Cormac Laidir MacCarthy, 9th Lord of Muskerry (1411–1494), was an Irish chieftain. He founded Kilcrea Friary and built

Kilcrea Castle Kilcrea Castle is a ruined 15th-century towerhouse and bawn located near the Kilcrea Friary, west of Cork City, Ireland. The tower house and friary were both built by Cormac Laidir MacCarthy, 9th Lord of Muskerry. Location Killcrea Castle s ...

Birth and origins

Cormac was born in 1411, the eldest son of Teige MacCarthy. His father was the 6th Lord of Muskerry. His father's family were the

MacCarthys of Muskerry The MacCarthy dynasty of Muskerry is a tacksman branch of the MacCarthy Mor dynasty, the Kings of Desmond. Origins and advancement The MacCarthy of Muskerry are a cadet branch of the MacCarthy Mor, ...

, a

Gaelic Irish The Gaels ( ; ga, Na Gaeil ; gd, Na Gàidheil ; gv, Ny Gaeil ) are an ethnolinguistic group native to Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man in the British Isles. They are associated with the Gaelic languages: a branch of the Celtic languag ...

dynasty that had branched from the MacCarthy-Mor line in the 14th century when a younger son received

Muskerry Muskerry ( ga, Múscraí) is a central region of County Cork, Ireland which incorporates the baronies of Muskerry West

appanage An appanage, or apanage (; french: apanage ), is the grant of an estate, title, office or other thing of value to a younger child of a sovereign, who would otherwise have no inheritance under the system of primogeniture. It was common in much ...

. Nothing seems to be known about his mother, not even her name. He had a younger brother Dermod, ancestor of the MacCarthys of Drishane, and a sister Ellen, married first

Marriage and children

Muskerry married Mary, daughter of Edmond FitzThomas Fitzmaurice, 9th Baron Kerry (died 1498), who is also called Baron

Lixnaw Lixnaw () is a village in North County Kerry, Ireland. It is located near the River Brick SW of Listowel and NE of Tralee. History Lixnaw was once the seat of the Fitzmaurice family, the Earls of Kerry. In 1320 Nicolas, the third baron o ...

instead of Baron Kerry. Cormac and Mary had at least one son: * Cormac Oge (died 1635), his successor, —and two daughters (birth order unknown): *Sheila or Julia, married Thomas FitzGerald, 11th Earl of Desmond as his 1st wife *Ellen, married

Donal MacCarthy Reagh Donal MacCarthy Reagh ( ga, Domhnall Mac Carthaigh Riabhach) (1450/1460–1531) was the 12th Prince of Carbery from 1505 to his death in 1531. He belonged to the MacCarthy Reagh dynasty,tanistry Tanistry is a Gaelic system for passing on titles and lands. In this system the Tanist ( ga, Tánaiste; gd, Tànaiste; gv, Tanishtey) is the office of heir-apparent, or second-in-command, among the (royal) Gaelic patrilineal dynasties of ...

. MacCarthy improved

Blarney Castle Blarney Castle ( ga, Caisleán na Blarnan) is a medieval stronghold in Blarney, near Cork, Ireland. Though earlier fortifications were built on the same spot, the current keep was built by the MacCarthy of Muskerry dynasty, a cadet branch of t ...

by enlarging its keep. A Latin inscription on the machicolation of the added part reads "Cormac Macarthy fortis me fieri facit AD 1446", which translates into "Cormac MacCarthy the stout had me built anno domini 1446". He might also have built

Carrignamuck Tower House Carrignamuck Tower House, located in Carrignamuck townland, is a 15th century tower house located north of Coachford village and north-west of Dripsey village. It is also sometimes known as 'Dripsey Castle', a name latterly attributed to the 18 ...

unless that was his son. According to the legend Maccarthy discovered and enshrined the

Blarney Stone The Blarney Stone ( ga, Cloch na Blarnan) is a block of Carboniferous limestone built into the battlements of Blarney Castle, Blarney, about from Cork, Ireland. According to legend, kissing the stone endows the kisser with ''the gift of the g ...

. In 1465 he founded and built Kilcrea Friary and built nearby

Death

Muskerry died in 1494 having been killed by his brother Owen and was buried in the chancel of the church of the Kilcrea Friary. No epitaph is found there now, but earlier observers have recorded the following Latin inscription:

Hic Jacet Cormacus fil. Thadei, fil. Cormaci, fil. Dermatu magni Mc Carthy Dnus de Musgraigh Flayn ac istius conventus primus fondator, an Dom. 1494

which translates as: Here lies Cormac, son of Thadeus, son of Cormac, son of Dermot the elder, Prince of Muskerry, the initial founder of this friary, anno domini 1494. Interestingly the Latin text uses the Irish word "Flayn", "Prince", in addition to Dominus as his title.

Notes and references

Notes

Citations

Sources

* * – to 1603 * * * – Earls (for Earl of Kerry) * * – "The bald", earl of Desmond * – 1373 to 1500 * – Irish stem * * * MacCarthy dynasty {{Ireland-bio-stub