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​The Origins and History of

the MacCarthy Reagh Clan

 

The MacCarthy clan stems from it's namesake, Cárthach, who was King of Desmond until 1045 AD when he was killed whilst taking shelter in a home after a military engagement with some Dalcassian forces. In Irish Cárthach's sons would have been referred to as 'mac Cárthaigh' (mac = son; Cárthaigh = of Cárthach). One of Cárthach's great-great-great-grandsons was named Domnall Guid Mac Cárthaigh (often anglicized as Donal Goth MacCarthy). He reigned as The MacCarthy Mór, King of Desmond, until his death circa 1251. While his nephew succeeded him as The MacCarthy Mór and Prince of Desmond, it was his sixth son, Domnall Maol, who succeeded him as the Lord of Carbery. Then around 1280 Domnall Maol and his cousin Domnall Roe, The MacCarthy Mór, made an agreement that ceded to him the region of Desmond southwards of the Lee River. This region would become the de facto sovereign Principality of  Carbery, and today, the vast majority of this region is comprised of the baronies of East and West Carbery. As the King of Desmond, Donal Goth would have been entitled to bear the indifference Arms (the red stag on a white field), but his sons would not have. For this reason, the attributed Arms of the Chief of MacCarthy Reagh bear a fleur-de-lis as a mark of cadency for a sixth son - for Domnall Maol - from whom all subsequent chiefs descended. 

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In time, the sept would adopt the agnomen of Riabhach (meaning 'of a grey colour'), named after Domnall "Riabhach" MacCárthaigh, the 5th Prince of Carbery, who died in 1414. 

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The Last Chiefs

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From 1251 until 1606 the family lorded over Carbery and its many clans and families. However, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I the family was in turmoil and there was the now infamous succession crisis between Domhnall na bpíopaí Mac Cárthaigh Riabhach (anglicized as Donal na Pipi, meaning 'Daniel of the Pipes') and his cousin Florence. The 19th century author and historian, Daniel MacCarthy Glas, wrote an outstanding work about the conflict entitled "The Life and Letters of Florence MacCarthy Reagh, Tanist of Carbery, MacCarthy Mor." As a result of the complex socio-economic and political situation surrounding that crisis, coupled with the ever growing English occupation of the Irish, Donal na Pipi surrendered Carbery to the English Crown in 1606, three years after the accession of King James I. 

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The Present Day

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For over 300 years the clan has been without a chief. But efforts are underway to work worldwide in an effort identify clan members, branches of the family, Y-DNA information, revive the spirit of clanship, and organize the clan into a global family. Currently the clan is working to identify cousins and distant branches of the clan, building up the effort to establish a restored Chief of the Name MacCarthy Reagh!

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