O'Donovan Family - Two Carberys: Ui Chairpre Near Limerick, and Carbery in Cork.

Two Carberys: Ui Chairpre Near Limerick, and Carbery in Cork.

A royal race in Munster, the O'Donovans became Cairbre Eva (or Uí Chairpre, see map) within the ancient regional kingdom of the Uí Fidgenti, once approximately co-extensive with the modern County Limerick, and were for many centuries allies of the Eóganachta, to whom they may be related by common descent from Ailill Flann Bec (or Ailill Aulom), or possibly by marriage, or both. Although allowed to be princely in multiple ancient sources, in the Irish class structure the dynasts of the Uí Fidgenti were only middle tier among the ruling septs of the nation, as they never contested for the kingship of the greater provincial kingdom of Munster, in which they were located. For an unknown reason, the Uí Fidgenti did not pay tribute to the Eóganachta kings of Cashel, probably their distant kinsmen.

Their extensive territory followed Limerick's River Maigue, before the Dál gCais and O'Brien dynasty, and later the FitzGerald dynasty, forced them out of their territory between the late 12th and mid-13th century. At first they would wander into County Kerry, but soon after appear in Carbery in the later County Cork, where they would finally become vassals, in the more traditional sense, of the newly founded MacCarthy Reagh dynasty. The O'Donovans appear to have been joined in Carbery by a junior sept of their Ó Coileáin kinsmen from Uí Chonaill Gabra.

Later, the title Prince of Carbery (Cairbre) would be adopted by the MacCarthy Reaghs, although it is debated whether this is actually derived from the former name of the O'Donovans, and if so then what circumstances extended it well beyond the new territories belonging to the O'Donovans. In any case they were much favoured by the MacCarthy Reaghs, from whom they received the White Wand. The leading family of the O'Donovans, Clann Cathail, paid to their overlords a surprisingly small, economically insignificant rent, but the precise reason for this is lost to history. Possibly earlier times were recalled, or it may be due to the special relationship they developed with Fíngin Reanna Róin Mac Carthaig (see below).