Microstates : 19 Principality of Thomond (bogus)

A new set of cinderellas, and this time we have to go to Ireland.

Europe was once devided in hundreds of small 'independent' kingdoms.
From roughly 1118 till 1543 the Kingdom of Thomond (Irish: Tuadhmhumhain, meaning North Munster, now spelled Tuamhain); was a kingdom in the south western part of Ireland.

Kingdom of Munster

norther part of Munster : Kindom of Thomond

The first king of Thomond (Conchobar MacDiarmada Ó Briain) was a nephew of the King of Munster.
He was also related to the Brian Boru; high king of Ireland, founder of the O'Brien dynasty.

The kingdom of Munster was abolished around 1138.
The whole area was split up into the kingdoms of Thomond (north), Desmond (south), and Ormond (east), all of which were eventually subsumed by surrender and regrant as Earldoms in the Peerage of Ireland.

The rules of Thomond came mainly from the O'brien clan, but throughout history, the list of successors was often interrupted by murders, family spit ups and reinstalling the blood line of the first O'brien.
After the kindom was abolished, the rulers came under English jurisdiction and as a favour to their loyalty, the were taken into their nobility. The last king of Thomond, became 1st Baron Inchiquin, Earl of Thomond.
On july 15. 1943, Conor Myles John O'brien, (18th Baron Inchiquin, Prince of Thomond) was born. He's still part of Irish nobility now.

The "stamps" however are bogus.
They are not so common, and I haven't seen many in complete sets.

full ? set of Thomond cinderellas (early 60's)

The same set of 12 stamps were also overprinted with 'Europa 1961' ; probably an attempt to get European attention or to be picked up by collectors.

One of the stamps seems to have a print on the back side, but it's more likely that the ink of one of the overprints was transferred to the other stamps' back when putting them together.

I'll continue searching for more ...