,
c. 1780s.
Óengus mac Nad Froích, a paternal ancestor from the
Eóganacht Chaisil from whom the Mac Cárthaigh descend. The origin of the MacCarthy dynasty begins with Carthach, an
Eóganacht Chaisil king, who died in 1045 in a house fire deliberately started by one of the
Lonergans (who were members of the Eóganacht's arch-enemies, the
Dál gCais). Carthach was a contemporary and bitter rival of High King
Brian Boru, and what would become known as the McCarthy Clan was pushed out of its traditional homelands in the
Golden Vale of
Tipperary by the expansion of the O'Brien sept in the middle of the twelfth century. Carthach's son was known as Muireadhach mac Carthaigh (meaning "Muireadhach, son of Carthach"). Such ephemeral patronymics were common at the time. However, when Muireadhach died in 1092 his sons Tadhg and Cormac adopted
Mac Carthaigh as an actual surname. Following
the treaty of Glanmire in 1118, dividing the kingdom of
Munster into
Desmond and
Thomond, this Tadhg became the first king of Desmond, comprising parts of the modern counties of
Cork and
Kerry. For almost five centuries they dominated much of Munster, with four major branches: those led by the MacCarthy Mór (Great MacCarthy), nominal head of all the MacCarthys, who ruled over much of south Kerry, the
Duhallow MacCarthys, who controlled north-west Cork;
MacCarthy Reagh or Riabhach ('grey') based in the
Barony of Carbery in south-west Cork; and
MacCarthy Muskerry, on the
Cork /
Kerry border. Each of these families continued resistance to Norman and English encroachment up to the seventeenth century when, like virtually all the Gaelic aristocracy, they lost almost everything. An exception was
Macroom Castle, which passed to the White family of
Bantry House, descendants of Cormac Láidir Mac Cárthaigh. This was burnt in 1922 and is part of the local golf club today. The Muskerry McCarthys' historical seat is
Blarney Castle in County Cork. Legend has it that the
Blarney Stone was given as a gift to Cormac MacCarthy,
King of Desmond, from king
Robert the Bruce of Scotland, who presented the 'magical' stone in gratitude for his assistance in the
battle of Bannockburn in 1314. The third castle built on the site (the castle which stands to this day) was built by another McCarthy descendant, Dermot McCarthy, in 1446. Dermot was known for his eloquence, hence the Blarney Stone's reputation for imparting the gift of the gab upon those who kiss it. The number of references to the MacCarthys in the annals, especially the "
Annals of Innisfallen", is very great. Carthach was the son of Saoirbhreathach, a Gaelic name which is anglicised as Justin, and in the latter form has been in continuous use among many branches of the McCarthys for centuries. Another male forename similarly associated with them is Finghin, anglice Fineen, but for some centuries past, the name Florence (colloquially Flurry) has been used as its English form. From the thirteenth century, when Fineen MacCarthy decisively defeated the Geraldines in 1261, down to the present day, Fineen or Florence MacCarthys and Justin MacCarthys have been very prominent among the many distinguished men of the name in Irish military, political and cultural history. Until the dissolution of the kingdom in 1596, the crown was vested in the hereditary possession of the Mac Carthy Mór (by the law of
tanistry). == Branches ==