Earl of Clancarty is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of Ireland.
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It was created for the first time in 1658 in favour of Donough MacCarty, 2nd Viscount Muskerry, of the MacCarthy of Muskerry dynasty. He had earlier represented County Cork in the Irish House of Commons. Lord Clancarty had already been created a Baronet in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia in circa 1638, before he succeeded in the viscountcy. The title of Viscount Muskerry had been created in the Peerage of Ireland in 1628 for his father Charles MacCarty. The first Earl was succeeded by his grandson, the second Earl. He was the son of Charles MacCarty, Viscount Muskerry, who was killed during the Second Anglo-Dutch War. Lord Clancarty died as an infant and was succeeded by his uncle, the third Earl. On his death the titles passed to his son, the fourth Earl. He was a supporter of King James II and was attainted in 1691, with his titles forfeited. His son and heir apparent Robert MacCarty, Viscount Muskerry, served as Governor of Newfoundland but was excepted from the Indemnity Act of 1747 which pardoned Jacobites.
The title was created for a second time in 1803 in favour of William Trench, 1st Viscount Dunlo. He had previously represented County Galway in the Irish Parliament and had already been created Baron Kilconnel, of Garbally in the County of Galway, in 1797, and Viscount Dunlo, of Dunlo and Ballinasloe in the Counties of Galway and Roscommon, in 1801. These titles were in the Peerage of Ireland. Trench was a descendant of a daughter of the first Viscount Muskerry, hence his choice of title when elevated to an earldom in 1803.
Lord Clancarty had nineteen children and was succeeded by his eldest son, the second Earl. He was a prominent politician and diplomat. Lord Clancarty notably served as President of the Board of Trade and as Ambassador to The Netherlands and sat in the House of Lords as an Irish Representative Peer from 1808 to 1837. In 1815 he was created Baron Trench, of Garbally in the County of Galway, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, and in 1823 he was further honoured when he was made Viscount Clancarty, of the County of Cork, also in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. On 8 July 1815 he was entered into the Netherlands Nobility by William I of the Netherlands and granted by Royal Decree the title Marquess of Heusden (Dutch: Markies van Heusden).[1]
Lord Clancarty's great-grandson, the fifth Earl, is notable for marrying an English music-hall singer Belle Bilton (1867–1906)[2] in July 1889 against the opposition of his father who sold off much of the estate in retaliation.[3][4][5][6] The fifth Earl's eldest son, the sixth Earl, died without surviving male issue and was succeeded by his younger brother, the seventh Earl (the fourth son of the first marriage of the fifth Earl). He died childless and was succeeded by his half-brother, the eighth Earl. He was a ufologist. He died childless and was succeeded by his nephew, the ninth Earl and (As of 2010[update]) present holder of the titles. He is the only son of the Hon. Power Edward Ford Le Poer Trench, second son of the fifth Earl from his second marriage. The Earls of Clancarty sat in the House of Lords as Viscount Clancarty until the passing of the House of Lords Act 1999 and was re-elected as a Cross-Bench Peer on 23 June 2010.[7][8]
Several other members of the Trench family have gained distinction. Eyre Trench, brother of the first Earl, was a Lieutenant-General in the Army. The Most Reverend the Hon. Power Trench, third son of the first Earl, was Archbishop of Tuam. The Hon. William Le Poer Trench, fourth son of the first Earl, was a Rear-Admiral in the Royal Navy. The Venerable the Hon. Charles Le Poer Trench, fifth son of the first Earl, was Archdeacon of Ardagh. His son Henry Luke Trench was a Major-General in the Bengal Staff Corps. The Hon. Sir Robert Le Poer Trench, ninth son of the first Earl, was a Colonel in the Army and a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath. The Hon. William Le Poer Trench, third son of the third Earl, was a Colonel in the Royal Engineers and briefly represented County Galway in the House of Commons.
The seat of the Trench family was until 1922 Garbally Court, Ballinasloe, County Galway, Ireland. It is now used as a school.
The Trench family claims French Huguenot descent,[9] although a Scottish origin is possible. The Barons Ashtown are members of another branch of the family. William Trench, 1st Earl of Clancarty, was the great-grandson of Frederick Trench, whose brother the Very Reverend John Trench was the great-grandfather of Frederick Trench, 1st Baron Ashtown.
There is no heir to the titles.
When the will was opened it was found that [the 4th Earl] had left everything he possibly could away from his oldest son and heir, with whom he had been at daggers drawn since the divorce suit. The possession of the entailed estates, however, was sufficient to relieve Lady Dunlo, who had now become Countess of Clancarty, from any further necessity of remaining on the stage. A lawsuit was started by the new earl to upset his father's will, and ultimately a compromise was effected, whereby he recovered much of the nonentailed residuary property of his father. Lord and Lady Clancarty have now four sons, the oldest of them twins, and a girl of eleven years of age. Their eldest boy bears the name of Lord Kilconnel. The countess, I may add, is likewise Marshioness Huesden, in the Netherlands.