Irish Chiefs & Chieftains Roll version 2

 
Donnchadh
 
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Donnchadh
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04 January 2010 18:17
 

in this thread i will be placing the arms i’ve painted representing the chiefs and chieftains that were recognized by CHoI before they stopped, those recognized by Burke, Ulster King of Arms as referred to as "chief of his house" etc, those with legitimate claims but recognition not sought as noted by Dr. MacLysaght, and others who’ve had genealogical work done to support their claim; some of whom were once recognized, but whose recognition was placed in limbo due to the MacCarthy Mor debacle.

originally this was going to be my own roll, however a client has stepped forward and asked me to paint all of their arms. there will be no helms or mantling in this version as that is what the client asked for. i will add new emblazons as i complete them. enjoy.

 
Donnchadh
 
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Donnchadh
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04 January 2010 18:31
 

MacMurrogh Kavanagh of Ballyhale, King of Leinster de jure, Chief of the Names MacMurrogh and Kavanagh.

With this chiefship there is a real chief and then there is a pretender. The real MacMurrogh Kavanagh is a Mr. William Butler Kavanagh of Wales and Florida, USA. According to both Berresford Ellis and Amb. Curley the CHoI recognized advised that the Ballyhale line inherited the chiefship upon the failure in the male line of the Borris line, which was the senior line. That line ended with a Maj. Arthur MacMurrogh Kavanagh having no male issue and passing on in 1953.

 

He did have four daughters however. One of them, Joane, married two times with the first to Gerald, the Marquess of Kildare (FitzGerald), the only son of the Duke of Leinster by which she had no issue and the second to Lt. Col. Archibald Macalpine-Downie whereby she had a son. He is a Mr. Andrew Macalpine-Downie who was a jockey. He assumed the surname MacMurrogh Kavanagh by deed pole and so is now Andrew MacMurrogh Kavanagh.

 

He is quiet on the matter of the chiefship, according to Amb. Curley, but also according to Amb. Curley his wife is not so much in that she believes, as does Nuala Ni Domhnall, the sister of The O’Donnell who has been trying to publicly challenge her brother’s nomination as Tanist of the O’Donnells of Spain as he is a celibate Catholic priest with no male issue, that the chiefship should pass to daughters and therefore to sons of daughters failing the natural male line.

 

This, however noble one might see it in a modern context, has never been a part of Irish hereditary principle for Gaelic names either under tanistry (Brehon system) or primogeniture and in light of the fact that there does exist a natural male heir in a junior line the CHoI decided in favor of the next senior line, which is the Ballyhale line and therefore recognized Mr. William Butler Kavanagh as the rightful, real MacMurrogh Kavanagh.

 

In this emblazon I placed the Kavanagh arms in quarters 1 & 4, MacMurrogh in 2, and those of the kings of Leinster in 3. I’ve also placed the arms of Leinster in pretense simply because he is the heir of those kings who held Laigan/Leisnter as their domain.

 

I apologize for the quality of pic, but this is from my cell phone. My digital is on loan and my scanner has gone out again. I will ask an Admin to replace it with a better one when I have scanned it in.

 

Emblazon

http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/9026/chiefmacmurroghkavanagh.jpg

 

Blazon:

Arms: Quartered: 1 and 4, Argent, a lion passant and in base two crescents Gules (Kavanagh); 2, Gules, a lion rampant Argent (MacMurrogh); 3, Sable, three garbs Argent (MacMurrogh Kings of Leinster); on an escutcheon of pretense the arms of Leinster.

Crest: Issuant from a crescent Gules, a garb Or (Kavanagh).

Motto: Siotcháin agus fairsinge (Peace and plenty).

 

 

*the client has asked for none of the mottoes to be present, so i will lost them in the blazon but not painted in the emblazon.*

 
Guy Power
 
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Guy Power
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05 January 2010 15:30
 

Denny!  That is a beautiful emblazon!

—Guy

 
Donnchadh
 
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Donnchadh
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05 January 2010 15:30
 

O’Murphy (O Morchoe) of Oulartleigh and Monamolin, Chief of the Name O’Murphy (O Morchoe), Maj-Gen. Sir David Nial Creagh O’Morchoe, KBE, CB (Ret.).

Second in this roll are the arms of O Morchoe whose line is the senior line of all O’Murphys. The cadet branch is the one’s from Muskerry, which arms are usually peddeled off as the arms of (O)Murphy from bucket shops. O Morchoe is now a farmer living in Co. Wexford with his wife. However, he had a career in the 89th Irish Rangers (although I read elsewhere it was the Irish Fussiliers…I don’t now if they are one and the same) of the British Army.

