Baron Inchiquin () is one of the older titles in the

Peerage of Ireland The Peerage of Ireland consists of those titles of nobility created by the English monarchs in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland, or later by monarchs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It is one of the five divisi ...

. It was one of two titles created on 1 July 1543 for Murrough O'Brien, Prince of Thomond, who was descended from the great high king

Brian Boru Brian Boru ( mga, Brian Bóruma mac Cennétig; modern ga, Brian Bóramha; 23 April 1014) was an Irish king who ended the domination of the High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill and probably ended Viking invasion/domination of Ireland. ...

. The grant of the English titles was conditional upon the abandonment of any Irish titles, the adoption of English customs and laws, pledging of allegiance to the

Crown A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...

apostasy Apostasy (; grc-gre, ἀποστασία , 'a defection or revolt') is the formal disaffiliation from, abandonment of, or renunciation of a religion by a person. It can also be defined within the broader context of embracing an opinion that ...

from the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...

, and conversion to the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Brit ...

. Murrough was made both

Earl of Thomond Earl of Thomond was an hereditary title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created twice for the O'Brien dynasty which is an ancient Irish sept native to north Munster. History and background First creation Under the Crown of Ireland Act 1542 ...

in the Peerage of Ireland, with remainder to his nephew Donough O'Brien and Baron Inchiquin, with remainder to his male heirs.

History

On his death in 1551, Murrough was succeeded in the earldom, according to the special remainder, by his nephew, the second Earl (see

for the later history of this title), but the barony of Inchiquin passed to his son Dermod, the second baron. Dermod's great-great-grandson, the sixth baron, was a prominent military commander during the

Irish Confederate Wars The Irish Confederate Wars, also called the Eleven Years' War (from ga, Cogadh na hAon-déag mBliana), took place in Ireland between 1641 and 1653. It was the Irish theatre of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, a series of civil wars in the kin ...

(1643–48), first for the

English Parliament The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England from the 13th century until 1707 when it was replaced by the Parliament of Great Britain. Parliament evolved from the great council of bishops and peers that advised t ...

, then as a Royalist commander during the

Cromwellian conquest of Ireland The Cromwellian conquest of Ireland or Cromwellian war in Ireland (1649–1653) was the re-conquest of Ireland by the forces of the English Parliament, led by Oliver Cromwell, during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Cromwell invaded Ireland w ...

(1649–53) during the

Wars of the Three Kingdoms The Wars of the Three Kingdoms were a series of related conflicts fought between 1639 and 1653 in the kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland, then separate entities united in a personal union under Charles I. They include the 1639 to 1640 Bi ...

. In 1654 he was created Earl of Inchiquin in the Peerage of Ireland. He was succeeded by his son,

William O'Brien, 2nd Earl of Inchiquin Colonel William O'Brien, 2nd Earl of Inchiquin, PC ( – 16 January 1692), was an Irish military officer, peer and colonial administrator who served as the governor of Tangier from 1675 to 1680 and the governor of Jamaica from 1690 until his ...

, who served as governor of

English Tangier English Tangier was the period in Moroccan history in which the city of Tangier was occupied by England as part of the English colonial empire from 1661 to 1684. Tangier had been under Portuguese control before King Charles II acquired the c ...

and as

Governor of Jamaica This is a list of viceroys in Jamaica from its initial occupation by Spain in 1509, to its independence from the United Kingdom in 1962. For a list of viceroys after independence, see Governor-General of Jamaica. For context, see History of Jama ...

. His son,

William O'Brien, 3rd Earl of Inchiquin William MacWilliam O'Brien, 8th Baron of Inchiquin, 3rd Baron O'Brien of Burren, 3rd Earl of Inchiquin PC (1662 – 24 December 1719) was an Irish nobleman. Life William O'Brien was the son of William O'Brien, 2nd Earl of Inchiquin and Lady M ...

, became Governor of Kinsale in 1693. The fourth earl, also named

William O'Brien William O'Brien (2 October 1852 – 25 February 1928) was an Irish nationalist, journalist, agrarian agitator, social revolutionary, politician, party leader, newspaper publisher, author and Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons ...

, represented

Windsor Windsor may refer to: Places Australia * Windsor, New South Wales ** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area * Windsor, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland **Shire of Windsor, a former local government authority around Wi ...

Camelford Camelford ( kw, Reskammel) is a town and civil parish in north Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, situated in the River Camel valley northwest of Bodmin Moor. The town is approximately ten miles (16 km) north of Bodmin and is governed ...

and

Aylesbury Aylesbury ( ) is the county town of Buckinghamshire, South East England. It is home to the Roald Dahl Children's Gallery, David Tugwell`s house on Watermead and the Waterside Theatre. It is in central Buckinghamshire, midway between High Wy ...

in the

British House of Commons The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 65 ...

