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Owen MacCarthy Reagh () (1520–1594) was the 16th Prince of Carbery from 1576 to 1593.Famille MacCarthy Reagh
/ref> He belonged to 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 ...
dynasty. Owen was commonly referred to as "Sir" Owen MacCarthy (McCartie) in the English court records. Owen was the fourth son of Donal MacCarthy Reagh, 12th Prince of Carbery (r. 1505–1531) by his wife Lady Eleanor, daughter of
Gerald FitzGerald, 8th Earl of Kildare Gerald FitzGerald, 8th Earl of Kildare (born – ), known variously as "Garret the Great" (Gearóid Mór) or "The Great Earl" (An tIarla Mór), was Ireland's premier peer. He served as Lord Deputy of Ireland from 1477 to 1494, and from 1496 u ...
, Owen became
tánaiste The Tánaiste ( , ) is the second-ranking member of the government of Ireland and the holder of its second-most senior office. It is the equivalent of the deputy prime minister in other parliamentary systems. The Tánaiste is appointed by the P ...
in 1567, when his next elder brother Donogh MacCarthy Reagh, 15th Prince of Carbery (r. 1567–1576), father of
Florence MacCarthy Finnin MacCarthy () (1560–1640), was an Irish clan chief and member of the Gaelic nobility of Ireland () of the late 16th-century and the last credible claimant to the Mac Carthaig Mór title before its suppression by English authority. Mac ...
, succeeded their elder brother Cormac na Haoine MacCarthy Reagh, 13th Prince of Carbery (r. 1531–1567). He was succeeded by the son of his brother Cormac na Haoine,
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 ...
.


Career

Owen did not support
Gerald FitzGerald, 15th Earl of Desmond Gerald FitzGerald, 14th Earl of Desmond ( – 1583), also counted as 15th or 16th, owned large part of the Irish province of Munster. In 1565 he fought the private Battle of Affane against his neighbours, the Butlers. After this, he was for so ...
during the
Second Desmond Rebellion The Second Desmond Rebellion (1579–1583) was the more widespread and bloody of the two Desmond Rebellions in Ireland launched by the FitzGerald Dynasty of County Desmond, Desmond in Munster against English rule. The second rebellion began in ...
. Instead he allowed his forces of around 1200 fighting men to be employed by the Crown, and thus prevented much of the destruction that Carbery might have suffered if he had supported FitzGerald. He was accused of joining the rebellion in 1580, and may have given the appearance of it, but his friend Thomas Butler, the Earl of Ormond, prevailed upon him to cease whatever activity and convinced the government it was only local politics.Spenser, pp. 251–2 MacCarthy Reagh's difficulties with the Crown's sub-sheriffs are suggested as the cause. The total size of MacCarthy Reagh's forces is more difficult to determine. According to one count this included a peacetime 1,000 infantry and 30 knights, but according to another in 1588 his private forces greatly exceeded this, amounting to 60 horsemen, 80 professional soldiers, and 2,000 light infantry. Owen also sat in the House of Lords of the Dublin Parliament of 1584–1585. He was very influential in advancing the career of his nephew
Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...
, son of Donogh, at the expense of his nephew Donal of the Pipes, son of Cormac. Donal was his legal tánaiste but for some reason Owen favoured Florence, causing significant strife within the family, to be found discussed at length in the ''Life and Letters of Florence MacCarthy'' (see references). In 1592 Donal was finally able to oust the by then aged Owen, although leaving him a small estate and pension for his comfort until his death two years later in 1594. Not long before, he earned the ire of the
O'Mahony O'Mahony (Old Irish: ''Ó Mathghamhna''; Modern Irish: ''Ó Mathúna'') is the original name of the clan, with breakaway clans also spelled O'Mahoney, or simply Mahony, Mahaney and Mahoney, without the prefix. Brodceann O'Mahony was the eldest of t ...
family when he tried to gain possession of one of their lordships after they had been dispossessed of it by the Crown government. MacCarthy Reagh was unsuccessful but it has been argued his efforts prevented the O'Mahonys from regaining the lordship themselves. In or before 1592, the year he was deposed by his nephew Donal, MacCarthy Reagh was a witness in a lawsuit, along with his son-in-law
Donal II O'Donovan Donal II O'Donovan (), The O'Donovan of Clann Cathail, Lord of Clancahill ( – 1639), was the son of Ellen O'Leary, daughter of O'Leary of Inchigeelagh, Carrignacurra, and Donal of the Skins, The O'Donovan of Clann Cathail. He is most commonly r ...
, filed against them by O'Donovan's younger brother Teige, who alleged that his brother was a bastard who owed his entire position to Owen because of his marriage to his daughter Joanne, and that MacCarthy Reagh was himself an intruder, the lordship of Carbery supposedly belonging to his nephew Donal of the Pipes all along. The suit was filed by Teige in conjunction with the declaration of an intent by MacCarthy and O'Donovan to surrender clan lands for the purpose of obtaining a regrant (and which did not take place until 1608). As the English court supported the concept of a grant and regrant, the suit by Teige was not successful, with Lord Chancellor Adam Loftus deciding Owen MacCarthy Reagh's was the rightful and legitimate MacCarthy Reagh.


