Donal MacCarthy Reagh of Kilbrittain

Donal was born the son of Cormac MacCarthy Reagh and Eleanor Fitzgibbon. His father was the son and heir of Donal of the Pipes, 17th Prince of Carbery, but predeceased him. Donal, the subject of this article, therefore inherited the lands of Carbery from his grandfather. His father's family were the MacCarthy Reagh, a Gaelic Irish dynasty that branched from the MacCarthy-Mor line with Donal Maol MacCarthy Reagh, the first independent ruler of Carbery. This Donal was the 6th son of Donal Gott MacCarthy, a medieval King of Desmond.^[1]

His mother was a daughter of Edmund Fitzgibbon, 11th White Knight,^[2] and widow of Florence MacCarthy of Iniskean.^[3] His mother's family, the Fitzgibbons, were Old English and descended from Maurice Fitzgibbon knighted in 1333 by Edward III.^[4]

MacCarthy seems to have been the only son and perhaps even the only child of his parents. At least Lainé names no brothers or sisters of his.

MacCarthy's grandfather was the 17th Prince of Carbery. He lost this title in 1606 in a surrender and regrant to King James  I^[7] when the King confirmed the freehold of the lands but granted no title. The King probably expected a payment or at least the conversion to Protestantism. The MacCarthys of Muskerry, who were in a similar situation, obtained a viscountcy in 1628, probably for a payment.^[8] From the rank of a prince therefore MacCarthy's grandfather fell to that of a commoner. At the death of his grandfather there was no title to succeed. At that time MacCarthy was a minor.^[9] The inheritance was given to MacCarthy, who was called esquire of Kilbrittain.^[b]