Royalty of Scotland and Ireland


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monos26

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Does anyone have any information on living Irish royals, particularly the McCarthy's?
 
monos26 said:
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.
 
the english took claim to ireland long ago so all the royals have kind of blended into the rest of ireland.
 
First duke of Ireland

Not royal but quite important in irish history, the Fitzgerald family
 
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.
 
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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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
I have a friend, she's Irish, and she's related to Irish royalty.
 
Yes, my Great Great Grandmother, (Mothers, Fathers, Mothers Mother), was a daughter of His Grace Gerald Fitzgerald 5th Duke of Leinster.
 
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.
 
It is believed that the surname McCarthy derived from Carthach - ie son (mac) of Carthach. That is a name that goes back to a king in 1045. Originally the spelling of the name McCarthy would have looked nothing like it does today.
 
It is believed that the surname McCarthy derived from Carthach - ie son (mac) of Carthach. That is a name that goes back to a king in 1045. Originally the spelling of the name McCarthy would have looked nothing like it does today.

There is an O´Neill family living in Portugal, in the 19th century there was a Jorge O´Neill, Prince of Clanaboy who was a close friend of the King of Portugal. Not that long ago there was a ceremony in Northern Ireland that my cousin attended, with the present member of the O´Neill family, who happens to be from Portugal, was proclaimed head of the clan.
As a McCarthy I am also interested in this family and of course, all to do with Ireland.
I have always heard that Mac means son of whereas O´ means grandson of, or the old Irish equivalent of "von" from the house of. I am always ready to corrected (of course).
 
As an Anglo-Celt with many Irish connections I can perhaps accept that the Norman-English lordship of Ireland effectively mediatised the former ruling royal and princely houses. I am not talking about sept or clan members that are merely adherents and not dynasts. Some of these royal Irish dynasts who were mediatised (not a word used in Ireland may I add) were granted the use of the English royal arms, something that would not have been afforded to defeated inferiors.

In the latter half of the 20th century I believe the Irish government "allowed" the chiefly dynasts the appellation, Serene Highness and Most Serene Highness. The Irish government "withdrew" this privilige following some machinations involving spurious Irish-American "chiefs". Many dynastic Irish families migrated to France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and even South America. Spain's grandest grandees, the Dukes of Alba have kept their Irish and Scots titles. The Dukes of Medina-Celli incorporate the chiefly title The O'Flaherty alongside their ducal suffixes. Strangely enough The Chief Herald of Ireland has no interest in Hibernian royal dynasties other than to rule (in a very English manner) on matters relating to armigers only.
 
The O'Conor Don is the current head of the traditional royal family of Connacht who are descended from the last High Kings of Ireland .

The O'Connor Family remained staunchly Roman Catholic during the dark days of Penal Laws & many believe them to have the foremost claimant to the Irish High Kingship.

O'Conor Don - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The present O'Conor Don lives at Clonalis House in County Roscommon,the traditional seat of the old High Kings .

Historic Irish Manor : Clonalis House : Ancestral Home of the O'Conor family
 
There is some rubbish written on this page! There are at least three potential claimants to the Irish throne. In their own rights they are kings of Connaught, Munster and Ulster respectively.

Desmond O'Conor Don - The O'Conor Don, Prince of Connaught, Chief of the Name is descended through sixty-six generations providing some twenty-seven Kings of Connacht and numerous High Kings of Ireland. His family is the oldest royal family in Europe with perhaps the exception of the Bagrationi Dynasty of Georgia. Desmond O'Conor Don (not to be confused with the singer) lives in England in Sussex. He works in London as the Chairman of the Anglo-Chilean Chamber of Commerce. Clonalis House, the ancient family seat in Ireland, is actually owned by a cadet branch of the family. He is (probably) the most senior of the Irish "chiefs of the name" because he is descended from the LAST High King of Ireland; Rory O'Conor (English spelling). He is also potentially the King of Connácht in his own right.