Sons and descendants

Despite his being deposed by Donal in 1592, Owen's two sons Finghin and Donogh retained considerable lands and power, joining the side of Hugh O'Neill and allying with Spain in the
Nine Years' War The Nine Years' War was a European great power conflict from 1688 to 1697 between Kingdom of France, France and the Grand Alliance (League of Augsburg), Grand Alliance. Although largely concentrated in Europe, fighting spread to colonial poss ...
despite Donal remaining loyal to the English Crown. Often together with their brothers-in-law Donal II O'Donovan and Sir Fineen O'Driscoll (and his son Cornelius), the activities of "Sir Owen MacCartie's sons" were closely watched by Sir George Carew and his spies. Both received money and fully equipped troop companies from
Philip III of Spain Philip III (; 14 April 1578 – 31 March 1621) was King of Spain and King of Portugal, Portugal (where he is known as Philip II of Portugal) during the Iberian Union. His reign lasted from 1598 until his death in 1621. He held dominion over the S ...
to supplement their own forces, and among their expeditions joined
Donal Cam O'Sullivan Beare Donal Cam O'Sullivan Beare, Prince of Beare, 1st Count of Berehaven (; 1560 – 16 July 1618) was an Irish nobleman and soldier who was the last independent Chief of the Name of Clan O'Sullivan. He was thus the last ''O'Sullivan Beare'', a title ...
to support
Pedro de Zubiaur Pedro de Zubiaur, Zubiaurre or Çubiaurre (1540 – 3 August 1605) was a Spanish naval officer and engineer, general of the Spanish Navy, distinguished for his achievements in the Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604). Biography Born into a seafari ...
at
Castlehaven Castlehaven () is a civil parish in County Cork, Ireland. It is located in West Cork, approximately 45 miles south-west of Cork City on the coast. The civil parish includes the town of Castletownshend and the hamlets of Rineen and Tragumna. Th ...
. Through Finghin's son Callaghan, Owen became the ancestor of several lines of MacCarthy counts and viscounts in France, his male heirs finally dying out with the last Count MacCarthy de la Marlière in 1925. Among Owen's surviving descendants today, in the female line, is The O'Donovan, through his daughter Joanne/Johanna.


Marriage and issue

Owen married Ellen
O'Callaghan O'Callaghan or simply Callaghan without the prefix (anglicized from two separate surnames and clans, '' Ó Ceallacháin,'' Munster Clan. ''Ó Ceileacháin,'' Oriel Clan'')'' is an Irish surname. Origin and meaning Munster The surname means desc ...
, daughter of Dermod O'Callaghan, Lord of Clonmeen, and they had issue: # Finghin/Florence, Lord of Iniskean, who married Eleanor, daughter of Edmund FitzGibbon, the
White Knight A white knight is a mythological figure and literary stock character. They are portrayed alongside a black knight as diametric opposites. A white knight usually represents a heroic warrior fighting against evil, with the role in medieval literatu ...
. ## Catherine, married Dermod MacCarthy Glas, 2nd son of
Teige-an-Duna MacCarthy Teige-an-Duna MacCarthy () (1584 – 24 May 1649), Lord of Glean-na-Chroim, was the last hereditary Prince of the Dunmanway branch of the MacCarthy Reagh dynasty of Carbery (barony), Carbery "who exercised the rights of his position." He was Pr ...
, Lord of Glean-na-Chroim ## Callaghan/Caragh, (allegedly) created Viscount of Timoleague by
James I of England James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 unti ...
, but from whom descended the later Counts MacCarthy de la Marlière and other families of FranceEllis, p. 77 # Donogh Maol, who married Ne FitzGerald, daughter of Thomas Roe # Ellen, who married Sir Fineen O'Driscoll # Julia, who married Dermod
O'Sullivan O'Sullivan may refer to: People * O'Sullivan family, a gaelic Irish clan * O'Sullivan (surname), a family name * Sullivan (surname), a variation of the O'Sullivan family name Places * O'Sullivan Dam, Washington, United States * O'Sullivan Army He ...
Mór, son of Donal O'Sullivan Mór # Eleanor, who married Finin Mac Owen Carragh of Kilbrittain # Johanna, who married
Donal II O'Donovan Donal II O'Donovan (), The O'Donovan of Clann Cathail, Lord of Clancahill ( – 1639), was the son of Ellen O'Leary, daughter of O'Leary of Inchigeelagh, Carrignacurra, and Donal of the Skins, The O'Donovan of Clann Cathail. He is most commonly r ...
, Lord of Clancahill # Honoria, who married Edmund FitzGerald, Knight of the Valley (
Knight of Glin The Knight of Glin (; dormant 14 September 2011), also known as the Black Knight or Knight of the Valley, was an hereditary knighthood held by the FitzGerald and FitzMaurice families of County Limerick, Ireland, since the early 14th century ...
) # Graine, who married twice, 1) Barry Oge
de Barry The de Barry family (de Barra/Barri) is a noble Cambro-Norman family which held extensive land holdings in Wales and Ireland. The founder of the de Barry family was a Norman knight, Odo, who assisted in the Norman Conquest of England and south- ...
of
Buttevant Buttevant (; ) is a medieval market town in County Cork, Ireland. The town was incorporated by charter of Edward III in the 14th century. While there are reasons to suggest that the town may occupy the site of an earlier settlement of the Do ...
, 2) Cormac MacCarthy na Mona, son of Cormac Mac Teige MacCarthy of Muskerry The ordering of Owen's daughters varies and in one source Johanna is given as the eldest.


