MacMurrough, Muircheartach Óg

by Emmett O'Byrne

MacMurrough, Muircheartach Óg (1516–86), son of Cathaoir Kavanagh (d. 1526), leader of the MacMurrough Kavanagh branch of Sliocht Muircheartaigh Óig based at Garryhill, Co. Carlow, was the third of five brothers. His family had strong connections with the earls of Kildare, having been entrusted with the castle of Dromroe (Mount Loftus, Co. Kilkenny). The first major incident that is known in Muircheartach Óg's life came in 1526, when his father was surprised at Dromroe by his rival Cathaoir mac Airt MacMurrough Kavanagh (qv) (d. 1554), the leader of the Sliocht Diarmada Laimhdeirg. Cathaoir mac Airt's followers torched the castle, burning to death its inhabitants, including Muircheartach Óg's father, grandmother and a kinswoman.

Though nothing else is known of Muircheartach Óg's early life, he, like the rest of his brothers, appears to have fully supported their eldest brother, the ambitious Domhnall MacMurrough Kavanagh (qv) (d. c.1542). They, in alliance with Seán O'Byrne (qv) (d. 1551), lord of Crioch Raghnuill, and Toirdhealbhach O'Toole (qv) (d. 1542), lord of the O'Tooles, became extremely powerful after the collapse of the power of the earls of Kildare. After the death of Domhnall MacMurrough Kavanagh about 1542, Gerald MacMurrough Kavanagh (qv) (d. c.1549) succeeded him as leader of the Sliocht Muircheartaigh Óig. After the death of Cathaoir MacMurrough Kavanagh (qv) (d. c.1544), king of Leinster, this Gerald pressed his claims to be recognised as the most powerful of the MacMurrough-Kavanaghs. This led him and Muircheartach Óg directly into conflict with their father's murderer, Cathaoir mac Airt. In 1545 this bitter rivalry was settled decisively in a pitched battle at Hacketstown, Co. Carlow. Even though Gerald had the support of the Gabhal Raghnaill O'Byrnes, Cathaoir mac Airt had the day, leaving Gerald to become a peripheral figure in MacMurrough politics.

Muircheartach first emerges in his own right on 1 April 1549, earning a pardon. This pardon probably formed part of an attempt by the wider Irish nobility of east Leinster to earn some protection from Lord Deputy Edward Bellingham (qv) (d. 1550). While Muircheartach Óg went on to earn further pardons in 1550 and 1560, little is known of his activities, indicating a generally pacific attitude toward local English officials. Towards the close of the 1560s, this attitude changed. On 17 December 1568 the Irish judiciary by an act of state awarded the barony of Idrone, Co. Carlow, to the English adventurer Sir Peter Carew (qv) (d. 1575); five days later Lord Deputy Sir Henry Sidney (qv) at Newcastle McKynegan in east Wicklow signed the act into law.

This act had enormous ramifications for Muircheartach Óg, as his lands lay predominantly in the east of Idrone. Along with other MacMurrough leaders, Muircheartach Óg through his attorney questioned the government's right to review Carew's case, but their defence was dismissed. Also directly affected by the decision to award Idrone to Carew was Sir Edmund Butler (qv) of Cloghgrenan (d. 1601), the brother of Thomas Butler (qv) (d. 1614), 10th earl of Ormond. In June 1569 Sir Edmund rose up against the government and was joined by all the MacMurrough Kavanaghs, including Muircheartach Óg and his father-in-law, Brian MacMurrough Kavanagh (qv) (d. 1578). These forces linked up with the Munster revolt led by James fitz Maurice Fitzgerald (qv) (d. 1579), as well as with some of the O'Mores of Laois.

Although Sir Edmund wreaked havoc throughout much of east Leinster, his campaign ran out of steam after the fall of his castle at Cloghgrenan and his failed siege of Kilkenny. After suffering defeat at Kilmocar and burning Arklow, Sir Edmund submitted on 1 September to the newly returned Ormond and was imprisoned in Dublin castle, but the war dragged on into 1570. The resistance of Muircheartach Óg and Brian mac Cathaoir lasted until January 1570, but it was worth it, since they preserved most of their lands. Indeed Carew compromised, to ensure the peace, by dealing diplomatically with the Kavanaghs. His new approach yielded fruit, as many of them were happy enough to hold their lands from him, as long as their tenure was not disturbed. Although Muircheartach Óg earned another pardon in 1571, he was to remain at peace with the English for the remainder of the 1570s.

