Our common ancestors - High Kings of Ireland - Contents
The High Kings of Ireland
- References:
- INCHIQUIN in [Burkes Peerage]
- Table 3 in [Moncreiffe, 1982]
- Sources yet to be consulted:
- Inchiquin estate papers, Co.Clare, [NLI]
Brian Boru, High King of Ireland (see here), reigned 1002-14,
defeated Vikings at Battle of Clontarf, Co.Dublin, 1014 (in which he was killed),
had issue:
Donnchad O'Brien, King of Munster, had issue:
Dearbforgail O'Brien, had issue:
Murchad, King of Leinster, had issue:
Donnchad, King of Leinster, had issue:
Dermot Mac Murrough, King of Leinster
(see here),
mar Mor O'Toole,
abducted Dervorgila, the wife of O'Rourke of Breffni
in 1152, not unwillingly for they were lovers,
known as the "Rape of Dervorgila",
deposed, went to England to seek help from Henry II,
thus inviting the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland 1169,
led by Strongbow
and Maurice Fitzgerald de Windsor,
held Dunamase fort, Co.Laois,
had issue [by Mor O'Toole]:
- Aoife Mac Murrough, Princess of Leinster
(see here),
mar Richard de Clare, "Strongbow", 2nd Earl of Pembroke and had issue.
Brian Boru is the male-line ancestor of the Kings of Thomond, of whom:
Donnchadh O'Brien, 2nd Earl of Thomond,
mar
Helen Butler
[descendant of Edward I]
and had issue:
Margaret O'Brien, mar Diarmaid O'Brien, 2nd Baron of Inchiquin and had issue:
Murchadh O'Brien, 3rd Baron of Inchiquin, mar Mabel Nugent [descendant of Edward III] and had issue:
Murchadh O'Brien, 4th Baron of Inchiquin, mar Margaret Cusack and had issue:
Diarmaid O'Brien, 5th Baron of Inchiquin
(see here),
mar Ellen Fitzgerald
and
had issue:
- Mary O'Brien,
mar Dr. Michael Boyle, Archbishop of Armagh and had issue.
-
Morrogh O'Brien, 1st Earl of Inchiquin
(see here),
6th Baron of Inchiquin,
Royalist leader at Battle of Rathmines 1649. - Honora O'Brien,
mar Anthony Stoughton
and had issue.
Morrogh O'Brien, 1st Earl of Inchiquin.
From here.
- The oldest branch of the Irish Royal House
is found in the O'Neill line.
- Irish royal families
- List of High Kings of Ireland
- Kings of Thomond
- Royal House of Leinster
English descents from Irish
- Brian Boru is the ancestor of:
- Every English monarch from Henry IV (succ 1399) to the present day.
- I used to say here that Richard II (succ 1377) also descended from Brian Boru. I am not sure why I said that. I cannot currently find the evidence for this.
- Elizabeth I
descends from
Thomas Butler, 7th Earl of Ormonde
and hence from
John Fitzgerald, 1st Earl of Kildare.
-
Elizabeth II
descends from, among others:
-
James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde (died 1688).
- Descent: Through Bowes-Lyon and Lyon and Stanhope from Elizabeth Butler, daughter of 1st Duke (NOT 1st Earl).
- Elizabeth II has other descents from earlier Earls of Ormonde.
-
James Fitzgerald, 10th Earl of Desmond (died 1529).
- Descent: Through 1st Duke of Ormonde.
- Elizabeth II has other descents from earlier Earls of Desmond.
- The rebel Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone (died 1616).
- Descent: Through Wellesley and Stafford.
- Hence descends from Brian O'Neill, last High King of Ireland (died 1260).
- Diarmaid O'Brien, 5th Baron of Inchiquin (died 1624).
- Descent: Through Wellesley and Boyle.
- Hence descends from Connor O'Brien, King of Thomond (died 1540) and Domnall Mor O'Brien, King of Thomond (died 1194).
-
Gerald Fitzgerald, 11th Earl of Kildare (died 1585).
- Descent: Through O'Brien, Baron of Inchiquin, and Nugent.
- Hence descends from Garret Og Fitzgerald, 9th Earl of Kildare and Garret Mor Fitzgerald, 8th Earl of Kildare and Rowland FitzEustace, Baron Portlester.
- Elizabeth II has other descents from earlier Earls of Kildare.
- Aoife Mac Murrough, Princess of Leinster, who married Strongbow in 1170.
- Brian Boru, High King of Ireland (died 1014).
-
James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde (died 1688).
- Prince William
descends from, among others:
- Edmund Roche, 4th Baron Fermoy (died 1955).
- George Bingham, 4th Earl of Lucan (died 1914).
- The 1641 rebel Rory O'Moore (died 1655).
Irish descents from English
Letter to Irish Times, May 2011
The Queen's visit to Ireland in May 2011 was such a success, and filled with such unexpected warmth, that I thought I would point out how Irish she in fact is. The Irish Times published my letter on 21 May 2011.
THE QUEEN'S IRISH ANCESTORS
Madam
While we are all re-evaluating the Queen as someone who might actually like Ireland, it might be timely to summarise her extensive Irish ancestry.
The two great Norman families of medieval Ireland were the Butlers and the Fitzgeralds. The Queen directly descends from both many times. The most recent descents I can see for her are from James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde (died 1688), from James Fitzgerald, 10th Earl of Desmond (died 1529) and from Gerald Fitzgerald, 11th Earl of Kildare (died 1585). Through the latter she descends from Irish heroes Garret Mor Fitzgerald, 8th Earl of Kildare, and Garret Og Fitzgerald, 9th Earl of Kildare. Her ancestor Baron Portlester lies in a spectacular tomb [1] in St.Audoen's church on High Street in Dublin.
In terms of Gaelic families, the Queen descends (remarkably) from the rebel Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone (died 1616) and also from Diarmaid O'Brien, 5th Baron of Inchiquin (died 1624). Through the latter she descends from Connor O'Brien, King of Thomond (died 1540) and Domnall Mor O'Brien, King of Thomond (died 1194). Ultimately, she descends from Aoife Mac Murrough (who married Strongbow in 1170) and from Brian Boru, High King of Ireland (died 1014).
In fact, Ireland is littered with her ancestral homes and her ancestors' tombs. Her most recent Irish-born ancestor was apparently Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley (died 1842). Given all this, it does seem unfair that she was never allowed visit her ancestral homeland until now.
Yours
Mark Humphrys
-
Notes:
- [1] Actually I got this slightly wrong. The Baron Portlester is not buried in St.Audoen's. There is a spectacular effigy of him there, but he is actually buried elsewhere.
