Conor O'Brien, 18th Baron Inchiquin

Conor Myles John O'Brien, 18th Baron Inchiquin (17 July 1943 – 3 June 2023), The O’Brien (Chief of the Name), Prince of Thomond, and 10th Baronet of Leamaneh, was an English-born Irish clan chief and holder of an Irish peerage. Although his family's ancestral home, Dromoland Castle, was sold, he remained owner of a large house and substantial estate in Dromoland, County Clare until his death.[1]

The Right Honourable
The Lord Inchiquin
Baron Inchiquin
In office
1982–2023
Preceded byPhaedrig O'Brien, 17th Baron Inchiquin
Personal details
Born
Conor Myles John O'Brien

(1943-07-17)17 July 1943
Surrey, England
Died3 June 2023(2023-06-03) (aged 79)
Dromoland, Ireland
Spouse(s)
Helen O'Farrell,
​
(m. 1988)​
ChildrenSlaney O’Brien, Lucia O’Brien
Parent(s)Fionn Myles Maryons O'Brien
Josephine Reine O'Brien
EducationEton College
Mons Officer Cadet School
Military service
Allegiance United Kingdom
Branch/service British Army
Years of service1962–1975
RankCaptain

Early life and education

O'Brien was the son of Hon Fionn Myles Maryons O'Brien (28 October 1903 – 2 August 1977) and Josephine Reine O'Brien née Bembaron (circa 1913 - 27 October 2011).[2] He had a sister.[2] Fionn was the son of Lucius William O'Brien, 15th Baron of Inchiquin and Ethel Jane Foster.

O'Brien was educated at Eton.[2] He succeeded to the peerage on the death of his uncle, Phaedrig O'Brien, 17th Baron Inchiquin, in 1982.[3][4]

Career

O'Brien was commissioned into the 14th/20th Kings Hussars of the British Army in 1963. He served as a troop commander in Benghazi, Tripoli, Cyprus on Operation Tosca, Tidworth, Paderborn (as assistant adjutant), Singapore, and Tidworth as adjutant of the regiment. He became Aide-de-Camp to Commander British Forces Gulf in Bahrain and left the army in 1975, retiring with the rank of Captain.[2]

Although the ancestral seat of Dromoland Castle, and some of its demesne, had since left family hands, O'Brien continued to run the lands on the remaining estate. O'Brien operated an exclusive guest house in the new family home, Thomond House, adjacent to the former seat, from 1984 until 2008. He also turned the residual Dromoland Estate into a sporting and leisure venue. In April 2010, he was awarded €7.9m in damages by the High Court over the repudiation of an agreement to buy 377 acres out of the 600 acres of the Dromoland estate which his family still owned.[5]

In 2012, in a long-running dispute with the management of Dromoland Castle, O'Brien was refused an initial application to the High Court for them to immediately return 37 paintings that were loaned several decades prior (after discovering the hotel had allowed damaged to occur to many of the paintings, O’Brien requested their prompt return). The hotel, however, scanned and reprinted all the paintings before O’Brien could get them returned and the copies now hang on the walls of Dromoland.[6][7][8]

Other work

In 1998, O'Brien visited Antioch, California for St. Patrick's Day and Antioch's first St. Patrick's Day Crinniu, hosted by then-Councilman Allen Payton and the city's council proclaimed "Sir Conor O'Brien Day".[9]

Dromoland Castle, the former ancestral seat

Conor O’Brien formed the O’Brien clan foundation, which claims to connect over 800,000 O’Briens worldwide. He also was at one point the chairman of the Standing Council of Irish Chief and Chieftains.

Marriage and children

O'Brien married Helen O'Farrell in 1988. They had two daughters, Slaney Alexandra Anne O'Brien (1989) and Lucia Josephine O'Brien (1991).[2][10]

Death

Lord Inchiquin died in Dromoland on 3 June 2023, at the age of 79.[10] He is succeeded by his cousin and heir, Conor John Anthony O'Brien [11]

References
  1. McGuinness, Katy (1 February 2019). "Rare chance to acquire a modern show house on the grounds of Dromoland Castle". Irish Independent. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  2. "Conor O'Brien Bio". O'Brien Clan Foundation. Archived from the original on 15 May 2010. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  3. "O'BRIENS FIND ROOTS IN UTAH". The Deseret News. Salt Lake City, UT. 16 February 1997. Retrieved 5 April 2010.
  4. "Welcome to the O'Brien Clan – Sir Conor O'Brien". Archived from the original on 15 May 2010.
  5. "Clare estate owner awarded €7.9m damages against O'Brien-controlled TPH". BreakingNews.ie. 13 April 2010. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  6. "Baron loses court bid on paintings". The Irish Times. 19 September 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  7. Clarke, Jody (19 September 2012). "Court refuses to give Dromoland paintings back to Lord". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  8. Deegan, Gordan (24 March 2017). "Lord fails in attempt to halt €16m upgrade at Dromoland Castle". Irish Independent. Dublin. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  9. "St. Patrick's event was fun day for all". Ledger Dispatch. Sir Conor O'Brien was received warmly, and was taken aback when he received the proclamation from the City Council of "Sir Conor O'Brien Day in the City of ... 28 March 1998. pp. A10. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
  10. Lord Inchiquin dies in Dromoland
  11. Macnaughton, Ollie (11 July 2023). "Lord Inchiquin, descendant of the 11th-century High King of Ireland, has died at 79". The Tatler. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
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