Finnian MacCarthy Reagh (1560 - 1640)

Born 1560 in Kilbrittain Castle, County Cork, Ireland

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 18 Dec 1640 at about age 80 in London, England

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Biography

Finan MacCarthy was made The MacCarthy Mòr by Hugh O'Neill following his marriage to Elana, Princess of Desmond.^[1][2][3]

Finan, Fingin (or Florence) MacCarthy Reagh was a Prince of Carbery, and son of Donogh MacCarthy Reagh. His grandfather was Donal MacCarthy Reagh. He was the last legitimate claimant to the MacCarthy Mór title before its suppression by the English. ^[4]

Florence McCarthy spent a good deal of time in Spain, spoke Spanish fluently and was a committed Catholic. ^[5]

In 1581, at the time of the Desmond Rebellion, with the English Captain William Stanley and lieutenant Jacques de Franceschi, Florence MacCarthy led a company of 300 men against the Geraldine rebels during the second Desmond rebellion.

He secretly married in 1588, Elana MacCarthy, the daughter and heiress of Donal MacCarthy Mór. This marriage led to his arrest and being held in the Tower of London, a precaution by the English who feared his growing strength might prove troublesome to the new Munster plantation in Ireland.

His involvement in the Nine Years' War (1595–1603) led to his arrest by the English, and he spent 40 years in custody in London, where he died in 1640.

While in prison, he wrote a letter to the Earl of Thomond, discussing the ancient history of Ireland. ^[6]

The children of Florence and Ellen McCarthy -

1. Teige dsp Tower of London
2. Donal McCarthy
3. Finnegan McCarty (Florence)
4. Cormac

Sources

1. ↑ Dorney, John. Florence MacCarthy, the last MacCarthy Mor, 1560-1640
2. ↑ Library Ireland : Prince of Carbery from Irish Pedigrees : MacCarthy (no: 3) Heber Genealogies by John O'Hart
3. ↑ Elena and Finghin were 2nd cousins via their common great-grandparents John FitzThomas FitzGerald (de facto 12th Earl of Desmond) and Maud O'Brien.
4. ↑ Wikipedia : Florence MacCarthy
5. ↑ The Irish Story : The Munster Plantation and the MacCarthys, 1583-1597
6. ↑ Celt : Letter of Florence Mac Carthy to the Earl of Thomond, on the ancient history of Ireland author : Florence MacCarthy Reagh - Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition

• His profile in the Dictionary of Irish Biography, author Terry Clavin (2009):
  • https://www.dib.ie/biography/maccarthy-reagh-florence-finian-finghin-a5139
• John Dorney, "Florence MacCarthy and the conquest of Gaelic Munster, 1560-1640". Dissertation submitted to the National University of Ireland in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts at University College Dublin (2003):
  • https://www.academia.edu/684682/Florence_MacCarthy_and_the_conquest_of_Gaelic_Munster_1560-1640
• Florence MacCarthy in the court of Queen Elizabeth & the circumstances of his marriage The Last King by J. J. MacCarthy
• 123. Elena MacCarthy Mór MacCARTHY MOR (No.1)
• 119. Donal MacCarthy Reagh, Prince of Carbery MacCARTHY REAGH (No.2)