Donal MacCarthy Reagh of Kilbrittain (died 1636) was an Irish
magnate
The term magnate, from the late Latin ''magnas'', a great man, itself from Latin ''magnus'', "great", means a man from the higher nobility, a man who belongs to the high office-holders or a man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or ot ...
who owned the extensive lands of
Carbery (almost half a million acres) in south-western
County Cork
County Cork () is the largest and the southernmost Counties of Ireland, county of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, named after the city of Cork (city), Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster ...
.
Birth and origins
Donal was born the son of Cormac MacCarthy Reagh and Eleanor Fitzgibbon. His father was the son and heir of
Donal of the Pipes, 17th Prince of Carbery
Donal na Pipi MacCarthy Reagh (Irish language, Irish: ''Domhnall na bpíopaí Mac Cárthaigh Riabhach'') (died 10 October 1612) was the 17th Prince of Carbery from 1593 to 1606, when he surrendered the principality to the English Crown und ...
, but predeceased him. Donal, the subject of this article, therefore inherited the lands of
Carbery from his grandfather. His father's family were the
MacCarthy Reagh
The MacCarthy Reagh (Irish: ''Mac Cárthaigh Riabhach'') dynasty are a branch of the MacCarthy dynasty, Kings of Desmond, deriving from the Eóganacht Chaisil sept.
History
The Mac Cárthaigh Riabhach seated themselves as kings of Carbery in ...
, a Gaelic Irish dynasty that branched from the
MacCarthy-Mor line with
Donal Maol MacCarthy Reagh, the first independent ruler of Carbery. This Donal was the 6th son of
Donal Gott MacCarthy, a medieval
King of Desmond.
His mother was a daughter of
Edmund Fitzgibbon, 11th White Knight, and widow of Florence MacCarthy of Iniskean. His mother's family, the
Fitzgibbons, were
Old English
Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...
and descended from
Maurice Fitzgibbon knighted in 1333 by
Edward III.
MacCarthy seems to have been the only son and perhaps even the only child of his parents. At least Lainé names no brothers or sisters of his.
From prince to esquire
MacCarthy's grandfather was the 17th Prince of Carbery. He lost this title in 1606 in a
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 ...
to King
James I when the King confirmed the freehold of the lands but granted no title. The King probably expected a payment or at least the conversion to Protestantism. The MacCarthys of Muskerry, who were in a similar situation, obtained a viscountcy in 1628, probably for a payment. From the rank of a prince therefore MacCarthy's grandfather fell to that of a commoner. At the death of his grandfather there was no title to succeed. At that time MacCarthy was a minor. The inheritance was given to MacCarthy, who was called esquire of
Kilbrittain.
Marriage and children
MacCarthy married Ellen Roche, eldest daughter of
David Roche, 7th Viscount Fermoy
David Roche, 7th Viscount Fermoy (1573–1635) was an Irish magnate, soldier, and politician.
Birth and origins
David was born about 1573, probably in Castletownroche, County Cork, Ireland. He was the only surviving son of Maurice Roche and ...
.
Donal and Ellen had at least one son:
*
Charles
Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''* ...
, succeeded as esquire of Kilbrittain and married Eleanor MacCarthy, born from his stepfather's 1st marriage.
After MacCarthy's death in or before 1599 Ellen remarried to
Charles MacCarthy, 1st Viscount Muskerry, who thus became Charles's stepfather. This was also Muskerry's second marriage. From his first marriage Muskerry had a daughter Eleanor who became Charles's wife. Charles therefore married his stepfather's daughter from a previous marriage.
After Muskerry's death in 1641 Ellen married thirdly and last Thomas Fitzmaurice, 3rd son of
Thomas Fitzmaurice, 18th Baron Kerry by his second wife Julia Power.
Death and timeline
The dates of MacCarthy's death and of his widow's remarriage are disputed. Some propose 1599 or earlier,
others 1636 or later. The earlier date is too near (26 years) to Ellen's father's birth in 1573.
MacCarthy was succeeded by his son Charles, who married Eleanor MacCarthy, daughter of his stepfather
Charles MacCarthy, 1st Viscount of Muskerry from his first marriage.
Notes and references
Notes
Citations
Sources
* – (for Ellen Roche)
* – West Carbery
* – Moels to Nuneham
*
* – L to M (for Muskerry)
* – (for timeline)
* – to 1603
*
*
*
*
* – Earls
*
*
* – Irish stem
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:MacCarthy Reagh, Donal, of Kilbrittain
1636 deaths
MacCarthy dynasty
People from Kilbrittain