Chiefs of the Name
Encyclopedia
The Chief of the Name, or in older English usage Captain of his Nation, is the recognised head of a family
or clan
(clann in Irish
and Scottish Gaelic). The term is in use as a title in Ireland
and Scotland
where Gaelic
traditions still survive.
, took to using the Gaelic style of "The" or "Mór" (great) to indicate that the individual was the primary person of his family in Ireland.
In the Tudor period
the Kingdom of Ireland
was established in 1542, and many of the former autonomous clan chiefs were assimilated by the policy of surrender and regrant
. At the same time numerous mentions were made in official records of locally-powerful landlords described as "chief of his nation", i.e. head of a family, whether assimilated or not. Attempts were made by the English to make each "chief" responsible for the good behaviour of the rest of his family and followers. The Gaelic practice was for such a man to sign himself by the family surname only. A new practice arose where the English version of the surname was in many instances prefixed by "The", and so for example the head of the Mac Aonghusa clan in County Down
would sign as "Mac Aonghusa" in Irish, and as "The Magennis
" in English.
The downfall of the Gaelic order in the early 17th century led to a decline of the power of the Chiefs. Plantation efforts
, the Wars of Cromwell
and King James, meant that by the end of the 17th century, most of the Chiefships of the Name were living outside of Ireland, reduced to poverty, or lost forever.
Thereafter, the former kings or chiefs passed their titles down by primogeniture
, whereas the usual practice in the Middle Ages was to elect a chief from a group of close cousins known as a derbfine
. Their lineages were usually recorded by the Herald's Office in Dublin Castle
, set up in 1552, not least because clans in the 16th and 17th centuries had been persuaded to enter the English-law system under the policy of surrender and regrant
. Other manuscript genealogies were preserved and published in the 18th century by Charles O'Conor
and Sylvester O'Halloran
. The Irish nationalist
and republican movements that developed after 1850 often harked back emotively to the former chiefs' losses, but without ever suggesting that they be reinstated.
founded in 1922 gave no special recognition, but in 1938, the then Taoiseach, Éamon de Valera
, at the inauguration of Douglas Hyde as President of Ireland, welcomed the incoming President with these words. "In you we greet the successor of our rightful princes and in your accession to office we hail the closing of the breach that has existed since the undoing of our nation at Kinsale". In 1948 the government suggested that there should be a "Council" of chiefs, accredited by the Herald, for emotive reasons. In Irish and English law a title is a possession, classed as an "incorporeal hereditament", but the 1937 Irish Constitution forbids the conferring of titles of nobility by the state, as well as the acceptance of titles of nobility or honour without the prior permission of the government. Therefore the Council was also a means of allowing them to use their titles, but only as honorifics and without any political function. In 1943 the Taoiseach
(Irish Prime Minister) therefore agreed with Edward McLysaght, then Chief Herald of Ireland, that the titles would be known as "designations" made by the Herald's Office to avoid the constitutional ban. McLysaght deplored that anyone could perfectly legally describe themselves as "chief of the name" (such as The O'Rahilly
) without having any written proof of descent, if nobody else claimed the very same title.
Effectively a dual system ran from 1948 to 2003, where the government recognised the chiefs as such, but not their other titles. In such a case, for example, The McDermot, Prince of Coolavin would only be known as "The McDermot" to the Chief Herald, but would be addressed also as "Prince of Coolavin" by his fellow-chiefs.
Until 2003 an Irish "Chief of the Name" was a person recognised by the Chief Herald of Ireland as the most senior known male descendant of the last inaugurated or de facto chief of that name in power in Gaelic Ireland at or before the end of the 16th century. See Gaelic nobility of Ireland. The practice was discontinued in that year due to the "MacCarthy Mór" situation.
and other impostors receive recognition, the Irish government decided in July 2003 to abandon this practice. This was partly because of concern that there was no proper legal basis for it. As this concern was backed by an opinion of the Attorney General
, in 2003 the Genealogical Office discontinued the practice of recognising Chiefs. This decision was criticised by some, and was a cause for concern among the recognised chiefs.
