THE MacCARTHY MÓR - A PROBLEM
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
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© MP McConnon, MC Research Service, Seabank, Castlebellingham, Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland
(Original uploaded 4 March 2011) Last update 29 August 2011. |