Other notable members of royal dynasties in Ireland include;

Sir Conor O'Brien. The O'Brien, Prince of Thomond, Chief of the Name, The 18th Baron Inchiquin, 10th Baronet of Leamaneh. He is the principal descendant of High King Brian Ború another important High King from Irish history. He lives in Ireland in his castle to this day and is potentially the King of Munster in his own right.

Hugo Ricciardi O'Neill, The O'Neill, Prince of Tyrone, Chief of the Name, Count of Clanaboy. He is the main claimant to the Uí Néill clan of Ulster (Ulaidh). The O'Neills are descended from Niall Noígíallach aka "Niall of the Nine Hostages" a famous and very powerful Irish high king who terrorised western Britannia in the 5th Century AD at the end of the Roman period. The O'Neill's tended to lead the Irish throughout the later Middle Ages and ultimately were all forced into exile in Portugal following the "flight of the earl's", where they remained until the Carnation Revolution in 1974. They have now returned to Northern Ireland (Ulster). However, the O'Neill's are not all agreed who is the Chief of the Name due to a dispute between different methods of calculating supremacy amongst them; an argument between Tanistry and Primogeniture, I believe. Don Carlos O'Neill "of the Few" - another possible claimant - lives in Spain. Hugo O'Neill is potentially the King of Ulster in his own right.

Finally, spoiling the fun for everyone was the so-called MacCarthy Mór - namely Terence MacCarthy. He skilfully forged documents and deceived the Chief Herald of Ireland leading everyone (including the then President of Ireland) to believe he was His Serene Highness Tadhg V, The MacCarthy Mór, Prince of Desmond and Lord of Kerslawny. This was however proved not to be the case and he was infact descended from a McCartney family from Ulster who were nothing more glamorous than labourers. Terence MacCarthy subsequently "abdicated" and this scandal almost brought the whole house down because the Irish government threatened to withdraw recognition of all the Chiefs of the Name. Nevertheless, the three chiefs aforementioned; O'Conor, O'Brien and O'Neill retained their recognition and have faultless pedigrees.
 
There is an O´Neill family living in Portugal, in the 19th century there was a Jorge O´Neill, Prince of Clanaboy who was a close friend of the King of Portugal. Not that long ago there was a ceremony in Northern Ireland that my cousin attended, with the present member of the O´Neill family, who happens to be from Portugal, was proclaimed head of the clan.
As a McCarthy I am also interested in this family and of course, all to do with Ireland.
I have always heard that Mac means son of whereas O´ means grandson of, or the old Irish equivalent of "von" from the house of. I am always ready to corrected (of course).

"Mac" means "son of" in Gaelic (as spoken in Ireland, Scotland and Man) and is traditionally rendered with a lower case "m" e.g. Rory mac Carthy meaning "Rory son of Carthy". In olden times a long list of names would be read out connected by "mac" which would list a person's complete ancestry, e.g;

Rory mac Carthy mac Cathal mac Aodh...ad infinitum.

Females use the version "Nic" which means "daughter of".

The use of "O" or "Ui" before a name does sort of mean "grandson of" but not literally, it tends to mean an ancient common ancestor and unites all the members of a clan or sept, e.g. the Uí Néill or O'Neill's are all the descendants of Naill of the Nine Hostages who lived 1500 years ago.

In Wales they use the word "ap" for the same reason. A very long time ago (before about 800AD) this was usually rendered "map". In the Middle Ages every Welshman was expected to be able to know his name going back nine generations (e.g. nine names connected by "ap") in order to claim title to any land holding. In Welsh, unlike Gaelic, the word "ap" mutates dependant on the whether the name following it begins with a vowel or not. If it begins with a vowel it is rendered "ab". For example;

John ap Goronwy ap Hywel ab Owen...

