Murrough O'Brien, 1st Earl of Thomond
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A member of the Irish nobility
Irish nobility
This article concerns the Gaelic nobility of Ireland from ancient to modern times. It only partly overlaps with Chiefs of the Name because it excludes Scotland and other discussion...
, he was the son of Turlough O'Brien, King of Thomond and Raghnailt McNamara and also brother of Connor O'Brien, King of Thomond
Connor O'Brien, King of Thomond
Connor O'Brien, King of Thomond was the second to last King of Thomond.Connor was the eldest surviving son of Turlogh-Donn inaugurated King of Thomond in 1498 , and Raghnait, daughter of John MacNamara chief of the MacNamara clan.In 1528, on the death of his father Connor was inaugurated King of...
, who was inaugurated
White Wand
The White Rod, White Wand, Rod of Inauguration, or Wand of Sovereignty, in the Irish language variously called the slat na ríghe and slat tighearnais , was the primary symbol of a Gaelic king or lord's legitimate authority and the principal prop used in his inauguration ceremony...
King of Thomond in 1528. On his brother's death in 1539/40 he set aside his nephew Donough O'Brien and made himself of King of Thomond. He married Eleanor FitzGerald, daughter of Thomas FitzGerald, Knight of the Valley
Knight of Glin
The Knight of Glin, also called the Black Knight, was a hereditary title in the Fitzgeralds of Limerick, Ireland since the early 14th century. The family was a branch of the FitzGerald dynasty or Geraldines, related to the Earls of Desmond , who were granted extensive lands in County Limerick by...
. They had three sons and four daughters.
In 1543 he surrendered his Irish royalty to King Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
and the same year he was raised to the Peerage of Ireland
Peerage of Ireland
The Peerage of Ireland is the term used for those titles of nobility created by the English and later British monarchs of Ireland in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland. The creation of such titles came to an end in the 19th century. The ranks of the Irish peerage are Duke, Marquess, Earl,...
as Earl of Thomond
Earl of Thomond
"Earl of Thomond" was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created twice for the family of Ó Briain. The O'Brien dynasty were an ancient Irish sept native to north Munster....
, with remainder to his nephew Donough
Donough O'Brien, 2nd Earl of Thomond
Donough O'Brien, 2nd Earl of Thomond , also known as "the fat", was the son of Connor O'Brien, King of Thomond and Annabell Burke.O'Brien married Helen Butler, daughter of Piers Butler, 8th Earl of Ormonde and Lady Margaret Fitzgerald. Donough O'Brien died on 1 April 1553, after being attacked by...
(who was created Baron Ibrackan on the same day) and Baron Inchiquin, with remainder to the heirs male of his body. The grant of the English titles was conditional upon the abandonment of native titles, the adoptation of English customs and laws, the pledging of allegiance to the English crown, apostasy from the Roman Catholic Church, and conversion to the Anglican Church.
In August of that year he joined the king's Privy Council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
.
Lord Thomond died in November 1551. He was succeeded in the earldom according to the special remainder by his nephew Donough while the barony of Inchiquin passed to his eldest son Dermod. Another son was Teige Mac Murrough O'Brien
Teige Mac Murrough O'Brien
Teige Mac Murrough O’Brien was a son of Murrough O'Brien, 1st Earl of Thomond and Eleanor fitz John. He was politically and military active as an opponent of the Tudor reconquest of Ireland. Between 1570 and 1571 he was the first sheriff of Thomond.Teige O'Brian had four children:* Honora O'Brian*...
, who was an early High Sheriff of Thomond. Of his daughters, Lady Honora O'Brien married Sir Rory Gilla Duff O'Shaughnessy. His daughter Margaret O'Brien married Richard Sassanach Burke, 2nd Earl of Clanricarde, but they were divorced after he claimed that she worked witchcraft against him.