But he, like other MacMurrough leaders, turned against the government shortly after April 1580. Then Sir Thomas Masterson (d. 1588), seneschal of Co. Wexford, massacred fifty-nine men of the MacMurrough Kavanagh branch of Sliocht Airt Buidhe. The uproar this act caused, and the government's unwillingness to censure Masterson, persuaded Muircheartach Óg to turn to his grandnephew Fiach O'Byrne (qv), (d. 1597) lord of Crioch Raghnuill. Since the death of Brian mac Cathaoir in late 1578, O'Byrne's influence among the MacMurrough Kavanaghs had become persuasive, and he had used his diplomatic skills to resolve many of their internal feuds.

Muircheartach Óg, along with the other MacMurrough leaders such as Domhnall MacMurrough Kavanagh (qv) (d. 1632) of the Sliocht Airt Buidhe and Crimthann MacMurrough (qv) (d. 1582) of Coolnaleen, were collectively bound to O'Byrne and his plans to launch a catholic uprising in Leinster. Indeed, O'Byrne in June 1580 fulfilled a promise to revenge the dead of the Sliocht Airt Buidhe by ravaging the lands of Masterson near Ferns, Co. Wexford, signalling the beginning of war. O'Byrne then moved quickly to spread the war by aiding Muircheartach Óg to burn ten villages that belonged to Sir Peter Carew the younger (d. 1580).

After the victory on 25 August 1580 at Glenmalure of O'Byrne and James Eustace (qv), 3rd Viscount Baltinglass, over Lord Deputy Arthur Grey (qv), O'Byrne sought to unify the Irish of Leinster behind his cause. Central to this were his attempts to revive the dormant kingship of Leinster, promoting the claims of Crimthann MacMurrough, but Masterson apparently disrupted his plans. In September 1580 O'Byrne, with Muircheartach Óg, again burnt Idrone, capturing Master Wood and Dean Roger Hooker of Leighlinbridge. But the victory at Glenmalure was the high point of the uprising in Leinster, as Grey steadily recovered lost ground by targeting the lands of the MacMurrough Kavanaghs after the spring of 1581. Shortly before 10 July 1581, Muircheartach Óg – on behalf of all the Kavanaghs of Idrone – sued for peace by giving his pledges to Sir George Carew (qv).

Peace brought its own problems, as Muircheartach Óg renewed eagerly his family's old hostility towards the Sliocht Diarmada Laimhdeirg based at St Mullins. This was not in O'Byrne's interest, as was shown in his reaction. While O'Byrne was Muircheartach Óg's grandnephew, he was also the uncle of some of the Sliocht Diarmada Laimhdeirg leaders. Moving with alacrity, he patched up the differences between Muircheartach Óg and those of St Mullins. The swift resolution of the feud facilitated O'Byrne, who had received news that Baltinglass was planning to return very soon with a Spanish army. Fiach and Muircheartach Óg were to be disappointed, for the summer brought no foreign army. On 5 November Muircheartach Óg, O'Byrne and Tadhg O'Connor Faly (d. p.1588) travelled to Dublin and made formal submissions before the lords justices. But nobody put any faith in the sincerity of their actions. Indeed, O'Byrne soon after this may have offered Muircheartach Óg the kingship of Leinster, but the former rejected it as being too dangerous.

Soon afterwards the ageing Muircheartach Óg took out a pardon with his sons on 14 July 1584. But the tense climate in east Leinster continued and was further heightened by the change in ownership of Idrone in 1585. Ironically this tension arose because of the death of Idrone's owner, Sir Peter Carew the younger, at the battle of Glenmalure on 25 August 1580. Because of Sir Peter's substantial debts, his brother Sir George Carew was compelled to sell Idrone for £2,200 to Dudley Bagenal (d. 1587), second son of Marshal Nicholas Bagenal (qv). In addition Sir George made the ill-considered appointment of young Bagenal as sub-constable of Leighlinbridge, a decision with disastrous ramifications for relations with the MacMurrough Kavanaghs.

On 30 November 1586 Captain Henry Heron, Bagenal's agent and brother-in-law, murdered Muircheartach Óg. The origin of this outrage lay in the recent theft of some of Bagenal's cattle. Naturally the followers of Muircheartach Óg were suspected, and accordingly a posse set off in pursuit; when Heron and his band thundered into Garryhill, the seventy-year-old Muircheartach Óg, fearing for his life, hid in nearby forests. When he was dragged before Heron, who demanded the cattle, the old man protested, saying he knew nothing of the animals and even promised to pay for them. This was to no avail. An enraged Heron hacked him down, killing him, an act that shocked even the most hardened officials. Unwittingly Heron had sealed Bagenal's fate, for O'Byrne placed his own forces at the disposal of Muircheartach Óg's sons, Muircheartach and Donnchadh. Thus on 21 March 1587 they with Walter Reagh Fitzgerald (d. 1595) lured Bagenal out of Leighlinbridge, and somewhere in the surrounding countryside they killed him and mutilated his corpse in revenge for their late father.