. The fifth earl, Murrough O'Brien, was the nephew and son-in-law of his predecessor. In 1800, he was created Marquess of Thomond in the Peerage of Ireland, with remainder to his brother, the Honorable

Edward Dominic O'Brien Captain Edward Dominic O'Brien (1735 - 1 March 1801) was an Irish law enforcement official and British Army officer. Life Edward Dominic O'Brien was the son of Capt. James O'Brien, M.P. for Youghal, and Mary Jephson. He was born in 1735 at Droghed ...

, a captain in the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...

. The following year he was made Baron Thomond of Taplow in the County of Buckingham in the

Peerage of the United Kingdom The Peerage of the United Kingdom is one of the five Peerages in the United Kingdom. It comprises most peerages created in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Acts of Union in 1801, when it replaced the Peerage of Great ...

to allow him to sit in the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminst ...

, with remainder to the male heirs of his body. He died without male issue in 1808, when the barony of Thomond became extinct. He was succeeded in the marquessate according to the special remainder, and in the other Irish titles, by his nephew

William O'Brien, 2nd Marquess of Thomond William O'Brien, 2nd Marquess of Thomond, 6th Earl of Inchiquin, 1st Baron Tadcaster KP PC (I) (176521 August 1846) was an Irish peer. He succeeded by special remainder as Marquess of Thomond in 1808 on the death of his uncle Murrough O'Brien, ...

, the third son of the aforementioned Captain Edward O'Brien. The second marquess was an Irish Representative Peer. In 1826 he was created Baron Tadcaster of Tadcaster in the County of York in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. He had no sons and on his death in 1846 the barony of Tadcaster became extinct. He was succeeded in the Irish peerages by his younger brother,

James O'Brien, 3rd Marquess of Thomond Admiral James McEdward O'Brien, 3rd Marquess of Thomond, GCH (1769–1855), styled Lord James O'Brien from 1809 to 1846, was a British naval officer. O'Brien, born in 1769, was third son of Edward Dominic O'Brien, captain in the army (d. 1801) ...

, an

admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet ...

in the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...

. He had no sons and on his death in 1855 the marquessate and earldom of Inchiquin became extinct. In 1855, he was succeeded in the barony of Inchiquin by his distant relative Sir Lucius O'Brien, 5th Baronet, who became the 13th Baron Inchiquin. The O'Brien Baronetcy, of Leaghmenagh in the County of Clare, had been created in the

Baronetage of Ireland Baronets are a rank in the British aristocracy. The current Baronetage of the United Kingdom has replaced the earlier but existing Baronetages of England, Nova Scotia, Ireland, and Great Britain. Baronetage of England (1611–1705) James I of E ...

in 1686 for Donough O'Brien, who had earlier represented

County Clare County Clare ( ga, Contae an Chláir) is a county in Ireland, in the Southern Region and the province of Munster, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Clare County Council is the local authority. The county had a population of 118,81 ...

in the

Irish House of Commons The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland that existed from 1297 until 1800. The upper house was the House of Lords. The membership of the House of Commons was directly elected, but on a highly restrictive fran ...

. He was the great-great-grandson and namesake of Donough O'Brien (died 1582), younger son of the first Earl of Thomond and first Baron Inchiquin. His grandson, the second baronet, great-grandson the third baronet, and great-great-grandson the fourth baronet, also represented County Clare in the Irish Parliament, with the fourth baronet also representing

Ennis Ennis () is the county town of County Clare, in the mid-west of Ireland. The town lies on the River Fergus, north of where the river widens and enters the Shannon Estuary. Ennis is the largest town in County Clare, with a population of 25,27 ...

. The latter was succeeded by his son, the fifth baronet. Before becoming the 13th Baron, the fifth Baronet O'Brien had represented

in the House of Commons and was later an Irish Representative Peer. He also served as Lord Lieutenant of County Clare. He was succeeded by his son,

Edward O'Brien, 14th Baron Inchiquin Edward Donough O'Brien, 14th Baron Inchiquin KP (14 May 1839 – 9 April 1900) was the holder of a hereditary peerage in the Peerage of Ireland, as well as Chief of the Name of O'Brien and Prince of Thomond in the Gaelic Irish nobility. In 1 ...

, also an Irish Representative Peer and Lord Lieutenant of County Clare. His son,

Lucius O'Brien, 15th Baron Inchiquin Lucius William O'Brien, 15th Baron Inchiquin (21 June 1864 – 9 December 1929) was the England-born holder of a hereditary peerage in the Peerage of Ireland, as well as Chief of the Name of O'Brien and Prince of Thomond in the Gaelic Irish no ...