When Welsh people began Anglicizing their names in the later Middle Ages they often constructed new names using the word ap or ab. Some examples;

ab Owen = Bowen
ap Hari = Parry
ap Hugh = Pugh
ap Richard = Pritchard

The difference between the Gaelic "mac" and Welsh "map" is the basis for linguists referring to Brythonic/Welsh as a "P-Celtic" language and Gaelic/Erse/Irish as a "Q-Celtic" language (to do this they render the "k" sound in "mac" as "maq")

Welsh women used the form "ferch" or "verch" meaning "daughter of".

In Wales they also had clans all descended from a common famous ancestor but in this case they were usually termed "tribes"; there were five royal tribes and fifteen noble tribes in Gwynedd, for example. There were also similar royal and noble tribes throughout all of Britain but the Anglo-Saxons did such a good job in slaughtering them that only the Gwynedd ones are known today.
 
hey von schlesian, i know you posted it 5 yrs ago that you where related to the duke of leinster from a daughter, but i was wonderin how you could your relative be a daughter of the late gerald fitzgerald 5th duke of leinster, when he had only sons?
 
Royal House of Ard Righ King Flann Sinna of Meath, Royal House of Alpin

There is a genealogy that has come to light that traces directly back to the Ard Righ King Flann Sinna of Meath's daughter Princess Spontana of Crimthann that married into the line of the Royal House of Alpin down through King Alpins second son Donald I of Alpin and continued down through his direct descendents of MacFhingon's. There is a site on ancestry.com called Family Legacy Copyrighted & Registered 2008-2021 All Rights Reserved and a site on myspace called UNITE THE CLANS Deborahs Destiny that was put together by the direct heir of these lines. The detailed genealogy is on both of these sites. The genealogy will be presented to the Lord Lyon Courts in Edinburgh and the Chief Herald in Ireland for examination and approvel. Much attention was paid to finding out if there were other Clan lines that could claim this and from the research of their own proven genealogy's verified by each Chief of the differant Clans (both Irish & Scottish) no one came close to the current heir of MacFhingon. The MacFhingon name would be known today as MacKinnon. The Current Chief of MacKinnon is Madame Anne Gunheild of Antigua Mackinnons and is of a younger indirect line. The elder line however, is the Kilmorie/Mishnish line of MacKinnons and the heir is the owner of the above sites on ancestry and myspace. It will be interesting to see what will happen. Other royal lines came into the Royal House of Alpin, Alpins wife was the direct descendent of King Locene MacFhingon of Picts 645 A.D., Mary Haakonsdatter of Norway (Daughter of King Haakon IV of Norway) married Findanus MacFhingon/MacKinnon Great Elder Grandson of King Donald I of Alpin, MacFhingon's date back to Conn of One Hundred Battles and have a connection to St Columbas father and mother. The genealogy I will post here for you to examine for yourself. It is backed up by Historic Documentation as well as Legal Proofs, Y-DNA Study Markers, Verified by Genealogist and Attorney of the family to be correct and true. It is a very clean line of descent and the heir is the eldest in line left. That is what prompted the journey to have this line examined. It is a line that was around in the time of the Pictish Kings and it continued to King Alpin second son King Donald I of Alpin. It stayed within direct biological elder males till the current heir. Kenneth I of Alpins line stopped at Lulach that was not of original Alpin blood. MacKinnons , however continued silently through the years.
 
Descendent of Irelands & Scotlands Royal House

Royal House of Ard Righ King Flann Sinna of Meath, Royal House of Alpin...I do have permission to post this from Heir of MacKinnon.

