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County Desmond was a historic kingdom, earldom and county of Ireland located on the country's south-western coast. It was partitioned between County Cork and County Kerry in 1606.

Desmond is a Gaelic name originating from "Deas-Mumhan" which means Southern Munster, and was reflected in other areas - Thomond "Tuaidh-mhuman" (Northern Munster), Ormond "Oir-Mumhan" (East Munster) and Iarmond "Iarmumhan" (West Munster). The term "Desmond" was used after the 14th century to refer to the territory of the Gaelic Irish MacCarthy Mor chieftains, who claimed to be the Kings of Munster and to the lands of the Earl of Desmond. The MacCarthy Mor lordship was located to the south and west of Cork city. County Desmond refers to the territory of the Earls, which stretched from the Dingle peninsula in the west to Cashel in the east, north of the MacCarthy lands. The last credible MacCarthy Mor claimant was Florence MacCarthy 1560-1640, but after his arrest in 1601, the MacCarthy Desmond lordship was dismembered and distributed to English settlers and minor Irish landowners.

After the Norman invasion of Ireland, the title and holdings of "Earl of Desmond" were awarded to Maurice FitzGerald in 1329. This family was popular with the native Irish people and was noted for "becoming more Irish than the Irish themselves". The Fitzgeralds resisted the intrusion into their territory by English officials during the Tudor re-conquest of Ireland, who they perceived as favouring the rival Butler family. This led to the Desmond Rebellions of 1569-73 and 1579-83. The peerage ended in 1583 with Gerald Fitzgerald, 15th Earl of Desmond, who was killed and his family disinherited for their role in the Rebellions. The title was unsuccessfully claimed during the Nine Years War (Ireland) 1594-1603 by the English backed James Fitzgerald (Tower Earl of Desmond) and the rebel supported James FitThomas Fitzgerald, who was referred to by his detractors as the Sugán or "Straw Rope" Earl. The Earldom was revived again in 1675 as an award to the then Earl of Denbigh. It has passed on through this line to the present day.