, also sat in the House of Lords as an Irish Representative Peer, and also served in the British military and had been appointed High Sheriff of Clare in 1898, and justice of the peace of Salop. According to Desmond Oulton (owner of

Clontarf Castle Clontarf Castle ( ga, Caisleán Chluain Tarbh) is a much-modernised castle, dating to 1837, in Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland, an area famous as a key location of the Battle of Clontarf in 1014. There has been a castle on the site since 1172. In mod ...

), his father John George Oulton had suggested to

Éamon de Valera Éamon de Valera (, ; first registered as George de Valero; changed some time before 1901 to Edward de Valera; 14 October 1882 – 29 August 1975) was a prominent Irish statesman and political leader. He served several terms as head of govern ...

towards the end of the

Irish Free State The Irish Free State ( ga, Saorstát Éireann, , ; 6 December 192229 December 1937) was a state established in December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921. The treaty ended the three-year Irish War of Independence between ...

, that Ireland should have its own king again, as it was in the times of

Gaelic Ireland Gaelic Ireland ( ga, Éire Ghaelach) was the Gaelic political and social order, and associated culture, that existed in Ireland from the late prehistoric era until the early 17th century. It comprised the whole island before Anglo-Normans c ...

. He suggested to him, a member of the

O'Brien Clan The O'Brien dynasty ( ga, label= Classical Irish, Ua Briain; ga, label=Modern Irish, Ó Briain ; genitive ''Uí Bhriain'' ) is a noble house of Munster, founded in the 10th century by Brian Boru of the Dál gCais (Dalcassians). After becoming ...

, descended in the paternal line from

, a previous

High King of Ireland High King of Ireland ( ga, Ardrí na hÉireann ) 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 later sometimes assigned an ...

: the most senior representative at the time was

Donough O'Brien, 16th Baron Inchiquin Donough Edward Foster O'Brien, 16th Baron Inchiquin (5 January 1897 – 19 October 1968) was an Irish peer and 29th direct descendant of Brian Boru. Early life Inchiquin was the first of five children born to Lucius O'Brien, 15th Baron Inchiqu ...

. Oulton said that Donough's nephew Conor O'Brien, 18th Baron Inchiquin, confirmed that De Valera did offer Donough O'Brien the title of Prince-President of the Irish Republic, but this was turned down and so a

President of Ireland The president of Ireland ( ga, Uachtarán na hÉireann) is the head of state of Ireland and the supreme commander of the Irish Defence Forces. The president holds office for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms.Constitu ...

was instituted instead. , the titles are held by the 15th Baron Inchiquin's grandson, Conor Myles John O'Brien, 18th Baron Inchiquin, born , who succeeded to the title in 1982 from his uncles

and Phaedrig O'Brien, 17th Baron Inchiquin. In the Gaelic nobility, Lord Inchiquin is The O'Brien, Chief of the Name, Prince of Thomond. The family seat of the O'Brien Baronetcy was Dromoland Castle, near Newmarket-on-Fergus,

. The current Baron Inchiquin lives in Thomond House adjacent to Dromoland.

Barons Inchiquin (1543)

* Murrough O'Brien, 1st Earl of Thomond, 1st Baron Inchiquin (died 1551). * Dermod O'Brien, 2nd Baron Inchiquin (died 1 May 1557) * Murrough McDermot O'Brien, 3rd Baron Inchiquin (1550–1574) * Murrough O'Brien, 4th Baron Inchiquin (1563–1597) *

Dermod O'Brien, 5th Baron Inchiquin Dermod McMurrough O'Brien, 5th Baron Inchiquin (October 1594 – 29 December 1624) was an Irish baron. cites Biography Dermod, who was born in October 1594, was the son of Murrough O'Brien, 4th Baron Inchiquin (1562 – 24 July 1597), the son ...

(1594–1624) * Murrough O'Brien, 6th Baron Inchiquin (1618–1674) (created Earl of Inchiquin in 1654)

Earls of Inchiquin (1654)

* Murrough O'Brien, 1st Earl of Inchiquin, 6th Baron Inchiquin (1618–1674) * William O'Brien, 2nd Earl of Inchiquin, 7th Baron Inchiquin (1640–1692) *

William O'Brien, 3rd Earl of Inchiquin, 8th Baron Inchiquin William MacWilliam O'Brien, 8th Baron of Inchiquin, 3rd Baron O'Brien of Burren, 3rd Earl of Inchiquin Privy Council of Ireland, PC (1662 – 24 December 1719) was an Irish people, Irish nobleman. Life William O'Brien was the son of William O'B ...