Modern Irish clan
organisations such as Clan Ó Lorcáin
(Larkin
) have elected honorary chieftains, where no Chief of the Name is known or yet to be proven. Many re-formed Irish Clans are affiliated with the "Finte na hÉireann" or "Clans of Ireland" the independent authority established in 1989 to provide recognition for Irish Clans.
As the law has reverted to the pre-1943 situation, anyone can call himself a Chief of the Name. A 2009 example is the Clan Cian web page (see below), which includes: "Clan Cian is Headed by the recognized Ard Tiarna. F.J. O'Carroll, of Eile O'Carroll, Chief of Name". The group is not recognised by the Irish government or its chief herald, but must be self-recognising. Its list of officers includes pioneers and tent-assistants and brew-masters, with a large number of American members. It is uncertain how seriously the members take the historical aspect or whether the group is a social club; the original Cian lived 1,500 years ago and probably is ancestral to many Irish people alive today.
Chiefs of the Name
Designation dormant
Designation withdrawn
in Scotland as for Chiefs in Ireland. Titles may vary, but a Chief of a clan is still the recognised leader within a Scottish clan
. A difference is that in Scotland Clan Chiefs can be either male or female whereas in Ireland the Clan Chiefs are male. In Scotland it is The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs
; in Ireland it is The Standing Council of Irish Chiefs and Chieftains
.
Family
In human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children...
or clan
Clan
A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clan members may be organized around a founding member or apical ancestor. The kinship-based bonds may be symbolical, whereby the clan shares a "stipulated" common ancestor that is a...
(clann in Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
and Scottish Gaelic). The term is in use as a title in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
where Gaelic
Gaels
The Gaels or Goidels are speakers of one of the Goidelic Celtic languages: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx. Goidelic speech originated in Ireland and subsequently spread to western and northern Scotland and the Isle of Man....
traditions still survive.
In Ireland
With a history going back over two thousand years, this unique Gaelic tradition has survived much of the turmoil of Irish history. Long ago, Irish leaders had titles like any other royalty in Europe. What makes a Chief different is the fact that his power was not a feudal hold on land; it was about his position within his clan. Even through Elizabethan times, the position of Chief of the Name was more important to some Irish leaders than English titles. There are instances where Norman lords of the time like FitzGeraldFitzGerald
The surname FitzGerald is a translation of the French-Norman fils de Gérald, or son of Gerald . Variant spellings include Fitz-Gerald and the modern Fitzgerald. The name can also be used as two separate words Fitz Gerald...
, took to using the Gaelic style of "The" or "Mór" (great) to indicate that the individual was the primary person of his family in Ireland.
In the Tudor period
Tudor dynasty
The Tudor dynasty or House of Tudor was a European royal house of Welsh origin that ruled the Kingdom of England and its realms, including the Lordship of Ireland, later the Kingdom of Ireland, from 1485 until 1603. Its first monarch was Henry Tudor, a descendant through his mother of a legitimised...
the Kingdom of Ireland
Kingdom of Ireland
The Kingdom of Ireland refers to the country of Ireland in the period between the proclamation of Henry VIII as King of Ireland by the Crown of Ireland Act 1542 and the Act of Union in 1800. It replaced the Lordship of Ireland, which had been created in 1171...
was established in 1542, and many of the former autonomous clan chiefs were assimilated by the policy of surrender and regrant
Surrender and regrant
During the Tudor conquest of Ireland , "surrender and regrant" was the legal mechanism by which Irish clans were to be converted from a power structure rooted in clan and kin loyalties, to a late-feudal system under the English legal system...
