Richard Plunkett was an eminent Irish judge and statesman who held the offices of Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench for Ireland

Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench for Ireland

The Court of King's Bench was one of the senior courts of common law in Ireland. It was a mirror of the Court of King's Bench in England...

 and Lord Chancellor of Ireland

Lord Chancellor of Ireland

The office of Lord Chancellor of Ireland was the highest judicial office in Ireland until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. From 1721 to 1801 it was also the highest political office of the Irish Parliament.-13th century:...

. His descendants held the titles Baron Dunsany

Baron Dunsany

The title Baron of Dunsany or, more commonly, Lord Dunsany, is one of the oldest dignities in the Peerage of Ireland, one of just a handful of 13th to 15th century titles still extant, having had 20 holders to date...

, Baron Killeen and Earl of Fingall

Earl of Fingall

Baron Killeen and Earl of Fingall were titles in the Peerage of Ireland. Baron Fingall was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom...

.

Family background

He was born about 1340, son of Richard Plunkett of Rathregan, County Meath

County Meath

County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...

.The Plunketts were one of the long-established Anglo-Irish families of the Pale

The Pale

The Pale or the English Pale , was the part of Ireland that was directly under the control of the English government in the late Middle Ages. It had reduced by the late 15th century to an area along the east coast stretching from Dalkey, south of Dublin, to the garrison town of Dundalk...

, having settled at Beaulieu in Meath about 1200. Another branch of the family later held the title Baron Louth

Baron Louth

Baron Louth is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1541 for Sir Oliver Plunkett. His great-great-great-grandson, the seventh Baron, served as Lord Lieutenant of County Louth. However, he later supported King James II and was outlawed. His great-great-grandson, the eleventh Baron,...

.

Career

He was considered one of the best lawyers of his generation and became King's Attorney in 1372. he was also a noted Parliamentarian and took a leading part in the Kilkenny

Kilkenny

Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...

 Parliament of 1374. He became a judge of the Irish Court of Common Pleas

Court of Common Pleas (Ireland)

The Court of Common Pleas was one of the senior courts of common law in Ireland. It was a mirror image of the equivalent court in England...

 in 1376. In July 1388 he was promoted to Chief Justice of the King's Bench and the following September was made Lord Chancellor. Elrington Ball puts his death around 1389, but O'Flanagan states that he lived to at least 1393 when Richard Northalis

Richard Northalis

Richard Northalis was an Irish cleric and jurist who held the offices of Bishop of Ossory, Archbishop of Dublin and Lord Chancellor of Ireland....

succeeded him as Chancellor.

Character

O'Flanagan calls him one of the most eminent Irishmen of his time, a lawyer of great distinction and equally distinguished for his Parliamentary career.

Descendants

Richard married Margaret, widow of Robert Burnell. They had three children, Christopher, John and Anne. Christopher was grandfather of the first Baron Killeen.