(1662–1719) * William O'Brien, 4th Earl of Inchiquin, 9th Baron Inchiquin (1700–1777) * Murrough O'Brien, 5th Earl of Inchiquin, 10th Baron Inchiquin (1726–1808) (created Marquess of Thomond in 1800)

Marquesses of Thomond (1800)

* Murrough O'Brien, 1st Marquess of Thomond, 5th Earl of Inchiquin, 10th Baron Inchiquin (1726–1808) * William O'Brien, 2nd Marquess of Thomond, 6th Earl of Inchiquin, 11th Baron Inchiquin (1765–1846) * James O'Brien, 3rd Marquess of Thomond, 7th Earl of Inchiquin, 12th Baron Inchiquin (1768–1855)

Barons Inchiquin (1543; reverted)

* Lucius O'Brien, 13th Baron Inchiquin (1800–1872) * Edward Donough O'Brien, 14th Baron Inchiquin (1839–1900) *

Lucius William O'Brien, 15th Baron Inchiquin Lucius William O'Brien, 15th Baron Inchiquin (21 June 1864 – 9 December 1929) was the England-born holder of a hereditary peerage in the Peerage of Ireland, as well as Chief of the Name of O'Brien and Prince of Thomond in the Gaelic Irish n ...

(1864–1929) * Donough Edward Foster O'Brien, 16th Baron Inchiquin (1897–1968) * Phaedrig Lucius Ambrose O'Brien, 17th Baron Inchiquin (1900–1982) * Conor Myles John O'Brien, 18th Baron Inchiquin (born 1943) The

heir presumptive An heir presumptive is the person entitled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir apparent or a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question. ...

is the present holder's second cousin Conor John Anthony O'Brien (born 1952).
The heir presumptive's

heir apparent An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...

is his only son Fionn Murough O'Brien (born 1987).

O'Brien Baronets, of Leaghmenagh (1686)

Sir Donough O'Brien, 1st Baronet Sir Donough O'Brien, 1st Baronet of Leameneh (1642 – 17 November 1717) was an Irish politician and baronet. He was the son of Conor O'Brien of Leamanah and Máire Rua McMahon. He was the first member of his family to conform to the establi ...

(died 1717) *

Sir Edward O'Brien, 2nd Baronet Sir Edward O'Brien, 2nd Baronet (7 April 1705 – 26 November 1765) was an Irish politician and baronet. Life Born in England in 1705, he was the eldest surviving child of Lucius O'Brien (1675-1717 d.v.p) and Catherine Keightley (1676- c. ...

(died 1765) *

Sir Lucius O'Brien, 3rd Baronet Sir Lucius Henry O'Brien, 3rd Baronet PC (Ire) (2 September 1731 – 15 January 1795) was an Irish baronet and politician for 34 years. He was a man of quite different parts to his father, an intellectual, a Greek and Latin scholar and a bril ...

(died 1795) *

Sir Edward O'Brien, 4th Baronet Sir Edward O'Brien, 4th Baronet (17 April 1773 – 13 March 1837) was an Irish parliamentarian who sat in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1802 to 1826. He was the son of Sir Lucius O'Brien, 3rd Baronet (1731–1795) and Anne Fr ...

(died 1837) * Sir Lucius O'Brien, 5th Baronet (1800–1872) (succeeded as Baron Inchiquin in 1855) ''see above for further succession''

The O'Brien line of Conor O'Brien, Chief of the name

There is some overlap with the Barons Inchiquin; those people are marked off in bold. * Murrough an Taniste O'Brien, d. 1551. * Donough O'Brien 29 Sep 1582 * Conor O'Brien d. 1603 * Donough O'Brien d. 1634 * Conor O'Brien, 1617–1651 * Donough O'Brien, 1642–1717 * Lucius O'Brien, 1675–1717 * Edward O'Brien, 1705–1765 * Lucius O'Brien, 1731–1795 * Edward O'Brien, 1773–1837 * Lucius O'Brien, 1800–1872 * Edward O'Brien, 1839–1900 * Lucius O'Brien, 1864–1929 * Fionn O'Brien, 1903–1977 * Conor Myles John O'Brien, b. 1943

Art and culture

''Lord Inchiquin'' is the name of a traditional Irish

air The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing f ...

by O'Carolan, assumed to be dedicated to his contemporary

William O'Brien, 4th Earl of Inchiquin {{Infobox officeholder , honorific-prefix = The Right Honourable , name = The Earl of Inchiquin , honorific-suffix = KB PC(I) , image = William_O’Brien,_4th_Earl_of_Inchiquin.jpg , caption = , alt ...

. The painter George O'Brien, who made his name as an artist in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

, was a descendant of the first Baron Inchiquin.

References

Work cited

* * *Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). ''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage'' (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990. *O'Donoghue, John
Historical Memoir of the O'Briens
Dublin: Hodges, Smith, & Co. 1860. * .

History

Barons Inchiquin (1543)

Earls of Inchiquin (1654)

Marquesses of Thomond (1800)

Barons Inchiquin (1543; reverted)

O'Brien Baronets, of Leaghmenagh (1686)

The O'Brien line of Conor O'Brien, Chief of the name

Art and culture

See also

References

Work cited

Further reading