. At the same time numerous mentions were made in official records of locally-powerful landlords described as "chief of his nation", i.e. head of a family, whether assimilated or not. Attempts were made by the English to make each "chief" responsible for the good behaviour of the rest of his family and followers. The Gaelic practice was for such a man to sign himself by the family surname only. A new practice arose where the English version of the surname was in many instances prefixed by "The", and so for example the head of the Mac Aonghusa clan in County Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
would sign as "Mac Aonghusa" in Irish, and as "The Magennis
Magennis
Magennis is an Irish surname, derived from or the Sons of Angus, sometimes also spelt as Maginnis. The most famous branch controlled west County Down, particularly the Iveagh baronies, and occasionally Dundrum Castle to the east. The Magennis, Lords of Iveagh, are descendants of the Uí Echach Cobo...
" in English.
The downfall of the Gaelic order in the early 17th century led to a decline of the power of the Chiefs. Plantation efforts
Plantations of Ireland
Plantations in 16th and 17th century Ireland were the confiscation of land by the English crown and the colonisation of this land with settlers from England and the Scottish Lowlands....
, the Wars of Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
and King James, meant that by the end of the 17th century, most of the Chiefships of the Name were living outside of Ireland, reduced to poverty, or lost forever.
Thereafter, the former kings or chiefs passed their titles down by primogeniture
Primogeniture
Primogeniture is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings . Historically, the term implied male primogeniture, to the exclusion of females...
, whereas the usual practice in the Middle Ages was to elect a chief from a group of close cousins known as a derbfine
Derbfine
The derbfine was an Irish agnatic kinship group and power structure as defined in the law tracts of the eighth century. Its principal purpose was as an institution of property inheritance, with property redistributed on the death of a member to those remaining members of the derbfine...
. Their lineages were usually recorded by the Herald's Office in Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle off Dame Street, Dublin, Ireland, was until 1922 the fortified seat of British rule in Ireland, and is now a major Irish government complex. Most of it dates from the 18th century, though a castle has stood on the site since the days of King John, the first Lord of Ireland...
, set up in 1552, not least because clans in the 16th and 17th centuries had been persuaded to enter the English-law system under the policy of surrender and regrant
Surrender and regrant
During the Tudor conquest of Ireland , "surrender and regrant" was the legal mechanism by which Irish clans were to be converted from a power structure rooted in clan and kin loyalties, to a late-feudal system under the English legal system...
. Other manuscript genealogies were preserved and published in the 18th century by Charles O'Conor
Charles O'Conor
Charles O'Conor was an American lawyer who ran in the U.S. presidential election, 1872.-Biography:...
and Sylvester O'Halloran
Sylvester O'Halloran
Sylvester O'Halloran was an Irish surgeon with an abiding interest in Gaelic poetry and history...
. The Irish nationalist
Irish nationalism
Irish nationalism manifests itself in political and social movements and in sentiment inspired by a love for Irish culture, language and history, and as a sense of pride in Ireland and in the Irish people...
and republican movements that developed after 1850 often harked back emotively to the former chiefs' losses, but without ever suggesting that they be reinstated.
1922–2003
The Irish Free StateIrish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
founded in 1922 gave no special recognition, but in 1938, the then Taoiseach, Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth century Ireland, serving as head of government of the Irish Free State and head of government and head of state of Ireland...
, at the inauguration of Douglas Hyde as President of Ireland, welcomed the incoming President with these words. "In you we greet the successor of our rightful princes and in your accession to office we hail the closing of the breach that has existed since the undoing of our nation at Kinsale". In 1948 the government suggested that there should be a "Council" of chiefs, accredited by the Herald, for emotive reasons. In Irish and English law a title is a possession, classed as an "incorporeal hereditament", but the 1937 Irish Constitution forbids the conferring of titles of nobility by the state, as well as the acceptance of titles of nobility or honour without the prior permission of the government. Therefore the Council was also a means of allowing them to use their titles, but only as honorifics and without any political function. In 1943 the Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
(Irish Prime Minister) therefore agreed with Edward McLysaght, then Chief Herald of Ireland, that the titles would be known as "designations" made by the Herald's Office to avoid the constitutional ban. McLysaght deplored that anyone could perfectly legally describe themselves as "chief of the name" (such as The O'Rahilly
The O'Rahilly
Michael Joseph O'Rahilly , self-described as The O'Rahilly was an Irish republican who took part in the Easter Rising, during which he was killed in the fighting.-Early life:...
