The MacCarthy dynasty of Muskerry is a

tacksman A tacksman ( gd, Fear-Taic, meaning "supporting man"; most common Scots spelling: ''takisman'') was a landholder of intermediate legal and social status in Scottish Highland society. Tenant and landlord Although a tacksman generally paid a yea ...

branch of the

MacCarthy Mor dynasty MacCarthy ( ga, Mac Cárthaigh), also spelled Macarthy, McCarthy or McCarty, is an Irish clan originating from Munster, an area they ruled during the Middle Ages. It was divided into several great branches; the MacCarthy Reagh, MacCarthy of Mu ...

, the

Kings of Desmond The following is a list of monarchs of the Kingdom of Desmond. Most were of the MacCarthy Mór ("great MacCarthy"), the senior branch of the MacCarthy dynasty. 12th century MacCarthy MacCarthy claimants O'Brien claimants MacCarthy 13th ce ...

Origins and advancement

The MacCarthy of Muskerry are a cadet branch of the

MacCarthy Mor The Chief of the Name, or in older English usage Captain of his Nation, is the recognised head of a family or clan (''fine'' in Irish and Scottish Gaelic). The term has sometimes been used as a title in Ireland and Scotland. In Ireland In Eli ...

, Kings of Desmond. This cadet branch was founded by Dermot MacCarthy, 1st Lord of Muskerry, second son of Cormac MacCarthy Mor, King of Desmond, who was in 1353 created Lord of Muskerry by the English. This title's position is unclear.

Cormac Laidir MacCarthy, 9th Lord of Muskerry Cormac Laidir MacCarthy, 9th Lord of Muskerry (1411–1494), was an Irish chieftain. He founded Kilcrea Friary and built Kilcrea Castle. Birth and origins Cormac was born in 1411, the eldest son of Teige MacCarthy. His father was the 6th ...

was called Dominus and F. Dermot's descendant Cormac Oge MacCarthy, 17th Lord of Muskerry, was in 1628 created Charles MacCarthy, 1st Viscount Muskerry, and his son, the 2nd

Viscount Muskerry A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicial ...

, was in 1658 created

Donough MacCarty, 1st Earl of Clancarty Sir Donough MacCarty, 1st Earl of Clancarty (1594–1665), was an Irish magnate, soldier, and politician. He succeeded as 2nd Viscount Muskerry in 1641. He rebelled against the government, demanding religious freedom as a Catholic and defendin ...

Lands

The family's ancestral lands of were situated along the

River Lee The River Lee (Irish: ''An Laoi'') is a river in Ireland. It rises in the Shehy Mountains on the western border of County Cork and flows eastwards through Cork, where it splits in two for a short distance, creating an island on which Cork's ...

in the baronies of

Muskerry West Muskerry West ( ga, Múscraí Thiar) is one of the baronies of Ireland, a historical geographical unit of land. Its chief town is Macroom. It is one of 24 baronies in the county of Cork. It may also be viewed as a half barony because sometime bef ...

and

Muskerry East Muskerry East ( ga, Múscraí Thoir ) is one of the baronies of Ireland, an historical geographical unit of land. Its chief town is Ballincollig. It is one of 24 baronies in the county of Cork. It may also be viewed as a half barony because som ...

, in central

County Cork County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns are ...

west of the City of Cork.

Castles

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 the ...

, enlarged by

Carrigaphooca Castle Carrigaphooca Castle ( ga, Caisleán Carraig a' Phúca, meaning Castle on the Rock of the Fairy; the word ''Púca'' translates as ghost or fairy), is a ruined five storey rectangular tower house situated on a steep-sided rock overlooking the Riv ...

, built by Donal McCarthy of Drishane Castle. * Castle Salem, Cork *

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 ...

, built by

Macroom Castle Macroom Castle, in the centre of the town of Macroom, was once residence and fortress of the Lords of Muskerry. The castle has changed owners many times, has been besieged, burned, and rebuilt. The MacCarthys of Muskerry owned it with some inter ...

Carrigadrohid Carrigadrohid () is a townland and village in the parish of Aghinagh, County Cork, Ireland. It is situated on the north bank of the River Lee, with the nearby village of Canovee to the south. Carrigadrohid is part of the Dáil constituency of ...

castle. *

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 ...

Monasteries

Kilcrea Friary Kilcrea Friary () is a ruined medieval abbey located near Ovens, County Cork, Ireland. Both the friary and Kilcrea Castle, located in ruin to the west, were built by Observant Franciscans in the mid 15th century under the invitation of Cormac ...

, built by

Blarney Stone

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 ...

, which passed from MacCarthy hands during the Williamite wars. Following the forfeiture by Donogh McCarthy, 4th Earl of Clancarthy, the castle property passed to the

Hollow Sword Blade Company The Hollow Sword Blades Company was a British joint-stock company founded in 1691 by a goldsmith, Sir Stephen Evance, for the manufacture of Grind, hollow-ground rapiers. In 1700 the company was purchased by a syndicate of businessmen who used the ...

who subsequently sold it to Sir James St. John Jefferyes, Governor of Cork in 1688.

Legacy

The dynasty is still in existence and can be considered to still broadly belong to the

Irish nobility The Irish nobility could be described as including persons who do, or historically did, fall into one or more of the following categories of nobility: * Gaelic nobility of Ireland descendants in the male line of at least one historical grade o ...

, but its leadership is in confusion. There also remains some dispute with their (friendly) rivals and kinsmen the MacCarthys Reagh, concerning the title Prince of Desmond. The main line of the MacCarthy Mor dynasty became extinct in the late 16th century and it has ever since been unclear who inherits the title, because of the advent of the career of

Florence MacCarthy Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany Regions of Italy, region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilan ...

. See

Kingdom of Desmond The Kingdom of Desmond () was a historic kingdom in southwestern Ireland. It was founded in 1118 by Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh, King of Munster when the Treaty of Glanmire formally divided the Kingdom of Munster into Desmond and Thomond (, "North ...

. There are also earlier MacCarthy Mor septs in existence who are claimants. The situation was recently thrown into even more exotic confusion by the impostor

Terence Francis MacCarthy Terence Francis MacCarthy (born 21 January 1957), formerly self-styled Tadhg V, The MacCarthy Mór, Prince of Desmond and Lord of Kerslawny, is a genealogist, historian, and writer, best known for being a pretender to the Irish chiefly title of ...

.(the dyanasty is not extinct most of the family moved to America and the family name was changed ever so slightly over the years to McCarthy, McCarty and then through marriage McClendan it became both an irish and Scottish family

Notes and references

Notes

Citations

Sources

* * * * – S to T * – Canonteign to Cutts * * * * * – Irish stem {{DEFAULTSORT:Maccarthy Of Muskerry MacCarthy dynasty