Irish nobility

Ireland has had nobles or peers for over a millennium. They fall into a number of categories.

# Ancient Irish Gaelic nobles (pre-English rule)
# Peers of the Lordship of Ireland and the Kingdom of Ireland (created between 1171 and 1899)
# Peers of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (from 1801)

This list covers peerages possessed by Irish people from any of the three categories. The title is listed first, followed by famous figures associated with the family beneath. It does not include non-Irish people awarded Irish titles; for example, the Duke of Connaught, son of Queen Victoria. Another category would include Irish people bearing foreign noble titles, or having been ennobled through investiture into the nobiliary Sovereign Military and Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes, and of Malta (see Knights of Malta).

Historical titles have no special legal status in Ireland, unlike the United Kingdom. The modern state of Ireland does not confer titles of nobility, as under the Irish constitution, all citizens are considered equal. [The Irish Constitution [http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/upload/static/256.htm] ]

Gaelic Nobles

From 1943 until 2003 some of the modern representatives of the Gaelic nobility obtained a courtesy recognition as Chiefs of the Name from the Irish government. The practice ended in 2003 following certain scandals and under concerns that it was unconstitutional.

* The O'Conor Don, Prince of Connacht - descendant of a High King of Ireland, Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair. :::"Family Seat: Clonalis House."
* The O'Brien, Prince of Thomond (also known as Lord Inchiquin (1543 Kingdom of Ireland barony)):::"Family Seat: Dromoland Castle (until twentieth century)"
* The O'Callaghan
* The O'Donoghue of the Glens
* The O'Donovan
* The MacGillycuddy of the Reeks
* The O'Grady of Kilballyowen
* The O'Kelly of Gallagh and Tycooly
* The MacDermot, Prince of Coolavin
* The O'Neill of Clanaboy
* The O'Dogherty of Inishowen
* The O'Donel of Tirconnell (see O'Donnell of Tyrconnell)
* The MacMorrough Kavanagh, Prince of Leinster
* The O'Morchoe
* The Fox
* The O'Reilly, Prince of East Breifne (*see also East Breifne)

To this list may be added modern representatives of the Gaelic nobility who did not apply for recognition. The most notable of these is O Neill Mór, Prince of Ulster (otherwise known as Don Carlos O'Neill the 12th Marquis of Granja).

Peerages created by Kings of England/Great Britain/United Kingdom

"see also Peerage of Ireland and Anglo-Irish."

* The Duke of Leinster, (formerly known as the Earl of Kildare), Ireland's premier peer.
**Garret (Mór) FitzGerald - viceroy under King Henry VIII
**Garret (Óg) FitzGerald - son of the above and also a viceroy
** Silken Thomas - son of the above, rebelled against Henry VIII and was executed.
** Lord Edward FitzGerald - 18th century rebel associated with 1798 rebellion

:::"Family seats: Carton House, Co. Kildare (until early 20th century) Leinster House, Dublin City (until beginning of the 19th century - now seat of Dáil Éireann)"
*The Duke of Abercorn --title created in 1868 for heir male of the Hamilton family
* The Marquess Conyngham
**Henry, Lord Mountcharles --son of the 7th Marquess Conyngham, rock impressario and unsuccessful Dáil candidate for Fine Gael in the 1992 Irish general election.

:::"Family Seat: Slane Castle, Co. Meath".
*The Marquess of Londonderry
**Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh, later "2nd Marquess" - politician involved with the passage of the Irish Act of Union 1799-1801.
**Lord Londonderry - Ulster Unionist Party Minister for Education in Northern Ireland
**Lady Londonderry - society host, friend of Winston Churchill and Michael Collins, Irish republican leader

* The Marquess of Sligo:::"Family Seat:Westport House, Westport, County Mayo"

* The Earl of Fingall (Plunkett)
**The first Countess of Fingall was Elizabeth O'Donnell of Tyrconnell
**The last Countess of Fingall - author of "Seventy Years Young"(title extinct 1984...distant kin to the Lords Dunsany):::"Family Seat: Killeen Castle, Co. Meath (until mid 20th century. Castle burned by the Provisional IRA in 1981)"

*The Earls of Tyrone
**Conn O'Neill, 1st Earl of Tyrone
**Shane O'Neill Shane the Proud, The O'Neill Mór
**Hugh O'Neill, 2nd Earl of Tyrone of the Flight of the Earls fame.:::"Family Seat: Dungannon and Blackwater Castle, County Tyrone."

* Earl of Longford
**Edward Pakenham, 6th Earl of Longford - theatre manager in the Gate Theatre in Dublin.
**Frank Pakenham, 7th Earl of Longford, (brother of the 6th earl) - British politician, author and campaigner.
** Lady Antonia Fraser, (daughter of Frank Pakenham) historian and author
**Thomas Pakenham, 8th Earl of Longford - author

:::"Family Seat: Tullynally Castle (formerly called Pakenham Hall), Co. Westmeath."

* Viscount Powerscourt

:::"Family seats: Powerscourt House, Co. Wicklow (until mid 20th century - house subsequently partially destroyed by fire, but restored and since 1961 owned by the Slazenger family, by marriage related to the present and 10th Viscount Powerscourt); Powerscourt House, Dublin (until 19th century - now a famous shopping arcade)"

* Baron Dunsany
** Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, 18th Baron - author and dramatist
** St. Oliver Plunkett - martyred Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh, canonised by Pope Paul VI in 1976

:::"Family Seat: Dunsany Castle, Co. Meath"

* Baron Killanin
**Lord Killanin - head of the International Olympic Committee
**Michael (Mouse) Morris - successful Irish jockey and horse-trainer.

Notes