A BRITISH lord is selling the Barony of Clare through a London auctioneers, with an asking price of £60,000 (€86,000). But Irish experts say the title is bogus, and there is no evidence that the former Conservative peer’s family ever used it.

Francis French, 77, known as Lord de Freyne, whose ancestors lived in Frenchpark, Co Roscommon, has already sold several Irish titles through Manorial Auctioneers. While the lordship of Rook Island and lord of the manor of Ratra had modest asking prices, the Barony of Clare in Co Galway could set a new record.

To sweeten the deal, De Freyne has thrown in a set of robes of a baron and baroness with silver coronets made for the coronation of Edward VII in 1902. “The robes were last worn at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 by the present Lord and Lady De Freyne,” according to the auctioneer’s catalogue.

It also asserts that “the barony of Clare must surely derive its name from the Anglo- Norman conqueror of Ireland, Richard Strongbow”.

However, Irish experts have disputed the claims being made for the barony. “In the light of the Abolition of Feudal Tenures Act of 1662, how it can be claimed that feudal titles still exist today in Ireland as hereditaments to be bought and sold?” said Sean J Murphy, a leading genealogist.

“Most of the Irish feudal titles on offer are essentially spurious, often based on the device of choosing an administrative barony and claiming that a title attaches to it. Manorial Auctioneers’ catalogue provides no evidence of the existence of a feudal title associated with the Barony of Clare, or that de Freyne’s ancestors bore such a title.”

Murphy says the association of the barony with Richard de Clare, or Strongbow, is particularly spurious because the placename Clare comes from the Irish word clar, while De Clare’s name originates in Suffolk. He has sent a series of questions about the sale to Robert Smith of Manorial Auctioneers, who is refusing to respond.

Kenneth Nichols, a former history professor in University College Cork, said: “If people want to assume a bogus barony, they could do it themselves without paying any money to Robert Smith.”

De Freyne’s secretary said the retired peer didn’t wish to speak about the sale. Asked to respond to criticism that the barony he is selling is bogus, she replied: “I am afraid I am unable to make any comment.”

De Freyne and his three sisters emigrated from Ireland after the Land Commission took over their ancestral Roscommon estate. The family home, near Frenchpark, was demolished in the 1970s.

Through Manorial Auctioneers, De Freyne has offered a range of baronies for sale in recent years, including Carrowreagh, Caher, Brierfield and Kilcoleman in Co Sligo.

Smith has defended Manorial’s sale of such baronies and says Irish critics just don’t like British toffs lording it over them. “Some people in Ireland don’t like the English ascendancy,” he said.

He says barony buyers are American, Irish and English, and admitted that there have been disgruntled customers. Joseph Donohoe from San Francisco, who bought the title of Baron of Loughtee for £33,000 in 1996, sued Manorial after discovering that the title had no historical basis.

Smith says that the action was settled by returning Donohoe’s deposit of £6,000. “There are always going to be some dissatisfied customers,” he said. “We give people’s money back if they’re not happy.”

Manorial says De Freyne approached them with the Barony of Clare title, and says no interest has been expressed since it was offered for sale two weeks ago. Manorial takes 15% of the asking price from the seller, and 10% from the buyer.

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