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King Donal IX MacCarthy Mór had an illegitimate or base son, Donal, who was his acknowledged favourite.  This base son's mother may have been from the Irish branch of the 'proud Prestons' of Lancaster.  Donal, the Base Son, was a dashing and courageous soldier, and was known as the 'Munster Robin Hood'.  The undertakers (English settlers) were terrified of him.  He sided with the Earl of Desmond and attacked the Earl of Essex near Adare, Cp. Limerick.  His father Donal IX encouraged him in these endeavours.  Because of this activity, young Donal was treated as an outlaw by the English officials, and spent many months living rough in the wild glens and mountains of Desmond.

Donal, the Base Son, owned a remarkable dog, Keigan Geir.  This dog is mentioned by Don Philip O'Sullivan Bear in his Compendium, and is the subject of a story by Standish O'Grady in The Bog of Stars and Other Stories of Elizabethan Ireland.  O'Grady, who has fallen out of favour as a historical novelist, based his stirring stories on well researched incidents in Irish history.  He took his information from primary sources such as the Annals of Inisfallen, State Papers, and other contemporary documents.

O'Grady describes Keigan Geir as follows:

At last The Macanerla (Son of the Earl, i.e. Donal, the base son of King Donal IX MacCarthy Mór, Earl of Clancare) rose and led his guest with him into a withdrawing room, that they might talk together more privately.  The hound rose at the same time and followed his master into the other room.  There he lay upon the hearth, and relaxed his strong limbs in sleep.  Tawny orange was his hue, and he wore round his neck a collar of fine silver."

The guest in this story was Preston from Lancaster and was a cousin of The Macanerla.  As told by O'Grady, the events relate to the period following the death of King Donal IX in the winter of 1596.  Early in 1597, Donal went to London to press claim on the lands willed to him by his father.  However, in his romanticized version, O'Grady writes that The Macanerla (Donal) went to London to confer with Queen Elizabeth and her Council on how best to maintain order in Desmond, which was now leaderless.  The guest at his house, Preston, was a messenger from the Queen.  In a conversation with Preston, The Macanerla explains his deep attachment to his dog Kiegan Geir:

"You would not be surprised at our friendship if you knew what we suffered together, I and Kiegangair.  Once being wronged, I went into action of rebellion, drawing along with me a large party of my own clan and others, and for a while defending the action successfully.  Then one mischance followed another, and of my comrades some were slain and some taken prisoner, and others, despairing, fled the country, and some turning traitors for reward, had dealings with the President and Council that they might betray me.  In the end, I was forsaken of all, and being under the ban of outlawry, was chased to and fro.  But, Kiegangair, you did not forsake me.  When I slept, whether in a cave or tree or under the ground, he mounted guard, a faithful and vigilant sentry, and ever awoke me when there was the smallest suspicion of danger.  Before me, as I fled, he went exploring thickets and marshes, searching for parties in ambush, of which there were many.  Armed men he has dragged down fighting by my side.  Also you were my food-provider, Kiegangair, when we hunted, and not for sport, but that we might remain alive.  Often we fasted and spent sleepless nights, lying close together for warmth, when famine would not suffer us to sleep.  Once when I had Fever, he nursed me, bringing me water in my helmet from the stream.  Yea, Kiegangair, we have suffered many things together when all the world was against us."

While the Macanerla was away in England, he billeted all of his soldiers, horses, dogs and dog-boys, hawks and hawk-boys upon the gentlemen of Cork and Desmond.  Kiegan Geir was placed with Sane Dhu, a rich farmer who wa a tenant of a small lord, O'Falvey.  Now, O'Falvey bore some grudge against The Macanerla, and provoked an incident with the followers of MacCarthy.  As a result, both O'Falvey and his horse ended up in muddy water.  On returning home, O'Falvey heard that The Macanerla's dog and servant were quartered with his tenant farmer, Shane Dhu.  Burning with resentment and hatred, O'Falvey decided to beat the dog-boy and kill the dog, Kiegan Geir.  As he approached Shane Dhu's house with a crowd of tenants, the dog-boy and Kiegan Geir came out together.  The dog-boy "wore a doublet of green velvet and a little scarlet cape, and had two long darts in his left hand.  His right hand rested on the head of Kiegangair."

The dog-boy was knocked senseless, and the dog was mortally wounded with two thrusts of O'Falvey's sword.  Shane Dhu watched in horror.  When O'Falvey returned home, his wife reproached him for his evil deed.

When the Macanerla returned from England to his castle, he was surprised that his dog did not greet him.  The injured dog was brought forward to meet his master for the last time, for he died shortly afterwards.  Early the next morning, The Macanerla and his retinue rode northwards into O'Falvey's country.  O'Falvey was captured and brought back as a prisoner to The Macanerla's castle.  O'Grady's story concludes:

The same day we buried Kiegangair under a tree on the west side of the castle near the river, and there we hanged O'Falvey on the same tree.  The President (of Munster) sent a troop to arrest The Macanerla for the murder, and they returned saying that they were not strong enough.  Then he sent against him an army under the command of Captain Bostock.  The Macanerla retreated into the west of the country, into Desmond, stood upon his keeping for a long time after that, and was proclaimed as a rebel against his sovereign.

Don Philip O'Sullivan Bear give a somewhat different account of the same incident involving Donal MacCarthy's wonderful dog:  Daniel MacCarthy, son of The MacCarthy (King Donal IX), flying from the barbarous fury of the English, haunted the wild and inaccessible places, and at times saved himself only by a strong band of armed men.  He had a wonder, fully intelligent dog called Kiegan (Keegan Geir), which, whilst his master slept, always kept watch, and whenever he scented anyone coming or passing by he used to awake MacCarthy, and going before him, point out a way of escape.  When Daniel had thus for some time secured his safety, Thady, a woodsman (a wood kern or outlaw), who was ill-disposed towards him, slew the dog with a sword although the animal was not doing any harm.  For this iniquitous deed Thady quickly suffered meet punishment, for he was hanged from a tree by Daniel."

1. O'Grady, S., The Bog of Stars and Other Stories of Elizabethan Ireland.  Published by Sealy, Bryers, and Walker, 1903.
2. O'Sullivan Bear, Don Philip, Ireland Under Elizabeth (A History of Ireland in the Reign of Elizabeth).  Translated and edited by M. J. Byrne from the Compendium of the History of Catholic Ireland (Lisbon, 1621).  Published by Sealy, Bryers and Walker, Dublin, 1903.

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