Sir Turlough MacMahon, Lord of East Corcabaskin

Turlough Rua Mac Mahon in Clonderalaw, co. Clare was born about 1566 and died June 9 1629. His name in English was Sir Turlough MacMahon, Lord of East Corcabaskin High Sheriff co. Clare, 1609.

Parents: Teige MacMahon, of Clonderalaw

Married:

1. [Aine] Lady Mary O'Brien, daughter of the Conor O'Brien, the third Earl of Thomond (1534?-1581) and his second wife, Una, daughter of Turlough Mac-i-Brien-Ara (cite5)

Children:

1. Teige his successor
2. Mary Rua (1615-1686) m. Conor O'Brien

Notes

MacMahon In 1628 (15th August) a Baronetcy was conferred on Teige MacMahon Esq but of him or his heirs we have found no information.

Teige MacMahon, of Clonderalaw, co. Clare, descended from Brian Boru died 1594. Inquisition at Ennis April 3 1626 finds that he died 'about 30 years ago' and that then Turlough MacMahon was aged thirty years, and married, and was his son and heir, viz.:

Turlough MacMahon called Turlough Oge born about 1566; probably High Sheriff co Clare 1609. Inquisition pm at Ennis August 7 1630 finds that he died June 9 1629. He married Ainy, daughter of Sir Daniel O'Brien, of Ennistymon, and by her who died 1591, he had issue: Teige his successor (cite1)

O'Briens and more O'Briens ...

The race of Donall More:- His sons were (i) sir Turlough (ii) Murtough (iii) Conor. His daus. were (i) More, mar. the earl of Thomonds s. Teigue (ii) Aine mar. Turlough Rua Mac Mahon in Clonderalaw; a dau. of Aine's was mar. to Turlough mael, and dau. Aine of his again to John Mac Conmara of Moyriask (iii) Margaret, mar. O'Sullivan-Beare ...

Pedigree of the Man of Lemenegh i.e., Sir Edward:- He mar. Hugh Hickman's dau., and is the s. of Lucius (mar. squire Keightly's dau.) s. of sir Donough (mar. George Hamilton's dau.) m. Conor (mar. Turlough Mac Mahon of Clonderalaw's dau., Mary Rua) m. Donough (mar. squire Wingfield's dau.) m. Conor (mar. sir Turlough m. donall More O'Brien's dau.) m. Donough (mar. the earl of Thomond's dau., and he had an elder bro. Dermot, first baron of Inchiquin) m. Murrough, first earl, and third s. of Turlough donn.

(cite4)

Arms

Mac Mahon (of the same Sept as O'Brien, Earls of Thomond and Inchiquein, anciently Kings of Thomond; Turlough Mac Mahon, of Clonderlaw co. Clare Reg. Ulster's Office as chief of his Sept in 1472). (cite2)

• Arms. three lions pass reguard in pale gu armed and langued az.
• Crest A dexter arm in armour embowed ppr garnished or holding in the hand a sword both ppr pommel and hilt gold
• Motto Sic noe sic sacra tuemur

MacMahon

Originally Mac Mathghamha, but in contemporary Irish, Mac Mathúna, is one of the best known and distinguished surnames in Ireland. It has to be said that some Mahons may be really MacMahons who simply dropped the prefix. However, as we will see later, most Mahons are of different stock. The name is patronymic in nature, from the personal name Mathghamhuin, which itself is taken from an old Irish word for a bear. There are two distinct septs of MacMahon, each descended from a different Mahon. (cite3)

The first of these is the sept of MacMahon of Thomond, whose territory, Corcabaskin, was adjacent to the O Briens of Thomond in County Clare and indeed they are "cousins" to the O'Briens, being descended from Mahon who was the son of Murtagh Mor, an O Brien king of Ireland who died in AD 119. The Corcabaskin MacMahons' last chieftain died after the battle of Kinsale, accidentally killed by his own son. Also at Kinsale was Brian MacMahon, who turned traitor and informed the enemy of the Irish plans of attack. (cite3)

Doonbeg Castle

This is an Irish tower castle from 16th century. It overlooks the Doonbeg River which flows into the bay of Dunmore on the Atlantic Irish coast.

The castle is about seventy feet high. A spiral staircase which leads to the top commands a great view. Two families of Country Clare are related to this tower house - the clan MacMahon and the clan O'Brien.

The genealogy of clan MacMahon and the O'Brein family shows that they have a common Irish ancestor - Mahon, son of Murtagh Mor who was a grandson of Brian Boru. Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, descended from Cennedig of the royal clans of Munster.

Dun Beag - the small fort

Doonbeg Castle was originally built for Daniel O'Brien, the Earl of Thomond. Turlough MacMahon of West Clare took Doonbeg in 1585. Some 10 years later, 1595, O'Brien reclaimed Doonbeg...

The Annals of the Four Masters records: M1595.21 (cite4) Turlough, the son of Brian, son of Donough, son of Donough Bacagh Mac Mahon, Lord of West Corca-Bhaiscinn, a man of great fame and character throughout Ireland, considering his patrimony, for he had but one cantred, passed; and his son, Teige Caech, took his place.

Tadhg (Teige - the one eyed Lord) rebelled against the English and their supporters. The Earl of Thomond sent his brother, Henry O’Brien, to talk reason with his relative. But Teige was gone and Henry took up with his daughter. When he finally returned several weeks later there was a battle but Henry escaped. Queen Elizabeth at this time declared McMahon a rebel and granted his entire estate to Daniel O'Brien, which included Doonbeg.

In 1619 Daniel O'Brien gave Doonbeg Castle to James Comyn. The Crown took possession of it in 1688 and it was sold in 1703.

By the late 1800's the Castle of Doonbeg had fallen into disrepair, like so many other Irish castles. Several local families lived on the different floors of Doonbeg Castle until the 1930's.

• "You have heard in song and story of the beauties of all lands,
• Of their hills and dales and mountains,
• and their rivers, lakes and strands,
• But of all those wondrous places you can read of, hear and see,
• There are none of them to rival Old Doonbeg by the sea."

Citations

1. The Genealogical magazine: Volume 3 page 540
2. Burke, Bernard. The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales: Comprising a Registry of Armorial Bearings from the Earliest to the Present Time. London: Harrison, 1884. p 645
3. (Mac and O) Mahon (O) Mahony
4. The history of Doonbeg Castle in County Clare, Ireland - MacMahon and O'Brien Irish genealogy
5. h[ttp://www.obrienclan.com/genealogy/history/briens_seed.htm The O'Brien Genealogies Written in Irish in 1762 A.D.]
6. http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/O'Brien,_Conor_(1534%3F-1581)_(DNB00)