Ancestry


Notes


References

* ''Calendar of the Carew Manuscripts''
1589–16001601–1603
London. * ''Calendar of the State Papers relating to Ireland in the reign of Elizabeth''
Volume IIIIIIIV
* Ellis, Peter Berresford, ''Erin's Blood Royal: The Gaelic Noble Dynasties of Ireland''. Palgrave. Revised edition, 2002. * MacCarthy Glas, Daniel, ''The Life and Letters of Florence MacCarthy''. 1867. * McCarthy, Samuel Trant
"The Clann Carthaigh (continued)"
in ''Kerry Archaeological Magazine, Vol. 4, No. 19'' (Oct. 1917), pp. 207–214 * McCarthy, Samuel Trant, ''The MacCarthys of Munster''. 1922. * O'Donovan, John (ed. & tr.), '' Annala Rioghachta Eireann. Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters, from the Earliest Period to the Year 1616''. 7 vols. Dublin:
Royal Irish Academy The Royal Irish Academy (RIA; ), based in Dublin, is an academic body that promotes study in the natural sciences, arts, literature, and social sciences. It is Ireland's premier List of Irish learned societies, learned society and one of its le ...
. 1848–51. 2nd edition, 1856
Volume VI
(Appendix, Pedigree of O'Donovan, pp. 2430–83). * O'Donovan, John, and Duald Mac Firbis,
The Genealogies, Tribes, and Customs of Hy-Fiachrach
'. Dublin: Irish Archaeological Society. 1844. pp. 444–450 * O'Hart, John,
Irish Pedigrees
'. Dublin: James Duffy and Co. 5th edition, 1892. * O'Mahony, John,
A History of the O'Mahony septs of Kinelmeky and Ivagha
, in ''Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society, Volumes 12–16, Second Series''. 1906–1910. *
Edmund Spenser Edmund Spenser (; – 13 January 1599 Old Style and New Style dates, O.S.) was an English poet best known for ''The Faerie Queene'', an epic poem and fantastical allegory celebrating the House of Tudor, Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I. He is re ...
, w/ Christopher Burlinson and Andred Zurcher (eds.), ''Selected Letters and Other Papers''.
OUP Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...
. 2009
Short Biography: Owen MacCarthy Reagh
pp. 251–2 * Stafford, Thomas, and Sir George Carew, ''Pacata Hibernia: or, A History of the Wars in Ireland, during the reign of Queen Elizabet
Vol. IVol. 2
'. London. 1633. Edited w/ intro. & notes by
Standish James O'Grady Standish James O'Grady (18 September 1846 – 18 May 1928) was an Irish author, journalist, and historian. O'Grady was inspired by Sylvester O'Halloran and played a formative role in the Celtic Revival, publishing the tales of Irish mythology, a ...
,
Vol. II
'. London: Downey & Co. 1896. {{DEFAULTSORT:Maccarthy Reagh, Owen MacCarthy dynasty Irish lords O'Donovan family 1520 births 1594 deaths 16th-century Irish people People of the Second Desmond Rebellion