Irish royal families

The Irish Royal Families were dynasties who ruled kingdoms or territories on the island of Ireland over the last several thousand years. While the majority were essentially just chiefs or lords of their people and territory, there were many significant dynasties, some of whom demonstrably ruled for a millennium. Among the best known Irish royal families are: MacDermot, O'Beirne, O'Conor Don, O'Flaherty, O,Gorman, O'Kelly, and O'Malley/O'Mealey of Connacht; MacUidhir/Maguire, O'Docherty, O'Donnell, O'Neill, O'Hanlon and O'Reilly of Ulster; MacGillaPatrick, MacMurrough, O'Bryne, O'Melaghlin/McLoughlin, O'More and O'Toole of Leinster; MacCarthy, MacGillycuddy, O'Brien, MacNamara, O'Donoghue, O'Donovan, O'Driscoll, O'Kennedy, O'Keefe, McDermott and O'Sullivan of Munster. Several still have recognised clan heads or Chiefs of the Name alive today.

Locality

Significant kingdoms known from early historical times (5th–7th centuries) included Connachta, Uí Fiachrach, Breifne, Aileach, Airgialla, Dál Riata, Ulaid, Breaga, Midhe, Laigin, Osriage, Laois, Mumhain, Urmumhain, Desmumhain, Tuathamumhain, Hy-Many. Some disappeared or were annexed; others were self-governing until the end of the 16th century.

The Irish kings of Tara were often recognised as supreme kings of the island from the time of Mael Seachnaill I (9th Century), but the usual reality is that they were kings with opposition, ruling maybe two or three of Ireland's five provinces. From the Norman Invasion (1169-71) none ruled as a united sovereign Irish kingdom or state, although the Kingdom of Tyrconnell maintained occasional international relations and exchanged ambassadors with the Royal Courts of Scotland, Spain, and the Papacy. As was the case with the nations in what is now England, Scotland and Wales, the more powerful of the kingdoms of Ireland all regarded themselves as fully independent entities, rather as Germany was until 1800. In several cases they claimed utterly different racial backgrounds from neighbours; Ireland being home to races such as the Delbhna, Conmaicne Mara, Cruithne, Eóganachta, Érainn, Fir Bolg, Grecraighe, Laghin, Ulaid and a host of others. Few claimed to be homogeneous, despite later attempts to make them so.

urrender and regrant in the 1500s

From the 1530s Henry VIII adopted a policy of 'surrender and regrant', whereby the ruling families would surrender their lands and take them back within the English legal system. In 1555 the Irish College of Arms was set up in Dublin to allow the new lords to acquire coats of arms as in the rest of Europe. This college generally accepted and copied the old genealogies. Most families successfully made the transition from kingdoms to earldoms or lordships — with the same ruling dynasty — into the 17th century and beyond, taking their seats in the Irish House of Lords. However, the wars of 1595-1603, 1641-1650 and 1689-91 often resulted in a loss of land if they supported the losing side. By 1700 all had long being brought fully and firmly under the dominion of English rule, though local feeling for each area as a distinct entity lasted as least as late as the Great Famine.

urvivors

Consequently few families have survived with their lands intact. The lords of Inchiquin and the earls of Antrim, Lord O'Neill and Lord Rathcavan are rare exceptions. A larger number of Chiefs of the name have persisted. The aura of lineage can be seen where a man with a good (but not professionally recognised) claim restyled himself as The O'Rahilly.

Recognition since 1800

It is claimed that some of the representatives of the ancient Royal Houses of Ireland are entitled to the honorific title of Prince. O'Conor Don is styled Prince of Connacht and O'Neill of Clanaboy is styled Prince of Clanaboy. The much discredited Terence MacCarthy 'Mor' was styled Prince of Desmond and if he used European titles, rather than the Gaelic form of the patronymic, he claimed to equate with "Royal Highness". The O'Neill of Clanaboy has been recognised as a "Most Serene Highness". The Royal Houses comprise O'Conor Don (Connacht), McMillen (Ulster), The MacCarthy Mor (Munster), and MacMorrough Kavanagh (Leinster) [http://www.luminet.net/~tiraha/leinster/index.html] . Then follow the princely houses of O'Brien (Thomond), Maguire (Fermanagh), O'Donnell (Tyrconnell), O'Rourke (Breffny), O'Reilly (East Breifne and Muintir-Maelmordha) and, below these, the comital chiefs. However, there has always been a difference in Europe between recognising a) a man's power to rule independently and b) politely recognising his titles and lineage. The latter has applied between 1948, when the Irish government established a formal but powerless council of the chiefs, and 2003.

The 2003 decision

Given that Ireland is currently a republic, and because of the 'McCarthy Mór' embarrassment, in 2003 the Attorney General advised against further courtesy recognition to the Chiefs of the Name—where undisputed. So the status of modern representatives of ancient Irish lineages, among the oldest in the world, is both awkward and uncertain. However, the recent consolidation of the Office of the Chief Herald of Ireland, now placed on a statutory footing, may in due course prove a salvation.

Recent genetic analyses

From 2005 several male-line DNA papers by Drs. McEvoy, Bradley and Moore at Trinity College Dublin have identified genetic patterns from donors that correspond with surnames and genealogy. A hypothesis can be made to link a historic person such as Niall of the Nine Hostages with men alive today.

References

* "Erin’s Blood Royal – The Gaelic Noble Dynasties of Ireland", by Peter Berresford Ellis, Constable, London, 1999.
* "Blood Royal — From the time of Alexander the Great to Queen Elizabeth II", by Charles Mosley, published for Ruvigny Ltd., London, 2002 [ISBN 0-9524229-9-9]
* "Vicissitudes of Families", by Sir Bernard Burke, Ulster King of Arms, published by Longman, Green, Longman and Roberts, Paternoster Row, London, 1861.
* "The Fate and Fortunes of the Earls of Tyrone (Hugh O’Neill) and Tyrconnell (Rory O’Donel), their flight from Ireland and death in exile", by the Rev. C. P. Meehan, M.R.I.A., 2nd edition, James Duffy, London, 1870.
* "A View of the Legal Institutions, Honorary Hereditary Offices, and Feudal Baronies established in Ireland", by William Lynch, Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, published by Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green, Paternoster Row, London, 1830.
* "The Fighting Prince of Donegal," A Walt Disney Film, made in 1966 about the life of Prince Red Hugh O’Donnell (i.e. Hugh Roe), starring Peter McEnery, Sudan Hampshire, Gordon Jackson, and Andrew Keir.

ee also

* Irish kings