Courtesy titles used by descendants of the high kings of Ireland and chieftains to signify to signify their erstwhile status are to be no longer recognised.
In what might yet prove to be the Government's most obscure decision, the descendants of former royalty are no longer recognised by the State. This means that individuals such as the O'Connor Don of Roscommon and O'Brien of Thomond can no longer depend on the State to validate their titles.
Such recognition conferred no benefits, which are disallowed under the Constitution, but it was a mark of family lineage dating from before British rule in Ireland. The decision at the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday reverses the practice in operation for about 60 years which allowed the senior male descendants in the families of the kings to seek courtesy recognition from the Genealogical Office. The office is the keeper of ancient family records dating to the 1500s. The system of courtesy recognition was introduced by the first head of the Genealogical Office, Edward MacLysaght, when the State took possession of the records in the 1940s.
The director of the National Library, Mr Brendan O'Donoghue, said the change was sought due to legal difficulties surrounding the recognition of such titles. Fifteen titles had been recognised since the 1940s and nine more individuals came forward seeking recognition in the 1990s. "Questions began to be asked about the validity of some titles," said Mr O'Donoghue. One title had to be removed from a person found not to be a descendant of a king.
Advice from the Attorney General's office found that legislation would be required to provide such recognition in the first instance.