There is a genealogy that has come to light that traces directly back to the Ard Righ King Flann Sinna of Meath's daughter Princess Spontana of Crimthann that married into the line of the Royal House of Alpin down through King Alpins second son Donald I of Alpin and continued down through his direct descendents of MacFhingon's. There is a site on ancestry.com called Family Legacy Copyrighted & Registered 2008-2021 All Rights Reserved and a site on myspace called UNITE THE CLANS Deborahs Destiny that was put together by the direct heir of these lines. The detailed genealogy is on both of these sites. The genealogy will be presented to the Lord Lyon Courts in Edinburgh and the Chief Herald in Ireland for examination and approvel. Much attention was paid to finding out if there were other Clan lines that could claim this and from the research of their own proven genealogy's verified by each Chief of the differant Clans (both Irish & Scottish) no one came close to the current heir of MacFhingon. The MacFhingon name would be known today as MacKinnon. The Current Chief of MacKinnon is Madame Anne Gunheild of Antigua Mackinnons and is of a younger indirect line. The elder line however, is the Kilmorie/Mishnish line of MacKinnons and the heir is the owner of the above sites on ancestry and myspace. It will be interesting to see what will happen. Other royal lines came into the Royal House of Alpin, Alpins wife was the direct descendent of King Locene MacFhingon of Picts 645 A.D., Mary Haakonsdatter of Norway (Daughter of King Haakon IV of Norway) married Findanus MacFhingon/MacKinnon Great Elder Grandson of King Donald I of Alpin, MacFhingon's date back to Conn of One Hundred Battles and have a connection to St Columbas father and mother. The genealogy I will post here for you to examine for yourself. It is backed up by Historic Documentation as well as Legal Proofs, Y-DNA Study Markers, Verified by Genealogist and Attorney of the family to be correct and true. It is a very clean line of descent and the heir is the eldest in line left. That is what prompted the journey to have this line examined. It is a line that was around in the time of the Pictish Kings and it continued to King Alpin second son King Donald I of Alpin. It stayed within direct biological elder males till the current heir. Kenneth I of Alpins line stopped at Lulach that was not of original Alpin blood. MacKinnons , however continued silently through the years.
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The Genealogy of MacFhingon or MacKinnon...have permission to post this genealogy.

