An Chlann Mhic Cárthaigh Riabhaigh
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The MacCarthy Reagh Clan

The MacCarthy Reagh Chiefly Line

 

The MacCarthy Reagh clan was founded in the 13th century, and it was around that time that the clan’s chief was ceded the territory of Carbery by The MacCarthy Mór. Over the subsequent centuries the clan came to establish its sovereignty and the chiefs of the clan came to be regarded as the Princes of Carbery. While the Principality of Carbery was surrendered in 1606 by Donal na Pipi, the chiefly bloodline stemming originally from Donal Goth MacCarthy (died in 1251) carried on until the very earliest decades of the 18th century. Donal na Pipi was succeeded as Chief of the Name MacCarthy Reagh by one of his sons, Cormac, who was succeeded by his son Donal (died in 1636), who was succeed by his son, Cormac, who married Eleanor MacCarthy of Muskerry and was the commander of the Munster Clans during the Irish Rebellion of 1641. 

 

Important to note is that Cormac and Eleanor never had a son named Finghin, contrary to the pedigrees of the 19th and 20th centuries – namely those listed in Joh O’Hart’s book Irish Pedigrees, Samuel Trant McCarthy’s book The MacCarthys of Munster, and even the pedigree of Francis Leader MacCarthy Willis Bund registered by the Ulster Office in 1937. Donal MacCarthy Reagh’s Inquisition Post Mortem taken in 1636 proves that his son (Cormac) was born in 1620. According to those pedigrees above, Finghin was born in 1625 and so he could not possibly have the lineage presented. That same Inquisition Post Mortem annotates that Donal had other sons, so it is possible that Finghin was a brother of Cormac, and even that the below mentioned Florence’s father, Donal, was their sibling as well. This 1636 Inquisition is transcribed below, but can be found here: 1636 Inquisition of Donal MacCarthy Reagh (see p. 66 in the manuscript, or image 51 of 58).

Verbatim:

Et ulterius Jur' pred' dic' quod pred' Daniel Mc Carty als Mc Carty reogh seisit' existen' de omnibus premiss' pred’ ut predicit obiit sic inde seisit' primo die Augustii anno dmi’ 1636. Et quod Cormuck Mc Carty est ejus fil’ et heres et ? fuit etat’ sexdecem annorum tempore mort’ pris sui pred' et maritat'. 

Paraphrased:

Daniel Mc Carty als Mc Carty reogh … obiit … primo die Augustii anno domini 1636. Et quod Cormuck Mc Carty est ejus filius et heres et quod est fuit etatis sexdecem annorum tempore mortis patris…

Translated:

Daniel McCarthy, alias MacCarthy Reagh … died … 1 August 1636. And Cormac McCarthy, his son and heir, was 16 years of age at the time of his father’s death…

 

What is proven is that Cormac had five children, including two sons, Donal and Donogh. Donal succeeded Cormac as The MacCarthy Reagh, but he only ever had two daughters, Ellen and Hellen. Donogh married Katherine Downes and had two sons: Alexander and Donal, who was killed in the service of France, leaving Alexander to succeed as The MacCarthy Reagh. Alexander was accused of high treason in 1691 for having supported James II and fled to Spain, but then went to France to serve in command of a regiment in his name. Alexander died without issue and he was succeeded by his cousin Florence. This was Florence (called Finghin) of Benduff, who was seized of ownership of his estates by King William III. His descendants are known to have been born, but no male progeny are known to survive today, and so the chiefly lineage of The MacCarthy Reagh became dormant upon his death in 1754.

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The Line of Finghin (a.k.a. Florence) Benduff

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The next cadet branch to the chiefly line is that of the Finghin MacCarthy of Bendfudd. However, as far as has been documented, this branch appears to be extinct in the male-line. However it has recently come to light that a two families toady survive, descended from previously unnamed sisters. The pedigree of, and descents from, Finghin are:

• Domhnall na bpíob (b. 1535 - d. 10 Oct 1612) 17th Prince of Carbery, who married Margaret FitzGerald and had issue:

  1. Cormac, a quo the McCarthy Reagh of Colorado, Drinagh, Toronto, etc.;

  2. Donogh, the proprietor of Kilbrittain Castle, but died without issue;

  3. Tadhg, who died without issue;

  4. Owen, who married Honora MacCarthy Glas of Gleannachroim and had issue, a quo MacCarthy of Springhouse;

  5. Julia, who married Edmund Barry;

  6. Hellen, who married Tadhg MacCarthy of Ballikay;

  7. Florence MacCarthy Reagh of Benduff;

                A. Domnall, who married Honoria O'Sullivan Beare;​

                     a. Finghin of Benduff, the last Chief of the Name, married Ellen O'Donovan and had issue:

                          i.  Donal, died without issue on 28 Feb. 1758 at the Battle of Cartagena;

                          ii. Donogh, died without issue on 12 Aug. 1744 at the Battle of Velletri;

                          iii. Florence, died without issue on 15 Oct. 1718 at the Battle of Melazzo;

                          iv. Cormac, who married Eleanor O'Sullivan Beare and had issue:

                                1. Daniel, who married Helena O'Donovan and had only two daughters;

                                2. Donogh, who married Eleanor O'Brien of Clash and had:

                                     AA. Alexander, whose only son, Cormac, died young without issue before 1776;

                                     BB. Cormac, who died without issue;

                                     CC. Honora of Gortnascreeny, who married Charles McCarthy Reagh of Cashloura (see below);

                                     DD. Catherine, who married Cornelius O'Regan of Aghaville, whose descendants are alive today;

                                     EE. Another unnamed daughter;

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This all according to Louis Lainé, who's work and pedigrees were ‘paraphed, attested and signed’ by Ralph Bigland, Clarenceux King of Arms, and Isaac Heard, Norroy King of Arms, on 8 June 1776.

