Irish Royalty

[monos26]

Does anyone have any information on living Irish royals, particularly the McCarthy's?

[betina]

There is a website for all royals in europe on this site http://www3.dcs.hull.ac.uk/public/ge...l/catalog.html including the irish but you must be in good time, because it take some time to load.

best regards Betina

[Splodger]

Originally Posted by monos26

Does anyone have any information on living Irish royals, particularly the McCarthy's?

There are no real direct decendents of the Kings of Ireland. Generaly speaking anyone from Ireland who has Celtic ancestery is decended from a "Royal Clan," however there is no way to trace through the first born decent to find a True Heir to one or other titles.

All the small Kingdoms passed between various families, and the title of High King also passed between different holders, however the most famous was probably O'Neill. I am not familiour with the McCarthy's (are they from the South - now the Republic?). However many other families, such as my own, are all branches of the House of O'Neill. Therefore many Irish familes are decended from the Kings of Ireland, even if they do not share the same family name, they are often all of the House of O'Neill. After the English took over, several powerful princes of Ireland were given English noble titles, however even here many have since died out.

[lamass]

the english took claim to ireland long ago so all the royals have kind of blended into the rest of ireland.

[Aubisse]

Not royal but quite important in irish history, the Fitzgerald family

[Von Schlesian]

Correct.

Currently His Grace Maurice Fitzgerald, 9th Duke of Leinster, Marquess of Kildare, (9th British Viscount Leinster), Premier Duke and Marquess of Ireland.

The title was created in 1766.

[Von Schlesian]

The former Duke (Gerald) passed away last year at the age of 90.

The Dukedom was created by HM George III, making a Ducal line from a family who had been one of the oldest Irish noble families.

[Von Schlesian]

I also understand that the "Kings of Ireland and Leinster" are able to be traced back to 120AD.

The Fitzgeralds were normans who arrived in Ireland in the 11th century. His Grace The Duke of Leinster, also holds peerages of Great Britain and of The United Kingdom. The titles of Duke of Leinster, Marquess of Kildare, Earl of Kildare, Earl of Offlay and Baron Kildare are all within the Irish peerage, whereas the Viscounty of Leinster is a peerage of Great Britain, and the Barony of Offaly is a peerage of the United Kingdom.

[Humera]

I love the book Aristocrats by Stella Tillyard. Its based on the correspondence between the Lenox sisters, great-granddaughters of Charles II. Emily Lennox married James Fitzgerald, Earl of Kildare and later Duke of Leinster. Emily's letters are full of great details about her life in Ireland, her huge family, and her two great homes. The illustrated guide to the TV series is full of beautiful pictures of her homes and of Castletown, the home of Emily's sister Louisa who also married an Irishman, the wealthiest man in Ireland infact, Tom Connolly.

[Mashka]

I have a friend, she's Irish, and she's related to Irish royalty.

[Von Schlesian]

Yes, my Great Great Grandmother, (Mothers, Fathers, Mothers Mother), was a daughter of His Grace Gerald Fitzgerald 5th Duke of Leinster.

[marlene]

I loved the series the Aristocrats as well,there is also a wonderful book to go along with the series.Just an interesting fact to pass along, names that begin with the prefix Fitz designate an illegitimate offspring in the family.So the name Fitzgerald would have originally been held by the first male of illegitimate birth in the Gerald family.