King Locene MacFhingon of Picts to King Alpin to MacFhingon genealogy

King Locene MacFhingone of Cruithne of Picts b. d.645 AD
Princess Nim of Picts married Ard Righ King Eochaidh II of Lorn
King Eochaidh III of Lorn of Picts b 665 Pictavia, Alba d 721 buried at Reilig Oghran
King Aodh Hugh Fionn of Lorn of Picts b 695 Pictavia, Alba d 778 buried Reilig Odhran
married Ugaria Fergussa of Picts
King Eochaid b 735 d buried at Reilig Odhran Iona
King Alpin of Kintrye b. 784 Kintrye, Alba d. 20 July 841 buried at Reilig Odhran Iona
married to Princess Unuistic of n'Gabran
King Donald of Alpin b 811 Iona d 13 April 863 buried at Reilig Odhran Iona
married to Princess Malvina of Picts
Prince Girig b 835 Skye d 933 buried at Reilig Odhran Iona (not Giric)
married to Princess Dorgvigellia
Prince Doungallus b 900 Skye d buried at Reilig Odhran Iona
married to Princess Spontana of Crimthann of Ireland of Ard Righ King Flann Sinna of Meath Ireland
Prince & Chief Findanus MacFhingone b 930 Skye d 976 buried at Reilig Odhran Iona
married Princess Mary Haakonsdatter of Norway and daughter of King Haakon IV of
Norway.
Prince MacFindanus MacFingon/MacKinnon b 947 Dunnakin Castle d 1020 buried Reilig
Odhran Iona
Donald MacFingon/MacKinnon b Mull 964 d 1033
Cormac MacFingon/MacKinnon b 983 Mull d 1066
Lachlan MacFingon/MacKinnon b 1031 Mull d 1096
Lachlan MacFingon/MacKinnon b 1052 Mull d 1126
Kenneth MacFingon/MacKinnon b 1082 Mull d 1156 Strathardill, Skye
Donald MacFingon/MacKinnon b 1099 Strathardill, Skye d 1186
Lachlan MacFingon/MacKinnon b 1126 Strathardill, Skye d 1216
Eowin MacFingon/MacKinnon b 1149 Strathardill, Skye d 1246
Alpin MacFingon/MacKinnon b 1166 Mull d 1252
Lachlan MacFingon/MacKinnon b 1198 Mull d 1294
Donald MacFingon/MacKinnon b 1224 Mull d 1315
Eobhan MacFingon/MacKinnon b 1261 Mulld 1351 Hanged
Lachlan MacFingon/MacKinnon b 1328 Mull d 1392 buried Reilig
Odhran Iona
Lachlan Na Thiomlaidh MacFingon/MacKinnon b 1345 Mull d 1442 buried
Reilig Odhran Iona
Nial Budh MacFingon/MacKinnon b 1365 Mull d 1460
Lachlan Bhan MacFingon/MacKinnon b 1402 Mull d 1501 Strathardill, Skye
Nial Bhan MacFingon/MacKinnon b. 1500 Strathardill, Skye d 1572
Ewen Rudh nan Cath MacFingon/MacKinnon b 1517 Strathardill, Skye d 1565 (Aug 5 1545 at Castle Fergus Carta Eugeni MacFhingone)
Lachlan Dubh Blackhaired MacFingon/MacKinnon b 1545 Mull d 1634 buried at Cill
Chriosod Iona.
Sir Lachlan MacFingon/MacKinnon b 1562 Mull d 1634 buried at Cill Chriosod Iona. He was Knighted by King Charles I Jan 15 1628.
Ian Balbhan of Kilmorie MacFingon/MacKinnon b 1579 Mull d 1642 Kilmorie Estate Strathardill, Skye buried at Dunara Castle. Married Catherine of Coll McLean
Sir Lachlan Mor MacFingon/MacKinnon b 1631 Kilmorie Estate Strathardill, Skye d Strathardill, Skye buried at Cill Chrisod. First marriage Mary McLean second marriage Moir of Uilnish McLeod.
Ian Na Mishnish MacFingon/MacKinnon b 1657 Erray House Mishnish Estate Mull d 1750 buried at Cill Chrisod. First wife Anne McDonald second wife Margaret McKenzie.
Lt. John MacKinnon b 1735 Erray House Mishnish Estate Mull d 7 Jan 1771 Tusket Island Sluice. buried at Townpoint Cemetery Yarmouth, Nova Scotia Canada.
Major John MacKinnon b 1752 Erray House Mishnish Estate Mull d 1841 buried Cill Chriosod. Married Dame Margaret Burgess Smithies Affleck. Marriage date Aug 15 1792 at Marylebone Church officiated by Rev John Harley.
Hugh I of Mishnish MacKinnon b Apr 5 1803 Glasgow, Scotland d 25 July 1885 lot 33 Prince Edward Island and buried Highfield Cemetery. Married Anna Elizabeth McDonald of lot 33.
William Alexander MacKinnon b 1822 Glasgow, Scotland d 1912 lot 23 Buried Highfield Cemetery. Married Mary McLean.
William Edwin MacKinnon b 8 July 1864 lot 23 Prince Edward Island Canada d 19 Sept 1951 Bellingham, Washington United States. Married Maude Iva Richards. Maude a descendent of King Richard I of England. Buried at Bayview Cemetery in Bellingham Washington.
William Clarence MacKinnon b 9 May 1889 Bellingham, Washington United States d 18 Oct 1959 Bellingham, Washington United States. Married Esther Hamilton of Hamiltons of New York. Esther's mother was Marjorie Matilda Burdick direct descendnet of Robert Burdick of Rhode Island that was a direct descendent of Plantaganet ancestry.
Ardra Raye McKinnon b 6 Apr 1937 Bellingham, Washington United States. Married Jack Edward Kabela of Austrian descent.


The main sources used:The family (MacFhingon/MacKinnon) bible, Annuls of Ulster, Annuls of the Four Masters, Pictish King History,Poppleton Manuscripts,Book of Deer,Genealogy of St Columba, Memoirs of Clan Fhingon,Book of Durrough,History of Skye, History of Canada, History of Bellingham, History of Midi Kings of Ireland,Annuals of Albania. Castles of the MacKinnons that dated back to the Royal house of Alpin, Dun Ringill, Dunnakin

Let the Clan of Gray Fingon, whose offspring has given such hero's to earth, and such martyres to heaven, Unite with the race of renowned Rori Mor, To Launch the long galley, and the stretch to the oar.
The Gatherings of the Clans, at Glenfinnan 1745 AD

*Note Giric that killed Aed was a stepson to Malvina of Kenneths line and is not of Alpin blood, Giric should not be confused with Girig son of King Donald. BBC History of Scotland Last of the Free with Historian and Archialogist verified this.

