Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl

Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl (sometimes spelt "Mount Earl" or "Mountearl") is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created, along with the subsidiary title of Viscount Adare, on February 5, 1822, for Valentine Richard Quin. He had already been created a Baronet, of Adare in the County of Limerick, in the Baronetage of Ireland (1781), Baron Adare, of Adare in the County of Limerick (1800) and Viscount Mount-Earl (1816). The latter peerage titles were also in the Peerage of Ireland.

His son, the second Earl, represented Limerick in the House of Commons from 1806 to 1820 and also sat in the House of Lords as an Irish Representative Peer from 1839 until his death in 1850. In 1815 Lord Dunraven and Mount-Earl assumed by Royal licence his wife's maiden surname of Wyndham in addition to that of Quin. His eldest son, the third Earl, sat as a Conservative Member of Parliament for Glamorganshire from 1836 to 1850 and also served as Lord Lieutenant of County Limerick from 1864 to 1871. On June 16, 1866, Lord Dunraven and Mount-Earl was given the additional title of Baron Kenry, of Kenry in the County of Limerick, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.

He was succeeded by his son, the Fourth Earl, Lord Dunraven, who served in the Conservative government of Lord Salisbury as Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies from 1885 to 1886. A member of the Irish Unionist Party, he was also Lord Lieutenant of County Limerick from 1894 to 1926. Following Chief Secretary for Ireland George Wyndham calling the 1902 Land Conference, Lord Dunraven was chairman representing the landlord side and together with William O'Brien MP. played a decisive role in attaining agreement on the enactment of the Wyndham "Land Purchase Act (1903)" which enabled tenants to purchase lands from their landlords under favourable financial provisions. Was Senator of the Irish Free State from 1922 to 1926. However, he had no male heirs and on his death the Barony of Kenry became extinct.

He was succeeded in the other titles by his cousin, the fifth Earl. He had previously represented South Glamorganshire in Parliament as a Conservative from 1895 to 1906. The present holder of the Earldom is his grandson, the seventh Earl.

The current family seat is Kilgobbin House, in Adare, Ireland. The former seat was the palatial Adare Manor in County Limerick.Adare Manor was sold by the Dunraven family in 1982 and is now one of Ireland's most prestigious luxury hotels and resorts. Since 1987 it is owned by the American businessman Thomas F. Kane.The South Wales home of the Dunraven family, Dunraven House at Dunraven Bay, Bridgend, no longer exists apart from the walled gardens and some floors and steps. Dunraven Castle, as it was often called, was demolished in 1963 after having been used as a guest house for some years. In the First and Second World Wars the house served as a military hospital.

Earls of Dunraven and Mount-Earl (1822)

*Valentine Richard Quin, 1st Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl (1752–1824)
*Windham Henry Quin, 2nd Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl (1782–1850) (elected a Representative Peer in 1839)
*Edwin Richard Wyndham-Quin, 3rd Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl (1812–1871)
*Windham Thomas Wyndham-Quin, 4th Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl (1841–1926)
*Windham Henry Wyndham-Quin, 5th Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl (1857–1952)
*Richard Southwell Windham Robert Wyndham-Quin, 6th Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl (1887–1965)
*Thady Windham Thomas Wyndham-Quin, 7th Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl (b. 1939)

There is no heir to the earldom.

References

*Rayment