) without having any written proof of descent, if nobody else claimed the very same title.
Effectively a dual system ran from 1948 to 2003, where the government recognised the chiefs as such, but not their other titles. In such a case, for example, The McDermot, Prince of Coolavin would only be known as "The McDermot" to the Chief Herald, but would be addressed also as "Prince of Coolavin" by his fellow-chiefs.
Until 2003 an Irish "Chief of the Name" was a person recognised by the Chief Herald of Ireland as the most senior known male descendant of the last inaugurated or de facto chief of that name in power in Gaelic Ireland at or before the end of the 16th century. See Gaelic nobility of Ireland. The practice was discontinued in that year due to the "MacCarthy Mór" situation.
Abandonment: the MacCarthy Mór Scandal
After genealogical errors in the 1990s saw Terence Francis MacCarthyTerence Francis MacCarthy
Terence Francis MacCarthy , formerly self-styled Tadhg V, The MacCarthy Mór, Prince of Desmond and Lord of Kerslawny, is a genealogist, historian, and writer. Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, he is a resident of Morocco...
and other impostors receive recognition, the Irish government decided in July 2003 to abandon this practice. This was partly because of concern that there was no proper legal basis for it. As this concern was backed by an opinion of the Attorney General
Attorney General of Ireland
The Attorney General is a constitutional officer who is the official adviser to the Government of Ireland in matters of law. He is in effect the chief law officer in Ireland. The Attorney General is not a member of the Government but does participate in cabinet meetings when invited and attends...
, in 2003 the Genealogical Office discontinued the practice of recognising Chiefs. This decision was criticised by some, and was a cause for concern among the recognised chiefs.
Modern Irish clan
Clan
A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clan members may be organized around a founding member or apical ancestor. The kinship-based bonds may be symbolical, whereby the clan shares a "stipulated" common ancestor that is a...
organisations such as Clan Ó Lorcáin
Ó Lorcáin
Ó Lorcáin was the surname of an Irish brehon family.Natives of Síol Anmchadha in what is now south-east County Galway, members of the family were ollamhs to the Ó Madadhan. At least one member of the family became a clerk for the Tribes of Galway by c. 1500....
(Larkin
Larkin
Larkin is an English or Irish surname, a diminutive of Laurence, and the source of a patronymic surname. It may refer to:- People with the surname Larkin :...
) have elected honorary chieftains, where no Chief of the Name is known or yet to be proven. Many re-formed Irish Clans are affiliated with the "Finte na hÉireann" or "Clans of Ireland" the independent authority established in 1989 to provide recognition for Irish Clans.
As the law has reverted to the pre-1943 situation, anyone can call himself a Chief of the Name. A 2009 example is the Clan Cian web page (see below), which includes: "Clan Cian is Headed by the recognized Ard Tiarna. F.J. O'Carroll, of Eile O'Carroll, Chief of Name". The group is not recognised by the Irish government or its chief herald, but must be self-recognising. Its list of officers includes pioneers and tent-assistants and brew-masters, with a large number of American members. It is uncertain how seriously the members take the historical aspect or whether the group is a social club; the original Cian lived 1,500 years ago and probably is ancestral to many Irish people alive today.
List of Ireland's Chiefs as at Abandonment, 2003
At abandonment of courtesy recognition in 2003, those previously afforded courtesy recognition included:Chiefs of the Name
- O'Brien, Prince of ThomondBaron InchiquinBaron Inchiquin is one of the older titles in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1543 for Murrough O'Brien, Prince of Thomond, who was descended from the great high king Brian Boru)...
- Connor O'BrienConor Myles John O'Brien, 18th Baron InchiquinConor Myles John O'Brien, 18th Baron Inchiquin, is the holder of a hereditary peerage in the Peerage of Ireland, as well as Chief of the Name of O'Brien and Prince of Thomond in the Gaelic Irish nobility....