* King Kenneth of Alpin (King Donald of Alpins brother) moved his seat of power from Skye ( Western Highlands) to Scone in Perthshire, then later moved again to Dunfermline and lastly Edinburgh. King Fergus Mor ( son of King Erc) established a earlier Kingdom of Dalraiida before King Alpin of Kintyres sons in Skye and Mull. You will find the Isles of Skye and Mull are of original Pictish Stock. The MacKinnon lands consisted of Mull, Skye, Arran, Tiree, Perth, Ross.

* The First of the Grandsons and Great Grandsons (MacFhingon/MacFingon/MacKinnon) were given these grants of lands because they were of Royal Stock. Close enough to gain the throne back in that time.
* This genealogy was done by a experienced genealogist, verified by a attorney and posted on ancestry.com and myspace as well as this site. The owner did not use rootsweb or a public genealogical site to do this genealogy due to incorrect information or a chance a sour line would have attached itself to the clean line.

Cuimhnich bas Alpin
 
Haakon IV ruled Norway in the 13th Century, not in the 10th Century.
 
Thank you for alerting me. You are right, should read Harald I of Norway and mother would have been third wife of Harald, Asa. Thank you

Prince & Chief Findanus MacFhingon b. 930 Strath, Skye d. 976 buried at Reilig Odhran on Iona married Princess Mary of Norway daughter of Asa third wife of Harald I of Norway...sorry for the mistake.
 
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I am a Mackinnon of Kyle. My family descends from Lachlan, 25th Chief of the Clan. My Y-DNA indicates that I am descended from the kings of Dalriada, ancestors of the early kings of Scotland. However, recent documentary research indicates that the Mackinnon Chiefs are descended from King Ferchar II "the Tall" of the Cinel Labhran, while King Alpin was from the Cinel n'Gabran. Both families are male-line branches of the same royal house descended from Caibre Riada, Prince of Munster, who founded the first Scots kingdom of Dal-Riada in northeast Ireland. MacBeth was also descended from King Ferchar. This lineage is also supported by a rare tombstone found on Iona with the names of five Mackinnon chiefs burried there. The tombstone found by the Royal Commission for Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland matches the pedigree of the Mackinnon chiefs given by the 11th century Irish annalist, Abbot Tigernach. The list of chiefs given by "Ancient Princess" above is also suspect, since the dates of birth and death were rarely recorded in the medieval highlands and islands. Most of the early lineages of the Chiefs were kept by the clan bards or sennachies- these were originally oral, but started to be recorded from about 1350 onwards. It is impossible at this point to say that the Mackinnons are descended from King Alpin. All that we can say for sure is that some of us carry the 37 marker DNA signature known as the "Dalriada Modal", which indicates Celtic royal descent. I would't take those old family trees too seriously- not before 1300 anyway.
 
...There are at least three potential claimants to the Irish throne. In their own rights they are kings of Connaught, Munster and Ulster respectively...
Thank God someone has actually spoken some sense on this page. Well done James Frankcom. The O'connor Don probably has the strongest claim to the Throne of Tara, being descended from the last High King. The O'Neills also have a strong claim because of so many generations of Ui Neill monarchs. Hopefully, the Irish government will restore recognition to these families who ruled Ireland for more than a thousand years.
 
