Baron of Dunsany

The title Baron of Dunsany or, more commonly, Lord Dunsany, is one of the oldest dignities in the Peerage of Ireland, one of just a handful of 13th to 15th century titles still extant, having had 21 holders to date. The other surviving ancient baronies include Kerry, now held by the Marquess of Lansdowne, Kingsale, Dunboyne, and Trimlestown.

The first Baron of Dunsany was Sir Christopher Plunkett, second son of Christopher Plunkett, 1st Baron Killeen. The elder Christopher married Joan Cusack, heiress of Killeen and Dunsany and passed Killeen to his eldest son and Dunsany to the second.

The date at which Christopher Plunkett became a peer, and an hereditary member of the Irish Parliament, is uncertain; according to Cokayne's Complete Peerage, there is no record of a Dunsany as a peer before 1489, and the creation may well have been as late as 1462, the year Sir Christopher died. On the other hand, Debrett's listed the date of creation of the peerage as 1439, confirmed by Letters Patent in 1461.

The third Baron was a founder member of the Brotherhood of Saint George and supported the claims of the pretender Lambert Simnel. The fourth Baron was a soldier of some repute who was killed trying to put down a rising in 1521. His son, the fifth Baron, was a soldier and statesman who was accused of complicity in the rebellion of Silken Thomas.

The eleventh Baron was a follower of King James II and was outlawed after the Glorious Revolution. He was, however, restored to his estates after the Treaty of Limerick, but neglected the necessary measures needed to have himself recognised as the holder of the peerage, and, as such, was not summoned to Parliament.

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