Page:A Compendium of Irish Biography.djvu/327

MAC promise of a safe-conduct, was seized, and almost immediately sent prisoner to London. When the war was over, and O'Neill and O'Donnell had fled to Spain, there appeared no valid grounds for detaining him. But he was still the most powerful chief in the country, and was "infinitely beloved in Ireland;" so that state reasons, as well as the influence of the undertakers battening on his estates, induced the Government to detain him until his death, about 1640, aged some 77 years. He wrote to Cecil in 1602, offering to serve against his compatriots and to employ bards to break down the spirit of the Irish people, if Government would but grant him liberty. His forty years of detention were not all spent in the Tower; he was often consigned to the Fleet and other prisons; occasionally he was let out on recognizances at times he was permitted to have his children with him, and again he was kept in the most rigid confinement. His time was much spent in conducting law-suits relative to such portions of his estates as were left to him, in writing petitions for release, and in compiling his ancient annals of Ireland. Little is said of the personal appearance of this remarkable man, beyond his "being of extraordinary stature, and as great policy; he had competent courage, and as much zeal as any one for what he imagined to be true religion and the liberty of his country." His last lineal representative, Charles MacCarthy Mor, an officer in the Guards, died without issue in 1770, when his estates on the shores of the Lakes of Killarney passed to the Herbert family, by whom they are now held. 57 222

MacCarthy, Cormac, Lord of Muskerry, who flourished early in the 16th century, descended from a younger branch of the family of preceding. His father, Cormac Ladir, built the castles of Blarney, Kilcrea, and Carrignamuck, with several ecclesiastical edifices. The subject of our notice carried on hostilities against James, 11th Earl of Desmond, inflicting disastrous defeats upon him in 1522. Surrey thus writes concerning his giving in his adhesion to Henry VIII.: "Surely he is substantial of his promise, and without any safe-conduct hath come to me, tendering his service, and is very willing to conform himself to the English order." He was the friend and ally of Ormond. The 13th Earl of Desmond married his daughter. He died in 1536. 196

MacCarthy, Sir Cormac, was third in descent from preceding. An adherent of the English power, he served under Sir George Carew at the siege of Kinsale, and took an active part against the Spaniards and their allies, O'Neill and O'Donnell. Afterwards Carew learned that he was carrying on a secret correspondence with the enemy, and was about to give up his stronghold of Blarney Castle to the Spanish commander for 800 ducats. He was therefore immediately imprisoned and an ineffectual attack made upon Blarney Castle. He eventually agreed to surrender Blarney and Kilcrea to the Queen until his innocence was proved. His castle of Macroom was taken by Sir Charles Wilmot — the defenders having accidently set it on fire. Mistrusting the promises of the Government, MacCarthy effected his escape from prison in his shirt. His dependents immediately gathered round him, and O'Sullivan Beare rallied to his standard. In view of the trouble he might give if driven to extremities, and of the heavy losses he had sustained in the war, a pardon was accorded, upon his giving solvent securities for his good behaviour to the amount of ₤3,000, and a portion of his estates secured to him. "As the war subsided," says Mr. Wills, "and the country settled into a temporary repose, MacCarthy exchanged the troubled life, which entitled his name to appear in the records of the day, for the peaceful possession of his castles and lands." He died 23rd February 1616. [His son Cormac was in 1628 created Viscount Muskerry and Baron of Blarney, and died in London, 20th February 1640.] 52 196

MacCarthy, Douongh, Viscount Muskerry, Earl of Clancarty, grandson of preceding, devoted himself to the defence and assertion of the religion of his ancestors. He married a sister of the Duke of Ormond. He was one of the generals in Munster in the War of 1641-'52, and was among the last to lay down his arms in the final conflict — being defeated by Ludlow in Kerry, in June 1652, and upon the 27th of that month obliged to surrender his last stronghold, Ross Castle, Killarney, and his army of 5,000 men. He then passed into Spain. Charles II. created him Earl of Clancarty, and his estates were restored to him by Act of Parliament. He died in London, August 1665. 34 52

MacCarthy, Charles, eldest son of preceding, took service in France, and distinguished himself in the Low Countries. He afterwards entered the English service, and lost his life in the naval engagement under the Duke of York with the Dutch, 3rd June 1665; and was buried with great pomp in Westminster Abbey. 34 52

MacCarthy, Justin, Viscount Mountcashel, younger brother of pre- 303