The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-08-08 00:00:00

MR. SMITH O'BRIEN

The history of this gentleman cannot fail to be inter-
esting to the public at the present moment. He wasborn
at Dromoland, county of Clare, on the• 17th of October,
1803, being the second son of Sir Edward O'Brien, fourth
Baronet (who died in 1837,) by the daughter and coheiress
of William Smith, Esq., of Cahirmoyle, county of
Limerick. The latter lady was a very rich heiress. The
issue of this marriage, in addition to the subject of our
notice, consisted of eight other children, including Sir
Lucius, the eldest son; Edward, born in 1806, and mar-
ried to the daughter of Massv Dawson, Esq., late M.P.,
a scion of the noble house of Cremorne ; Robert, born in
1809, married to the daughter of Sir Aubrey de Vere ;the,
Rev. H. O'Brien, married to the daughter of John God-
ley, Esq. ; Grace, unmarried ; Anne, married to the Rev.
Arthur Martineau ; Harriet, married to the Rev. Charles
Monsell, a relative of Mr. Monsell, M.P:, the colleague
of Mr. Smith O'Brien in the representation of Limerick
county ; and Katherine Lucia, married to the Honourable
and Rev. Amyard Harris, brother of Earl Malmesbury,
one of the Prebendaries of Salisbury, and Rector of
Wilton. _ _ _

The present head of the house of O'Brien, is the Mar-
quis Thomond. who adopts the latter form of orthography,
and he deduces his descent from the royal line of Tho-
mond, a race of princes which sprang from the celebrated
Brian Borraime, or Boru, who commenced his reign in
1002. and terminated it with his life, near Clontarf, in
1014. Should the present Marquis die without male issue,
a circumstance not improbable, Sir Lucius O'Brien will
succeed him as Baron Luchiquin ; but not to the higher
titles, which will become extinct. In reference to the
existence of these titles, we may observe that, in 1543,
Murrogh O'Brien, the then head of the house, repaired
to England, and resigned his sovereignty to Edward VI,
and was in recompence created Earl of Thomond for life,
and Baron Luchiquin.
The second holder of the baronetcy, Sir Edward
O'Brien, was son of the Right Honourable Lucius
O'Brien, who died during the lifetime of his father, by
Catherine, daughter of Thomas Keightley, Esq., of Har-
lingford, county of Herts, granddaughter of the first
Earl of Clarendon, and first cousin of Queens Mary and
Anne. In the latter points the records of the several
families agree. _ _

Mr. O'Brien married about twelve years since the
daughter of Joseph Gabbett, Esq., of Limerick, by whom
he has had issue either six or seven children.

Mr. O'Brien is a graduate of Trinity College. Cam.
bridge; when first returned for the family borough of
Ennis, in 1830, Mr. O'Brien was a Tory, and as such
opposed Mr. O'Connell in the case of the memorable
Clare election. He subsequently became a Whig, then a
Radical, and in 1843 he first joined the repeal ranks.
Since 1835 he has represented the county of Limerick.
On the last occasion he succeeded in defeating Mr. Caleb
Powell, the Old Ireland candidate, by twenty-four votes.
Mr. O'Brien fought a duel with the late Mr. Thomas
Steele, having exchanged two shots with that gentleman.
Sir Lucius O'Brien, elder brother, is Lord-Lieutenant of
the county of Clare. The dowager Lady O'Brien is still
living, and possesses a property of about £5,000 per
annum, to which her second son was always considered
to be the heir, but in other respects than as heir in pros-
pect, Mr. O'Brien never was wealthy. He has, when in
Ireland, taken up his residence at the seat of his mother.