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There is a genealogy that has come to light that traces directly back to the Ard Righ King Flann Sinna of Meath's daughter Princess Spontana of Crimthann that married into the line of the Royal House of Alpin down through King Alpins second son Donald I of Alpin and continued down through his direct descendents of MacFhingon's...
I am a Mackinnon cadet of the Chief's family descended from the 25th Chief, Lachlan Og. My Y-DNA indicates that I am descended from the Celtic royal house, however, the senior representatives family of the male line of the original Gaelic royal house of Scotland are probably the MacGregors of Glen Carnaig- led by Sir Malcolm MacGregor, 24th Chief of Clan Gregor. His DNA supports this claim. He is also descended in several female lines from the Stewart kings. Another candidate for headship of Scotland's original Celtic royal house would be Hugh Mackay, 14th Lord Reay, Chief of Clan Morgain or Mackay. His family claims descent in the male line from King MacBeth's uncle, Prince Donald of Moray, and in the female line from King Lulach, the last of the Celtic royal house to reign over the Scots, whose daughter married the great-grandson of the above Donald of Moray. Lord Reay's DNA has not been tested, however, but the DNA of those Mackays who have been tested indicate kinship with Sir Malcolm MacGregor, and descent from the kings of Dal-Riada and Alba (Scotland).

I am also a cadet of the Mackinnon chiefs. According to Rev Donald Dimsdale Mackinnon, author of the respected Memoirs of Clan Fingon, published in 1890 and again in 1899, Sir Lachlan "Mor", 28th Chief, had at least two sons by his first marriage to Mary Maclean of Duart and Morvern. The first of these, Iain, died vita parentis, but was the father of the famous Iain Dubh, 29th Chief, who fought for King James VIII and his son, Charles Stuart. The second son was Donald, who after a fall out with Sir Lachlan, emigrated to Antigua, where he became a member of the Legislative Assembly, and practiced (without licence) as a physician. He changed his first name to Daniel, and died in 1720. His son, or grandson, actually travelled to Edinburgh to record his family tree at the Lyon Court. It was Daniel's great-grandson, Wiliam Alexander who was designated 33rd Chief by Lord Kinoul, the Lord Lyon, in 1811, after a dispute of three years, following the death of John of Riachan, 31st Chief without heirs in 1808. Anne Mackinnon, 38th Chief is a direct descendant of William Alexander.

Ian of Mishinish, 1st Chieftain of Mishinish, was the only son of Sir Lachlan, above, by his second marriage to a daughter of The Macleod of Macleod, or the MacLeod of Uilnish. Ian died as late as 1759 in Mishinish, Isle of Mull. Therefore, his line could not possibly be senior to that of the present chief (his half-brother Donald/Daniel died in 1720).

I am, however, in dispute with the Lyon Court over the nomination of Anne's son, Andrew, as her heir. His father is an Englishman, Allan Jeffrey, who is not a Mackinnon. The true heir is Anne's nearest agnatic cousin (in terms of the Lyon Court ruling of 1811), who descends in the male line from Captain Lachlan Bellingham Mackinnon, 2nd son of the 33rd Chief. This elusive heir lives in America. I am still trying to track him down. He should succeed Anne as 39th Chief. She became Chief as a consequence of the death of her brother, Andrew, in a motor accident in September, 1964. Her uncle, Lt Col Ian Kroyer Mackinnon, resigned his rights to the Chiefship in her favour. He wrote a letter to me confirming this.
 
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Royal Families of Ireland

So before British rule there were quit a few ruling families with some of the more popular being the likes of the O'Brien family/clan, and today these clans on some scale still operate many having webpages like the O'Brien clan at:

The O'Brien Clan Foundation

there wikipedia link: O'Brien dynasty - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

this family being popular for producing the first high king of Ireland Brian Boru, and the McMahon Clan have a webpage as well however they are really considered to be part of the O'Brien clan taking there name from the Brother of Brian Boru. The current head of the O'Brien clan has even taken the title of Prince of Munster (a region in Ireland)

The next prominent family would be the O'Conner family which had the last high king of Ireland and I believe the head of their family also has a title of prince.

My question is this would it be a good idea for Ireland to embrace and establish their own royal family or would it be a bad idea??
 
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