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The MacCarthy of Springhouse Line

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A very junior branch to the chiefly line is that of the sept of MacCarthy of Springhouse. However, as far as has been documented, the Springhouse branch appears to be extinct. However it has recently come to light that a senior lineage of the Springhouse family could still exist (although historical documentation to substantiate the claim is still lacking). There were three principle branches of the Springhouse family; namely the progeny of

• Donogh MacCarthy, who married Elisabeth Hackett and had issue:

  1. James MacCarthy, who Louis Lainé claims died unmarried, appears to have possibly had a son Jeremiah from whom the family descends to the present day.*

  2. Justin, who is given below; 

  3. Charles MacCarthy of Laganstown, who married Clara O’Farrell, but died childless; 

  4. Denis MacCarthy, who married Miss Herringman and died childless in London; 

  5. Alexander MacCarthy, who died unmarried; 

  6. Elizabeth Mac-Carthy, who married firstly to Michel Kearney, Lord of Fetherd and Kilbrogan, and secondly to Redmond Purcell; 

  7. Honoria MacCarthy, who married James Fox of Kilmalady; 

  8. Jeanne MacCarthy, who married Jean Therry; 

  9. Margaret MacCarthy. 

  10. Catherine MacCarthy, who married Francis Kearney, Lord of Knockinglass; 

  11. Eleanor MacCarthy, who married Jeremy O’Donovan, Lord of Kinogreny; 

  12. Mary MacCarthy, who married Daniel O’Mahony, Lord of Dunloe.

• Justin, who married Mary Shee and had issue:

  1. Denis, whose only child was Justin, given below;

  2. John Mac-Carthy, who married to Anne Wyse, and had four sons and four daughters:​​​​

                 A. Justin MacCarthy, who died unmarried;  

                 B. Thomas MacCarthy, who died without issue;  

                 C. Denis MacCarthy, who died without issue;  

                 D. Charles MacCarthy, who died without issue;

                 E. Mary MacCarthy, who married Edward Dalton;  

                 F. Margaret MacCarthy;  

                 G. Elisabeth MacCarthy;  

                 H. Catherine MacCarthy.​​

          3. Mary MacCarthy, who married James Mandeville, but died childless;  

          4. Elizabeth MacCarthy, who married Daniel Ryan;  

          5. Margaret MacCarthy, who died unmarried;​

• Justin, le comte MacCarthy-Reagh​​, who had several generations succeed him, but his French comital line became extinct in 1906 upon the death of his great-grandson, Nicholas Francis Joseph, the 4th Count MacCarthy Reagh of Toulouse, and along with him, any known claimant to the chiefship from the Springhouse sept.

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This all according to Louis Lainé, who's work and pedigrees were ‘paraphed, attested and signed’ by Ralph Bigland, Clarenceux King of Arms, and Isaac Heard, Norroy King of Arms, on 8 June 1776.

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* The lineage of Jeremiah has been provided to the Committee and is being reviewed. Although the research was done by a family member in the early 20th century to document the lineage, there are no sources or citations given in the original document to substantiate the claim. Work is being done to recover source documents to validate the pedigree. 

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The McCarthy of Cashloura Line

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Thanks to a great collaborative effort from several distant cousins of the family and a decade of research, we've been able to establish the McCarthy family of Cashloura, Drinagh Parish, Co. Cork, as being descended from Finghin MacCarthy Reagh (b. 1625, d. 1676), who was himself the brother of Cormac, and not his son, as has historically been presented (see no. 125 in O'Hart's Pedigrees, MacCarthy Reagh (No. 2) Family Genealogy). This family descended as follows:

 

Domhnall na bpíob (b. 1535 - d. 10 Oct 1612)

17th Prince of Carbery, Chief-of-the-Name MacCarthy Reagh

⚭ Margaret FitzGerald, dau. of Thomas, son of James FitzGerald, 14th Earl of Desmond

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Cormac MacCarthy Reagh (d. 1602)

⚭ Eleanor Fitzgibbon, dau. of Edmond Fitzgibbon, 11th White Knight

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Domhnall MacCarthy Reagh (d. 1 Aug 1636)

Chief-of-the-Name MacCarthy Reagh

⚭ Lady Ellen Roche of Fermoy, dau. of David Roche, 7th Viscount Fermoy

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Fínghin MacCarthy Reagh (b. 1625 - d. 1676)

le comte de Mac Carthy-Reagh

⚭ Lady Mary (of France)

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Dermot MacCarthy Reagh (b. 1658 - d. 1728)

le comte de Mac Carthy-Reagh

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Donal I MacCarthy (b. 1690 - d. 1758)

⚭ Kate O’Driscoll

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Donal II McCarthy (b. 1730)

⚭ 9 April 1761, Anna McCarthy Reagh of Gortnascreeny

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Daniel McCarthy (b. 1762 - d. July 1825)

⚭ 8 Jan 1785, Catherine O’Hurley

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Charles McCarthy of Cashloura (b. circa 1785)

⚭ Honora McCarthy Reagh of Gortnascreeny, the great-granddaughter of Finghin of Benduff

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James McCarthy (b. circa 1813)

⚭ Mary Ross of Dromcorragh, 12 Feb 1839

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A fully sourced and cited history and lineage of the Cashloura family can be read here: The McCarthy Family of Cashloura

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