Earl of Thomond was an

hereditary title Hereditary titles, in a general sense, are nobility titles, positions or styles that are hereditary and thus tend or are bound to remain in particular families. Though both monarchs and nobles usually inherit their titles, the mechanisms often d ...

in the

Peerage of Ireland The peerage of Ireland consists of those Peerage, titles of nobility created by the English monarchs in their capacity as Lordship of Ireland, Lord or Monarchy of Ireland, King of Ireland, or later by monarchs of the United Kingdom of Great B ...

. It was created twice for the

O'Brien dynasty The O'Brien dynasty (; ; genitive ''Uí Bhriain'' ) was an Irish Clan and noble house of Munster, founded in the 10th century by Brian Boru of the Dál gCais (Dalcassians). After becoming King of Munster, through conquest he established hims ...

which is an ancient Irish sept native to north

Munster Munster ( or ) is the largest of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the south west of the island. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" (). Following the Nor ...

History and background

First creation

Under the

Crown of Ireland Act 1542 The Crown of Ireland Act 1542 (33 Hen. 8. c. 1 (I)) is an Act that was passed by the Parliament of Ireland on 18 June 1542, which created the title of "King of Ireland" for monarchs of England and their successors; previous monarchs had rul ...

, King

Henry VIII of England Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

was created King of Ireland by the

Parliament of Ireland The Parliament of Ireland () was the legislature of the Lordship of Ireland, and later the Kingdom of Ireland, from 1297 until the end of 1800. It was modelled on the Parliament of England and from 1537 comprised two chambers: the Irish Hou ...

. In consequence, all reigning monarchs and clan chiefs in Ireland were ordered to surrender their native titles in return for peerages. This

surrender and regrant During the Tudor conquest of Ireland (c.1540–1603), "surrender and regrant" was the legal mechanism by which Irish clans were to be converted from a power structure rooted in clan and kin loyalties, to a late-Feudalism, feudal system under t ...

offer was conditional upon the adoption of Tudor customs and laws, including pledging allegiance to the Irish Crown and apostatising from the Catholic faith by accepting the articles of the state established

Church of Ireland The Church of Ireland (, ; , ) is a Christian church in Ireland, and an autonomy, autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the Christianity in Ireland, second-largest Christian church on the ...

. Through surrender and regrant, the earldom of Thomond was created in 1543 for Murrough O'Brien. He had previously been styled

King of Thomond The kings of Thomond () ruled from the establishment of Thomond during the High Middle Ages, until the Early modern period. Thomond represented the legacy of Brian Bóruma and the High Kings of Ireland of his line who could not hold onto all of ...

and was descended from the ' or

High King of Ireland High King of Ireland ( ) was a royal title in Gaelic Ireland held by those who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over all of Ireland. The title was held by historical kings and was later sometimes assigned anachronously or to leg ...

Brian Boru Brian Boru (; modern ; 23 April 1014) was the High King of Ireland from 1002 to 1014. He ended the domination of the High King of Ireland, High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill, and is likely responsible for ending Vikings, Viking invasio ...

. O'Brien was also created Baron Inchiquin, on 1 July 1543. On the same day his nephew and heir, Donough O'Brien, was created Baron Ibrickane. The titles of Ibrickane and Thomond merged on the first Earl's death in 1551, and the barony of Inchiquin went to his eldest son.

Forfeit of title

The 8th Earl was created Viscount Tadcaster, in the

Peerage of Great Britain The Peerage of Great Britain comprises all extant peerages created in the Kingdom of Great Britain between the Acts of Union 1707 and the Acts of Union 1800. It replaced the Peerage of England and the Peerage of Scotland, but was itself repla ...

, on 19 October 1714. However, when he died in 1741, the next heir would have been a descendant of Daniel O'Brien, 3rd Viscount Clare who was attainded in 1691, so the three titles became forfeit. However, Charles O'Brien, 6th Viscount Clare, a Jacobite exile used the title Earl of Thomond, as did his son, who died childless in 1774.

Second creation

The second creation was on 11 December 1756 when Percy Wyndham-O'Brien was created Earl of Thomond and Baron Ibracken. On his death in 1774, both titles became extinct. Henrietta Street - Dublin 2800071378

Earls of Thomond (1543)

Murrough O'Brien, 1st Earl of Thomond Murrough O'Brien, 1st Baron of Inchiquin, 1st Earl of Thomond () (died 7 November 1551) was an Irish peer, Chief of Clan O'Brien, and the last King of Thomond. Biography Murrough was a lineal descendant of Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, and ...

(died 1551) * Donough O'Brien, 2nd Earl of Thomond (died 1553) – created Baron Ibrickane in 1543. * Connor O'Brien, 3rd Earl of Thomond (–1581) * Donogh O'Brien, 4th Earl of Thomond (died 1624) * Henry O'Brien, 5th Earl of Thomond (–1639) * Barnabas O'Brien, 6th Earl of Thomond (–1657) * Henry O'Brien, 7th Earl of Thomond (–1691) ** Henry O'Brien, Lord Ibrackan (–1678) ** Henry Horatio O'Brien, Lord Ibrackan (died 1690) * Henry O'Brien, 8th Earl of Thomond (1688–1741), grandson of the 7th Earl. All titles forfeit on his death. *'' Charles O'Brien, 6th Viscount Clare, titular 9th Earl of Thomond (1699–1761)'' *''

Charles O'Brien, 7th Viscount Clare Charles O'Brien, titular 7th Viscount Clare and 9th Earl of Thomond (1757-1774) was a Franco-Irish nobleman. Biography He was born on 18 October 1757 in Paris, France, the son of Charles O'Brien, 6th Viscount Clare, ''maréchal'' de Thomond a ...

, titular 10th Earl of Thomond (died 1774)''

Earls of Thomond (1756)

* Percy Wyndham-O'Brien, 1st Earl of Thomond (c. 1723–1774)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Thomond Extinct earldoms in the Peerage of Ireland O'Brien dynasty Thomond Forfeited earldoms in the Peerage of Ireland Noble titles created in 1543 Noble titles created in 1756 Extinct earldoms in the Jacobite Peerage Peerages created with special remainders