 

He has received the award of Companion of the Bath (in the military division) and is a Knight of the British Empire. He is very active in endeavors aiding Irish servicemen and women upon their return to Ireland after serving in the British and Irish armies abroad especially the Irishmen who’ve served in the British forces and have seen action in the war on terror.

 

As regard quality of the pic, please read above entry. I did this piece late and was only able to get it uploaded this afternoon. Enjoy.

 

Emblazon:

http://img693.imageshack.us/img693/8339/chiefomurphycolor.jpg

 

Blazon:

Arms: Argent, an apple tree eradicated fructed Proper, on a chief Vert, a lion passant Or.

Crest: On a chapeau Gules, turned up Ermine, a lion rampant Gules, holding between his paws a garb Or.

Motto: Fortis Et Hospitalis

 
Donnchadh
 
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Donnchadh
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05 January 2010 15:34
 

Guy Power;74197 wrote:

Denny!  That is a beautiful emblazon!

—Guy


thank you Guy. i appreciate it. smile

 

i’m looking forward to when this roll is complete as it will have all chiefs and chieftains including those who are, but never sought, or who are regarded, but were never recognized due to the MacCarthy Mor debacle. it is a good sized list and i’m looking forward to seeing it all when done.

 
kimon
 
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kimon
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05 January 2010 15:46
 

Excellent work Denny!

The completed roll would be great to be published in a book.

 
Farsot
 
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Farsot
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05 January 2010 15:56
 

Beautiful work coach!

 
emrys
 
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emrys
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05 January 2010 16:50
 

they look great :p

 
Michael Y. Medvedev
 
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Michael Y. Medvedev
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06 January 2010 02:56
 

Wow (if you permit me such a word), I do love the emblazonments.

P.S. Supporters would fit in pretty well… Do they avoid bearing them?

 
Donnchadh
 
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Donnchadh
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06 January 2010 11:51
 

thank you all. appreciated. glad you enjoy them.

Michael, there are several of the chiefs and chieftains who do have supporters. for example: O’Conor Don (by default Roe as well), had them granted by the British Crown; O’Donovan assumed them sometime ago and was not long ago given a painting (don’t know if it was a matriculation or what) by the NLI/CHoI where they were included; O’Donnell had them by tradition going back to the last Irish earls, but he is a Catholic priest so i doubt he personally uses/used them and his tanist (heir) is a Grandee of Spain and i’ve yet to find an image where those arms have them and have seen images where the arms were different…so that’s going to be a fun one; O’Neill Mor and O’Neill Clannaboy have them (they are the same…go figure…and also go back to the old Irish earls), MacGuire claimed them as well, etc. so yeah there’s some that will have them. i just never found them in relation to MacMurrogh Kavanagh or O’Murphy (O Morchoe).

 
Michael F. McCartney
 
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Michael F. McCartney
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08 January 2010 20:36
 

For individual renditions, I would think supporters could be included or omitted on the artist’s (or owner’s) whim.

For a series like this, however—while of course each painting could be done on its own without reference to the others—as a series, a uniform size & style would IMO be preferable.  Let the viewer focus on the shield & on comparisons of the shield designs, without the distraction & size variations required if some have supporters & others don’t.

 

Of course just my opinion.  Either way, great artwork!

 
Donnchadh
 
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Donnchadh
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08 January 2010 23:45
 

perhaps that would’ve been wise Mike. but, i already committed to the additaments more or less. the current one i’m on is that of O’Toole who was one of the original class of inductees, but who died where he lived in France. i’ve read where some say that it’s doormant because there is a claimant who has not come forward and some say this is true, but a different branch. i’m not sure, so i decided to paint the arms of the O’Toole who Dr. MacLysaght recognized in the 40s. this O’Toole was a count and Pair de France and so i’ve already added the additaments to it and after the hard work to do them i don’t want to start over to be honest. smile

 
Dohrman Byers
 
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Dohrman Byers
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09 January 2010 11:36
 

Beautiful work and a worthy project.

 
Donnchadh
 
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Donnchadh
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09 January 2010 16:08
 

thank you father.

 
David E. Cohen
 
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David E. Cohen
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10 January 2010 13:36
 

Very nice, and quite a commission!  May I ask how big each of the paintings are?

As a group, once suitably framed, they should make quite a display, perhaps in a large hall or meeting room.

 
Donnchadh
 
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Donnchadh
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11 January 2010 00:45
 

thank you David. yes, you’re quite right and i am fortunate for the commission. smile

the first 2 are approximately 6.5" X 4" the newest one is larger approximately 8" X 6".

 

i’m not sure how he will display them. but, i think you’re right.