(Clare). - O'Callaghan - Don Juan O'Callaghan (Spain).
- O'Donoghue of the GlensO'Donoghue of the GlensThe O'Donoghue of the Glens , Prince of Glenflesk, is the hereditary chieftain of his sept of the Kerry Eóganacht...
, Prince of Glenflesk - Geoffrey Paul Vincent O'Donoghue (Offaly). - O'Conor Don, Prince of ConnachtO'Conor DonThe Ó Conchubhair Donn is the hereditary Prince and Chief of the Name of the Royal Family of Connacht, the Clan Ó Conchubhair.-Overview:...
- Desmond O'Conor (England). - MacDermot, Prince of CoolavinMacDermotMac Diarmata is an Irish surname, and the surname of the ruling dynasty of Moylurg, a kingdom that existed in Connacht from the 10th to 16th centuries.-Overview:...
- Nial MacDermot (Kildare). - O'DonovanO'DonovanO'Donovan or Donovan is an Irish surname, as well as a hereditary Gaelic title. It is also written Dhonnabháin in certain grammatical contexts, and Donndubháin, being originally composed of the elements donn, meaning lord or dark brown, dubh, meaning dark or black, and the diminutive suffix án...
- Morgan O'Donovan (Cork). - Fox - John W Fox (Australia).
- McGillycuddy of the ReeksMcGillycuddy of the ReeksThe McGillycuddy of the Reeks is one of the hereditary chiefs of the name of Ireland. The current family head is Donough McGillycuddy, who lives in Himeville, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.-Mythology:...
- Donough McGillycuddy (South Africa). - O'Morchoe - David O'MorchoeDavid O'MorchoeMajor General David Nial Creagh, The O'Morchoe , CB, CBE, KLJ, is the hereditary Chief and Prince of the Ó Murchadha Sept, a cadet line of the ancient Irish dynasty the Uí Cheinnselaig, who were Kings of Leinster...
(Wexford). - O'Neill of Clanaboy - Hugo Ricciardi O'NeillHugo Ricciardi O'NeillHugo Ricciardi O'Neill is the current head of the O'Neill dynasty of Clanaboy, whose family has been in Portugal since the 18th century.-Recognition:...
(Portugal). - O'Grady of Kilballyowen - Henry Thomas Standish O'Grady (France).
- O'Kelly of Gallagh and Tycooly - Walter L. O'Kelly (Dublin).
- MacMurrough-Kavanagh, Prince of LeinsterDermot MacMurroughDiarmait Mac Murchada , anglicized as Dermot MacMurrough or Dermod MacMurrough , was a King of Leinster in Ireland. In 1167, he was deprived of his kingdom by the High King of Ireland - Turlough Mór O'Connor...
- William Butler Kavanagh (Wales).http://www.luminet.net/~tiraha/leinster/mmk.html - O'Donnell of Tyrconnell - Fr. Hugh O'Donel, O.F.M. (a priest, formerly a missionary in Zimbabwe, now retired to Ireland)
- O'Dogherty of InishowenDohertyThe Doherty family is an Irish clan based in County Donegal in the north of the island of Ireland.Like clans in other cultures, Irish clans such as the Dohertys are divided into many septs and regional families...
- Ramon O'Dogherty (Spain). - MacDonnell of the Glens - Randal MacDonnell (Ireland).
- O'Rourke of Breifne - Geoffrey O'Rorke (Ireland).
Designation dormant
- O'Toole of Fer TireO'Toole (family)The O'Tooles of Leinster, one of the leading families of that province, are descended from Tuathal mac Augaire, King of Leinster , who belonged to the Uí Dúnlainge dynasty...
Designation withdrawn
- MacCarthy Mor, Prince of Desmond - The recognition of Terence Francis MacCarthy (Morocco) was withdrawn in July 1999.
