THE MacCARTHY
MÓR
Information on this matter can be found on various
websites as shown following.
For those interested in the Gaelic Clans the genealogical
problem with the MacCarthy Mór line arose when the wrong
descendant claimed the title of 'The MacCarthy Mór' and he
became for a while officially recognised as the legitimate
holder.
Some of my
own ancestors were called by the surname ‘McCarthy’ in
documents of nearly a few hundred years ago. But the surname
that is usually found in County Louth is similar to that
found further north i.e. ‘MaCartney’ or ‘McCartney’. However
my interest was not only in the surname but with a
connection of a person claiming to be a member of the Niadh
Nask, unknown to me, to my home townland of Castlebellingham.
Information can be found in:-
- article by
Professional Genealogist Séan J. Murphy m.a.
It begins:-
'In what has been
undoubtedly the greatest Irish genealogical and heraldic
fraud of modern times, Terence MacCarthy of Belfast
claimed until his enforced 'abdication' in October 1999
to be a Gaelic Chief, 'The MacCarthy Mór', and also
'Prince of Desmond', head of the 'Royal Eóghanacht
Dynasty of Munster'. Crucial to MacCarthy's operations
was an organisation known as the 'Niadh Nask', an
alleged ancient Gaelic order of knighthood in the gift
of his 'dynasty' whose members supposedly wore a 'golden
chain'. Is there in fact any evidence that such an order
ever existed?
....
Following the collapse of Terence MacCarthy's Niadh
Nask, in 2001 Charles McKerrell of Hillhouse, former
'Chancellor and Brehon' of the order, endeavoured to
revive it under the title 'Nia Naisc'. Now based in
Scotland, .... Among the more prominent members of the
Nia Naisc is the Baron Castleshort, a 'bondsman' of
McKerrell of Hillhouse, who has been pictured wearing
the insignia of the body: .....'
To read the full
article entitled 'The Niadh Nask: An Alleged Irish Order of
Knighthood' click on:-
http://homepage.eircom.net/~seanjmurphy/chiefs/niadhnask.htm
Further information
by Mr. Murphy can be found in an article entitled 'Irish
Historical Mysteries: The MacCarthy Mór Hoax' at:-
http://homepage.eircom.net/~seanjmurphy/irhismys/maccarthy.htm
It begins, following the picture referred to,:-
'Ireland
currently has a series of official tribunals enquiring
into corruption in the 1980s and 1990s, particularly in
relation to payments to politicians and perversion of
the planning process. It would appear that 'The times
that were in it', as the saying goes, permitted the
wealthy and powerful to circumvent normal procedures and
controls in order to further their own interests. Now
genealogy may be comparatively small beer in the general
scheme of things, but it too has suffered from the
decline in standards which has afflicted so many areas
of Irish life. Ireland has been transformed from the
underdeveloped but friendly society which so charmed
visitors, to the roaring 'Celtic Tiger' where making a
buck is the bottom line and values do not rise above the
merely monetary. On the face of it, the above picture
represents the happy co-existence of the old Ireland and
the new Ireland: a Gaelic Chief posing side by side with
the President of the Irish Republic. Alas, we shall see
that all was not as it appeared ....
Of the newly recognised Chiefs, the one who attracted
the most attention and publicity was Terence Francis
MacCarthy, styled The MacCarthy Mór, Prince of Desmond.
Born in Belfast in 1957 and a graduate of Queen's
University in that city, MacCarthy presented via
voluminous publications and a large Internet site what
appeared at first sight to be an unassailable array of
genealogical, heraldic, historical and juridical data in
support of his claims. Not only was he Chief of the
MacCarthy Clan, but also a Royal Prince of Munster with
the power to bestow titles and honours, and all this
with the approval of the Irish State. Indeed, in 1996
MacCarthy succeeded in having himself photographed with
President Mary Robinson and her husband, to which
memorable image we have already referred. MacCarthy also
managed to persuade the Cashel Heritage Centre to
incorporate in its displays a case containing
'Heirlooms' of his family, which tourism interests
promoted as a 'must see' attraction.'
- in Wikipedia,
the free encyclopia
The article
states:-
'The Niadh Nask was a
self-styled
nobiliary association devised by the
self-styled
MacCarthy Mór,
Terence Francis MacCarthy
... The group dissolved when it was proven that its
Grand Master claimed a false pedigree .... However, the
order has recently been reformed under the basis of a
non-profit organization designed to promote Gaelic
culture.....'
To read the full
article click on link:-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niadh_Nask
Further information on Wikipedia can be found for -
Terence MacCarthy at:-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terence_Francis_MacCarthy
James Shortt, Baron of Castleshort at:-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Shortt.
It states:-
'.... In 1990, Shortt became the Director General of the
International Bodyguard Association, following the death
of its founder Lucien Ott. Under Shortt's leadership,
the IBA head-quartered at "Castle Cosey,
Castlebellingham" in
County Louth, Ireland. In March 2009, Irish media uncovered the fact that
Shortt's baronial "castle" was in fact only a modest
house built within the village of
Castlebellingham ....'
- The Baron James Shortt
of Castleshort on the International Bodyguard Association
website at:-
http://www.ibabodyguards.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=32&Itemid=47
FOOTNOTE
In the early hours of the morning of 7 January 2012 the
dwelling, close to the centre of Castlebellingham Village,
was gutted by a fire. Luckily for properties in the area the
wind was blowing in the opposite direction. By 7 September
2013 the derelict property remains an eyesore on an approach
road to the picturesque village.
The site was eventually sold and by the end of 2022 a
new house has been built in its place.
In late July 2013 I was told that a new Clan
organisation has been formed and their website is:
http://www.mccarthyclan.org.
I have also been asked by someone, stating to be from
that new Clan organisation, to delete my original page on 'The MacCarthy Mór - A Problem'. The request stated: ‘we most
respectfully ask that you delete it, as we see no reason to
further publicise the distasteful episode of Terence
McCarthy when it brings nothing but bad memories to
MacCarthys ….
and
really we do not see where it 'fits' into the professional
thrust of your website or your business …’
Since no specific name was provided in
the request, supposedly from a person in what I would see as
a cultural and voluntary type organisation to my private
business, in Ireland, I decided to include this note online.
This is not a condemnation of such organisations. As
cultural bodies whether styled as Clan, Clan Foundations or
One Named Studies they can have valuable tourism benefits to
Ireland.
My main reasons for not deleting my original page entitled 'The
MacCarthy Mór - A Problem' are:-
1 As a private genealogical and
historical research business, operating from a small rural
area in Ireland, I think if one finds someone coming into
that area with some strange views on an aspect of the
business, that is in my case genealogy, then one has a
specific legitimate right to let it be known that one has no
connection whatsoever with such person or persons or their
activities.
2 Historical research, especially
from the business angle, is not just about researching the
past for its own sake but also to inform the future so, for
example, the same mistakes will not be made etc.. Also it
is not always about dealing with the negative or ugly events
that have happened. Something of value in the past can also
be of value in the present if resurrected.
3 My business is not just about
genealogy but also history and in particular civil history.
The above episode on MacCarthy Mór is an example, and in the
genealogy area, of what can happen when the public and
private sectors in Ireland become too close. It is not the
only problem I have come across but that is for another day.
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