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 A sept () is a division of a family, especially of a Scottish or Irish family. The term is used both in Scotland and in Ireland, where it may be translated as Irish , meaning "progeny" or "seed", and may indicate the descendants of a person ...

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 Baron Inchiquin () is one of the older titles in the Peerage of Ireland. It was one of two titles created on 1 July 1543 for Murrough O'Brien, Prince of Thomond, who claimed descent from Brian Boru, a High King of Ireland. The English titles ...

, 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 Daniel O'Brien, 3rd Viscount Clare (died 1691), was with King Charles II in exile during the interregnum. At the Restoration, he obtained the title of Viscount Clare for his grandfather and full restoration of the family's lands. At the ...

who was

attainded In English criminal law, attainder was the metaphorical "stain" or "corruption of blood" which arose from being condemned for a serious capital crime (felony or treason). It entailed losing not only one's life, property and hereditary titles, but t ...

in 1691, so the three titles became

forfeit Forfeit or forfeiture may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Forfeit'', a 2007 thriller film starring Billy Burke * "Forfeit", a song by Chevelle from '' Wonder What's Next'' * '' Forfeit/Fortune'', a 2008 album by Crooked Fingers ...

. However,

Charles O'Brien, 6th Viscount Clare Charles O'Brien, (17 March 16999 September 1761), titular 6th Viscount Clare and later titular 8th Earl of Thomond, was an Irish military officer in French service (he was made a Marshal of France), known to posterity as the Maréchal de Thomond ...

, 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 Connor O'Brien, 3rd Earl of Thomond also spelt Conor and called Groibleach, or the "long-nailed", (; 1535–1581) contended with his uncle Domhnall mac Conchobair Ó Briain, Donnell for the Chieftainship of Clan O'Brien dynasty, O'Brien from 15 ...

(–1581) *

Donogh O'Brien, 4th Earl of Thomond Donogh O'Brien, 4th Earl of Thomond and Baron Ibrickan, PC (Ire) (died 1624), was a Protestant Irish nobleman and soldier, and Chief of Clan O'Brien. He fought for Queen Elizabeth during Tyrone's Rebellion and participated in the Siege of K ...

(died 1624) *

Henry O'Brien, 5th Earl of Thomond Henry O'Brien, 5th Earl of Thomond PC (Ire) (1588–1639), styled Lord Ibrickane until 1624, was summoned to the House of Lords of the Irish Parliament of 1613–1615. Birth and origins Henry was born the eldest son of Donogh O'Brien and ...

(–1639) *

Barnabas O'Brien, 6th Earl of Thomond Barnabas O'Brien, 6th Earl of Thomond (1590-November 1657), was Chief of Clan O'Brien and son of Donogh O'Brien, 4th Earl of Thomond. He succeeded his elder brother as earl in 1639 and was made lord-lieutenant of Co. Clare in 1640–41. He had h ...

(–1657) *

Henry O'Brien, 7th Earl of Thomond Henry O'Brien, 7th Earl of Thomond PC (Ire) (c. 16202 May 1691) was an Irish peer and Chief of Clan O'Brien. He was styled Lord Ibrackan from 1639 to 1657. O'Brien was the son of Barnabas O'Brien, 6th Earl of Thomond and Anne Fermor. In 164 ...

(–1691) **

Henry O'Brien, Lord Ibrackan Henry O'Brien, Lord Ibrackan, or Lord O'Brien (c. 1642 – 1 September 1678), styled Hon. Henry O'Brien until 1657, was an Irish nobleman and politician. He was the son of Henry O'Brien, 7th Earl of Thomond, and his first wife, and cousin, Anne ...

(–1678) ** Henry Horatio O'Brien, Lord Ibrackan (died 1690) *

Henry O'Brien, 8th Earl of Thomond Henry O'Brien, 8th Earl of Thomond (14 August 1688 – 20 April 1741) was an Irish peer, Member of Parliament and Chief of Clan O'Brien. He was born the son of Henry Horatio O'Brien, Lord Ibrackan, who was to predecease his own father in 1690, ...

(1688–1741), grandson of the 7th Earl. All titles forfeit on his death. *''

, 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 Percy Wyndham-O'Brien, 1st Earl of Thomond ( 1713 – 1774) was a British Member of Parliament and an Irish peer. Origins He was the younger of the two sons of Tory statesman Sir William Wyndham, 3rd Baronet (c.1688–1740) of Orchard Wyndham ...

(c. 1723–1774)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Thomond Extinct earldoms in the Peerage of Ireland O'Brien dynasty

Thomond Thomond ( Classical Irish: ; Modern Irish: ), also known as the Kingdom of Limerick, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Clare and County Limerick, as well as parts of County Tipperary around Nena ...

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