Of verified pedigree
- Mac Carthy Mór, Prince of Desmond - Currently claimed by Liam Trant MacCarthy, a verified male line descendant of Tadhg na Mainistreach Mac Carthaigh MórTadhg na Mainistreach Mac Carthaigh MórTadhg na Mainistreach Mac Carthaigh Mór reigned as King of Desmond from 1390/2 to his death in 1428. He was the son of the previous king Domhnall Óg Mac Carthaigh Mór...
, King of Desmond (d. 1426). It was into the pedigree of Liam Trant MacCarthy's family, known as the MacCarthys of SrugrenaSliocht Cormaic of DunguileThe Sliocht Cormaic of Dunguile, otherwise known as the MacCarthys of Srugrena Abbey, or the Srugrena sept, as well as the Trant McCarthys, are the principal and today perhaps only known surviving sept of the MacCarthy Mór dynasty, the Kings of Desmond...
(among other names), that the impostor Terence MacCarthy inserted himself. - Ó Néill (Mór), Prince of Ulster - Claimed by the Prince of the Fews, Don Carlos Ó Neill, Marques de la Granja, Marques del Norte y de Villaverde de San Isidro, and Conde de Benagairde (Spain), but not applied for. The Prince of the Fews is a male line descendant of Art mac Aodha, King of Ulster (r. 1509-1513/4), grandson of Eóghan Ó Néill Mór, King of Ulster (d. 1456), however it is uncertain if Art was a paternal or maternal grandson, and whether his father Aodh Ó Néill descended from the Tyrone or Clanaboy O'Neills in the male line.
- (FitzGerald of Kildare) - Style would belong to the Duke of LeinsterDuke of LeinsterDuke of Leinster is a title in the Peerage of Ireland and the premier dukedom in that peerage. The title refers to Leinster, but unlike the province the title is pronounced "Lin-ster"...
, of Cambro-NormanCambro-NormanCambro-Norman is a term used for Norman knights who settled in southern Wales after the Norman conquest of England in 1066. Some historians suggest that the term is to be preferred to Anglo-Norman for the Normans who invaded Ireland after 1170 — many of whom originated in Wales. However, the term...
lineage and Hiberno-NormanHiberno-NormanThe Hiberno-Normans are those Norman lords who settled in Ireland who admitted little if any real fealty to the Anglo-Norman settlers in England, and who soon began to interact and intermarry with the Gaelic nobility of Ireland. The term embraces both their origins as a distinct community with...
cultural ancestry, should he claim it. The Duke of Leinster is the head of all surviving Geraldines as well as the House of Kildare.
Pedigrees awaiting verification
- Mac Lochlainn
- Mac Shane
- Mac Sweeney Doe
- Ó CatháinO'CahanO'Cahan is the name of a significant clan in Ulster, a province of Ireland. It has been angiclized to O'Kane, Kane and variations including, O'Keane, O'Kean, O'Keen, O'Keene, Keen, Keene, Kain, O'Kaine, and similar variations thereof. They are descended from Eógan, son of Niall of the Nine Hostages...
(O'Cahan) - Claimed by Lt. Col. (USAR-Ret.) Leonard M. Keane, Jr., of Massachusetts, claiming to be a descendant of Seán Ó Catháin, The Ó Catháin (d. 1498). Keane submitted his application to the Standing Council of Irish Chiefs and Chieftains in 2001, but no action one way or the other has been taken. The Genealogical Office has received no formal application from Keane. - Ó DubhdaO'DowdO'Dowd is an uncommon Irish surname. Many modern variants of the O'Dowd surname exist. The prefix has been widely retained, O'Dowd being more usual than Dowd. Other modern variants are Dawdy, Dowdy, O'Dowda and Dowds, with Doody and Duddy, found around Killarney, where a branch of the Connacht...
- Ó Hara of Leyney
- Ó Higgins of Ballynary
- Ó Meehan
- Ó Séaghdha (O'Shea) - Claimed by Malcolm Richard Archer Shee of Maryland (b. 1955), claiming to be the senior descendant of Elias Shee of Cranmore (+1613), younger brother of Sir Richard Shee of Kilkenny, the last to be described as "chief" in contemporary sources. Sir Richard Shee, a legal advisor to the Duke of Ormonde, died in 1608. No formal application has been made for recognition, but the line is well documented in Burke's Irish Family Records and earlier publications.
