Clan rally around chieftain who was stripped of title
by Fionnán Sheahan
THE McCarthy clan is standing by their fallen chieftain, the MacCarthy Mór, despite the stripping of his title by the Genealogical Office.
Terence Francis McCarthy, originally from Belfast but now living in Morocco, says he is the rightful Prince of Desmond and Lord of Kerslawny. Having claimed the distinction in 1980, the Genealogical Office in Dublin granted official recognition of his status in 1991.
Since then MacCarthy Mór has been granted numerous decorations by foreign countries and royal families, and was received by former President Mary Robinson at Aras an Uachtarán.
Now Ireland’s Chief Herald Brendan O’Donoghue has overturned a decision made by his predecessor and stripped Mr McCarthy of his title as an Irish chieftain. The climbdown follows a rival claim by Barry Trant McCarthy from Wiltshire in England.
“Arising from a claim by another person, we carried out a full review. In light of the new claim it seemed to us there were anomalies in the circumstances of Terence McCarthy’s claim. As a result of I decided his title was invalid,” says Mr O’Donoghue.
The clan are rallying round their seemingly fallen idol. “We are of course still recognising him. We have no reason not to. I don’t know what basis anyone else is making this claim on the title. If Terence McCarthy wasn’t the MacCarthy Mór, it would be his brother,” says McCarthy Clan Society Chairperson Dr Jean McCarthy.
According to Dr McCarthy, the Chief Herald is operating under a different form of recognition based upon the British primogeniture system. MacCarthy Mór has apparently never claimed to be the pure descendent of the last King of Desmond but rather is next in line as the main branch has died out.
“I don’t see how the Chief Herald can extinguish someone. It is decided under Brehon law that it is up to the family involved to decide who is the leader,” says Dr McCarthy.
The clan is now destined to carry on without an officially recognised leader. Following, the reversal, the Chief Herald admits he is no hurry to crown a new would be family head. “I wouldn’t expect there will be any decision for quite some time.”
© The Examiner, 1999