MacCarthy (Mac Carthaig), Domnall Ruad

MacCarthy (Mac Carthaig), Domnall Ruad (d. 1302), king of Desmond, son of Cormac Finn MacCarthy (d. 1247), king of Desmond, should not be confused with his cousin and contemporary Domnall Ruad, son of Domnall Gall mac Cormaic Óic Liathánaig MacCarthy. Nothing is known of his mother. He first appears campaigning with the FitzGeralds and the justiciar William of Dene (qv) against Fingen MacCarthy (qv) in 1261. It is likely he fought at the battle of Callan. In 1262 Domnall probably succeeded the slain Cormac ‘na Mangerton’ MacCarthy as king of Desmond. However, serious opposition was posed to his rule by the sons of Cormac Óc. In 1270 they, with Maurice fitz Thomas ‘of Shanid’ FitzGerald, routed Domnall Ruad at the battle of Áth Malais (Ballymalis, Co. Kerry). Throughout this period his rule remained weak and was subject to the designs of powerful nobles such as the sons of Cormac Óc and Diarmait, lord of Cairbre, and the interventions of the Anglo-Normans. Domnall's position was bolstered by the deaths of Domnall Gall (1277) and Diarmait of Cairbre (1278/9). A sign of his growing power was his imprisonment of Muiris O'Moriarty (Ó Muirchertaig) in 1280. Domnall came to terms with his rebellious vassals, Domnall Máel Cairprech MacCarthy (qv) of Cairbre and Fedlimid MacCarthy. To Domnall Máel Cairprech he granted all Desmond south of the River Lee, and much of Múscraige, and Uí Chonaill was confirmed to Fedlimid. After their acceptance of his overlordship, he led them in wide-ranging attacks against the Anglo-Normans of Desmond. Thereafter Domnall acquired a high reputation for wisdom among the Irish of Munster. In 1281 he was invited by the O'Briens to travel to Thomond and arbitrate in their succession dispute. He spent three weeks there dividing Thomond among the O'Brien (Ó Briain) claimants. Before 1282 he also made a marriage alliance with the O'Mahonys (Uí Mathgamna) by marrying his daughter to Donnchad O'Mahony. By 1283 peace had broken down with Domnall Máel Cairprech. With Anglo-Norman help, Domnall expelled Domnall Máel Cairprech from Cairbre and imprisoned him for six months in 1285. As Domnall's reign wore on, relations improved with the Anglo-Normans. Edward I guaranteed safe conduct to Domnall and a small retinue for a proposed trip to the royal court during 1285. An account roll of 1290/91 for the county of Cork reveals that Domnall paid a fifty-mark fine and owed 600 marks for a grant of peace. It appears Domnall and his family also had access to common law. In 1295 Raghnailt O'Brien was pardoned after the intervention of Domnall, and in the same year Tadg Ruad, one of Domnall's sons, took a case against some horse-thieves. In 1297 Tadg Ruad died; Domnall himself fell grievously ill but recovered and ruled till his death (February 1302). Domnall was buried in the Franciscan monastery at Cork. His son Domnall Óc succeeded him as king of Desmond. He surprisingly proved a weak ruler and was unable to control the threat posed by a resurgent Domnall Máel Cairprech, who captured and executed him (24 September 1306). Domnall Óc was succeeded by Donnchad Carrthainn, his uncle, who was deposed (1310) in favour of Diarmait, Domnall Óc's son. Donnchad Carrthainn and his supporters refused to accept the new king, and a major dynastic war exploded in Desmond. Peace returned when Diarmait was deposed and Donnchad Carrthainn was restored to the kingship. This, however, seems to have been only temporary. Diarmait, with the support of Domnall Máel Cairprech seems to have resumed the kingship of Desmond late in 1310. Like his father and grandfather, he was faced by the ambitions of a powerful nobility. In 1311 he hunted down and killed the rebellious Seaán O'Donoghue (Ó Donnchadha), and five years later crushed the rebellions in Kerry instigated by Donnchad O'Brien of Thomond. In 1317–18 he was faced by a serious rebellion led by Diarmait Ruad MacCarthy with the support of the O'Sullivans (Uí Shúilliubáin). Although the evidence is scant, he survived Diarmait Ruad's challenge. Diarmait died by treachery at the hands of the son of Nicholas fitz Maurice in the Franciscan monastery at Tralee during 1325. He was succeeded by his brother, Cormac MacCarthy (qv).