Irish feudal barony

In Ireland, a feudal barony is a customary title of gentry. The person who holds an Irish feudal barony is always referred to as a baron. However, unlike peers in the British House of Lords, they did not necessarily hold a hereditary peerage title. As a result, feudal barons were not automatically entitled to seats in the Irish House of Lords by virtue of their barony alone. This distinction was noted by the Dublin Government in 1614, which observed that while many "gentlemen" in Ireland were called Baron, "Never was any of them Lord Baron nor summoned to any Parliament".Calendar of Carew Manuscripts, Lambeth Palace Library Vol. V doc. 162 In other words, the title of feudal baron did not in itself confer membership or voting rights in the Irish House of Lords.

History

In Ireland, most of the originally-feudal titular baronies disappeared through obsolescence or disuse. The exception being those feudal baronies with a solid root of title, and those held by Irish or British peers. The Lordship of Fingal was granted to Walter de Lacy, Lord of Meath for seven knight's fees, "although the lords thereof hold elsewhere in capite", according to the unusual grant in 1208 by King John as Lord of Ireland, who allowed de Lacy to retain custody of his fees.See Rotuli Chartarum in Turri Londinensi Asservati, edited by Thomas Duffus Hardy, published in 1837; it contains original text of the Grant of Fingal by King John in 1208. Fingal at the time spread from the River Liffey to the River Delvin, north of Dublin, similar to the administrative boundary of today's County Fingal (minus Dublin City) created from part of County Dublin in 1994. A small number of titular feudal baronies continue to exist either as subordinate titles held by members of the Peerage of Ireland, Peerage of Great Britain or the Peerage of the United Kingdom, or as titles held by grand serjeanty, such as, originally, Fingal. Those few feudal baronies that survive all are considered as "incorporeal hereditaments", and may continue to exist as interests or estates in land, registrable as such upon conveyance or inheritance under the Registry of Deeds of the Government of Ireland, or as titles held in gross as personal rights, and not as real interests in land.

Following a 2005 report by the Law Reform Commission, the system of feudal tenure as such, in so far as it had survived, was abolished by the Oireachtas in the Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Act (no. 27 of 2009); fee tail was also abolished. However, estates and interests in land, including incorporeal hereditaments, continue. Formerly registered or proven feudal titles with a solid root of title, and the submerged feudal titles of surviving Irish or British peers were not affected, and continue to exist as personal rights, now held in gross. However, those obsolete or unregistered feudal titles, and those that lapsed into desuetude after 1662, when the Irish Parliament passed the Abolition of Tenures Act, no longer exist as incorporeal hereditaments, nor as personal rights, and cannot be revived.

An example of a hereditary baronial knighthood that remains in Ireland is the Knight of Kerry.

Current status

Some Irish feudal baronial titles have been offered for sale online.

List

+List of Irish feudal baroniesNational Library of Ireland List of those Baronies whose status is exceptional MS 50 pp.61 and 119TitleFamilyEarliest recordFirst known holderRef. Ards (historically Arde[s] or Art)Savage (South/Little), Montgomery and Hamilton (North/Great), Hamilton (Middle)1226-7Robert de Valibus (Comitatus de Arde established under John de Courcy 1177)Rot. Cl. 2 Hen. III. m. 24 dores, Tur. Lond. BallyvoeButler1614 Bargy als Slemarge Purcell, then St. Leger1298Walter Purcell BirrFitzowen1335Hugh Fitzowen BrownsfordFitzgerald1585David Fitzgerald BurnchurchFitzmauricebefore 1218Maurice FitzmauriceCastleknockTyrrelc.1172Hugh TyrrelCastlemagnerMagnerFebruary 1183 (Castle built); January 10, 1481 (recorded in The Pipe Roll of Cloyne)William Magunel; David MagnelClabbyeO'NeillBefore 1611Conn Mac Shane O'Neill Dunkellin (historically Doonkillen)French, then Dorganc. 1170Richard de Clare, Earl of Pembroke (Strongbow)FingalDe Lacy, then Preston, et al.1208Walter de LacyCharter of 28 April 1208, ref. 9 John, m.1, Rotulum Chartarum in the Tower of London GaltrimHussey1374John Hussey IdaEyewood then Butler1358Sir Piers Butler Idronele Gros1175Raymond Le GrosHealy, W. (1893). History and Antiquities of Kilkenny (County and City): With Illustrations and Appendix, Compiled from Inquisitions, Deeds, Wills, Funeral Entries, Family Records, and Other Historical and Authentic Sources (Vol. 1). Kilkenny, Ire.: PM Egan.Erris (historically Irrus)BarrettBefore 1605Sir Edmund BarrettKilletraghO'Neill1592Hugh (mac Conn) Mac Shane O'Neill KellsFitz-Thomas, then Bermingham1172Gilbert Fitz-ThomasO'Hart, John Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition 1892 KilbixeyConstantine1172Geoffrey de Constantine Killough [and Rathmollen] Russell 1316 Thomas Russell Loughmoe Purcell1328Richard PurcellLuneMisset1172Robert MissetMaynoothFitzgerald1172Maurice FitzgeraldCalendar of the Gormanston register folio 1MoyashelTuite 1172 Risteárd de TiúitMullingarPetit1172William le Petit NaasFitzmaurice, then de Londres1177 NavanNangle1172Jocelyn de Angulo Newcastle Lyons Butler before 1600 Norragh St. Michael, then Wellesleyc.1175Robert St. MichaelOtway-Ruthven History of Medieval IrelandPormanstowneDeane1577 Rathcormac Powerbefore 1597Piers PowerRathdownMacMillan1344 Rathwirede Lacy, then Daniel1172Robert de LacySkrynede Feypo, then Marward1170Adam de Feypo

Irish feudal barony

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