MacCarthy of Muskerry |
MacCarthy (Irish:Mac Cárthaigh), also spelledMacarthy,McCarthy orMcCarty, is an Irishclan originating fromMunster, an area they ruled during the Middle Ages.[1] It was divided into severalsepts (branches) of which theMacCarthy Reagh,MacCarthy of Muskerry, and MacCarthy of Duhallow were the most notable.
| Male | Daughter(Long) | Daughter(Short) | Wife(Long) | Wife(Short) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mac Cárthaigh[2] | Iníon Mhic Cárthaigh | Nic Cárthaigh | Bean Mhic Cárthaigh | Mhic Cárthaigh |
The origin of the MacCarthy dynasty begins with Carthach, anEóganacht Chaisil king, who died in 1045 in a house fire deliberately started by one of theLonergans (who were members of the Eóganacht's arch-enemies, theDál gCais). Carthach was a contemporary and bitter rival of High KingBrian Boru, and what would become known as the McCarthy Clan was pushed out of its traditional homelands in theGolden Vale ofTipperary by the expansion of the O'Brien sept in the middle of the twelfth century.
Carthach's son was known as Muireadhach mac Carthaigh (meaning "Muireadhach, son of Carthach"). Such ephemeral patronymics were common at the time. However, when Muireadhach died in 1092 his sons Tadhg and Cormac adoptedMac Carthaigh as an actual surname. Followingthe treaty of Glanmire in 1118, dividing the kingdom ofMunster intoDesmond andThomond, this Tadhg became the first king of Desmond, comprising parts of the modern counties ofCork andKerry. For almost five centuries they dominated much of Munster, with four major branches: those led by the MacCarthy Mór (Great MacCarthy), nominal head of all the MacCarthys, who ruled over much of south Kerry, theDuhallow MacCarthys, who controlled north-west Cork;MacCarthy Reagh or Riabhach ('grey') based in theBarony of Carbery in south-west Cork; andMacCarthy Muskerry, on theCork /Kerry border.
Each of these families continued resistance to Norman and English encroachment up to the seventeenth century when, like virtually all the Gaelic aristocracy, they lost almost everything. An exception wasMacroom Castle, which passed to the White family ofBantry House, descendants of Cormac Láidir Mac Cárthaigh. This was burnt in 1922 and is part of the local golf club today.[3]
The Muskerry McCarthys' historical seat isBlarney Castle in County Cork. Legend has it that theBlarney Stone was given as a gift to Cormac MacCarthy,King of Desmond, from kingRobert the Bruce of Scotland, who presented the 'magical' stone in gratitude for his assistance in thebattle of Bannockburn in 1314. The third castle built on the site (the castle which stands to this day) was built by another McCarthy descendant, Dermot McCarthy, in 1446. Dermot was known for his eloquence, hence the Blarney Stone's reputation for imparting the gift of the gab upon those who kiss it.
The number of references to the MacCarthys in the annals, especially the "Annals of Innisfallen", is very great. Carthach was the son of Saoirbhreathach, a Gaelic name which is anglicised as Justin, and in the latter form has been in continuous use among many branches of the McCarthys for centuries. Another male forename similarly associated with them is Finghin, anglice Fineen, but for some centuries past, the name Florence (colloquially Flurry) has been used as its English form. From the thirteenth century, when Fineen MacCarthy decisively defeated the Geraldines in 1261, down to the present day, Fineen or Florence MacCarthys and Justin MacCarthys have been very prominent among the many distinguished men of the name in Irish military, political and cultural history.
Until the dissolution of the kingdom in 1596, the crown was vested in the hereditary possession of the Mac Carthy Mór (by the law oftanistry).
The MacCarthy dynasty of Muskerry is atacksman branch of theMacCarthy dynasty, the Kings of Desmond. It was founded byDermot MacCarthy, 1st Lord of Muskerry, second son ofCormac MacCarthy Mor, King of Desmond.Donough MacCarthy, 4th Earl of Clancarty fought in theWilliamite War in Ireland forJames II of England againstWilliam 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. In 1694, the family lost all noble titles and peerage in Ireland.
The MacCarthy Reagh dynasty are a branch of the MacCarthy dynasty. The MacCarthy Reagh seated themselves as kings of Carbery in what is now southwestern County Cork includingRosscarbery in the 13th century. Their descendants would expand their territories considerably and forge a small, wealthy kingdom distinct and independent from the larger Kingdom of Desmond, as well as largely independent from theEarldom of Desmond and from England, which would last into the early-mid 17th century. The dynasty became very successful during the 14th to 16th centuries, accumulating great wealth and possessing a great army.
Eleven septs of the illustrious McCarthy family in Kerry are given in Kings History of County Kerry
The MacCarthys are closely related to a number of other Munster families. These include theO'Sullivans,O'Callaghans,O'Keeffes,O'Donoghues, andO'Donovans. An early sept of the MacCarthys themselves are theMacAuliffes.
Rulers of theKingdom of Desmond, the McCarthy stood among the greatest Irish dynasties of the last millennium.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)| Túatha |
| ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dynastics |
| ||||||||||
| Successor realms | |||||||||||
| General |
| ||||||||||