In Scotland
In general, the same pattern holds true of the Clan ChiefsScottish clan chief
The Scottish Gaelic word clann means children. In early times, and possibly even today, clan members believed themselves to descend from a common ancestor, the founder of the Scottish clan. From its perceived founder a clan takes its name. The clan chief is the representative of this founder, and...
in Scotland as for Chiefs in Ireland. Titles may vary, but a Chief of a clan is still the recognised leader within a Scottish clan
Scottish clan
Scottish clans , give a sense of identity and shared descent to people in Scotland and to their relations throughout the world, with a formal structure of Clan Chiefs recognised by the court of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms which acts as an authority concerning matters of heraldry and Coat of Arms...
. A difference is that in Scotland Clan Chiefs can be either male or female whereas in Ireland the Clan Chiefs are male. In Scotland it is The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs
Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs
The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs is the organisation of the Chiefs of many prominent Scottish Clans. The SCSC is the definitive and authoritative body for information on the Scottish Clan System.-History:...
; in Ireland it is The Standing Council of Irish Chiefs and Chieftains
The Standing Council of Irish Chiefs and Chieftains
The Standing Council of Irish Chiefs and Chieftains is an organisation which was established by the then President of Ireland to bring together the Chiefs of the Name of the Gaelic nobility of Ireland as then recognised by the Chief Herald of Ireland....
.
Further reading
- Burkes Peerage: See Irish and Scottish Chiefs; Peerages; and Titles
- Ellis, Peter BerresfordPeter Berresford EllisPeter Berresford Ellis is an English historian, literary biographer, and novelist who has published over 90 books to date either under his own name or his pseudonyms Peter Tremayne and Peter MacAlan. He has also published 95 short stories...
, Erin's Blood Royal: The Gaelic Noble Dynasties of Ireland. Palgrave. Revised edition, 2002. - Murphy, Sean J (2004) Twilight of the Chiefs: The Mac Carthy Mór Hoax. Bethesda, Maryland: Academica PressAcademica PressAcademica Press is a publisher of scholarly research in the social sciences, humanities, education and law. Founded by Robert Redfern-West in 2001, its main offices are in Palo Alto, California. Academica has almost 200 published monographs and collections in its list. It also publishes the Irish...
. ISBN 1-930901-43-7. - MacLysaght, Edward (1996) More Irish Families. Dublin, Ireland: Irish Academic Press. ISBN 0-7165-2604-2.
- Nicholls, K.W. Gaelic and Gaelicized Ireland in the Middle Ages Dublin, Lilliput Press, 2003. ISBN 1-84351-003-0.
- Vanishing Kingdoms - The Irish Chiefs and Their Families, by Walter J. P. Curley (former US Ambassador to Ireland), with foreword by Charles LysaghtCharles LysaghtCharles Lysaght is an Irish lawyer, author and journalist. He is the foremost writer of obituaries in Ireland.-Legal career:Lysaght was educated at Cambridge University and qualified as a barrister at the King's Inns, Dublin, and then at Lincoln's Inn in London...
, published by The Lilliput Press, Dublin, 2004. ISBN 1-84351-055-3 & ISBN 1-84351-056-1. (Chapter on O'Donnell of Tyrconnell, page 59). - Nash, Professor C., Of Irish Descent, chapter 4. New York, Syracuse University Press, 2008. ISBN 978-0-8156-3159-0
External links
- Clans of Ireland
- Clans and Chieftains in Ireland From More Irish Families by Edward MacLysaght, First Chief Herald of Ireland
- Termination of the system of Courtesy Recognition as Chief of the Name Office of the Chief Herald of Ireland (.PDF file)
- List of Scottish Chiefs and Clans
- Sean Murphy's website on the subject
- Article on Irish Chiefs on the Burke's Peerage & Gentry website
- Irish Chiefs at The Doyle Page (Australia)