Early life

Edmond Albanach was the son of Sir William Liath de Burgh

William Liath de Burgh

-Background:De Burgh was a son of William Og de Burgh, who was killed at the Battle of Áth-an-Chip or Athankip in 1270, and a nephew of Walter de Burgh, 1st Earl of Ulster...

. He acquired his nickname from the time he spent in Scotland from the spring of 1316 as a hostage

Hostage

A hostage is a person or entity which is held by a captor. The original definition meant that this was handed over by one of two belligerent parties to the other or seized as security for the carrying out of an agreement, or as a preventive measure against certain acts of war...

 for his father, after the latter's release by Robert the Bruce.

Mac William Íochtar

The murder of his brother, Walter Liath de Burgh

Walter Liath de Burgh

Sir Walter Liath de Burgh, Anglo-Irish magnate, died February 1332.De Burgh was the eldest son of Sir William Liath de Burgh and Finola Ni Briain...

, in 1332, directly led to the destruction of the de Burgh Earldom of Ulster and Lordship of Connacht. Warfare between the de Burgh factions climaxed with the murder of a cousin, Edmund de Burgh of Clan William by Albanach at Lough Mask

Lough Mask

Lough Mask is a limestone lough of 22,000 acres in County Mayo, Ireland, north of Lough Corrib. Lough Mask is the upper of the two lakes, which empty into the Corrib River, through Galway, into Galway Bay. The lake is visited for its trout fishing...

 in 1338. Albanch was driven from Connacht for this, but gathered a fleet which harassed the coast of Connacht till he was delivered a royal pardon in March 1340. He was able to maintain himself as the most powerful lord west of the Shannon, over the O'Conor's and Clanricardes'.

Annalistic references

From the Annals of the Four Masters

Annals of the Four Masters

The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland or the Annals of the Four Masters are a chronicle of medieval Irish history...

:

• M1335.4. The entire of the West of Connaught was desolated by Edmond Burke. Great evils were also wrought by him, both by burning and slaying, upon the son of the Earl and the race of Richard Burke. They afterwards made peace with one another.

Family and Descendants

De Burgh had two wives, Sadhbh Ni Maillie, daughter of Diarmuid mac Owen Ó Máille, with whom he had one son:

• Thomas mac Edmond Albanach Bourke, 2nd Mac William Íochtar
  Mac William Íochtar
  Mac William Íochtar was a term meaning both a territory and a title in Ireland. The territory covered much of the northern part of the province of Connacht. The Mac William Íochtar functioned as a regional king and received the White Rod...
  
  , (d. 1402), married Una Ní Conchobair in 1397.

and Finola Ní Cellaigh with whom he may have fathered:

• William Saxonagh Bourke, died 1368
• Theobald, killed in 1374
• Richard, killed in 1377

Thomas de Burgh (d.1402) had five sons, each of whom succeeded each other in the Lordship of the Lower MacWilliam. The Fourth son was ancestor to the Earls of Mayo

Earl of Mayo

Earl of the County of Mayo, usually known simply as Earl of Mayo, is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1785 for John Bourke, 1st Viscount Mayo, for many years First Commissioner of Revenue in Ireland...

. His eldest son:-

• Walter de Burgh of Shruel (c1360- 1440) Lord of the Lower MacWilliam m. Sabia, a daughter of O'Brien, Lord of Thomond

his eldest son:-

• John of Shruel (1395–1445), acquired the property of Dromkeen, co. Limerick in 1420. m. a sister of the O'Brien.

his eldest son:-

• William 'The Black' or 'Dhue'(1418–1469) of Dromkeen m. Honore a daughter of one of his Clanricarde cousins

his eldest son:-

• Meyler (d.1495) Lord of Lebanon, succeeded by his son:- Richard (1465–1540) of Dromkeen, succeeded by his son:- Richard Og (1520–1595), succeeded by his son:- Ulick (b. 1575), succeeded by his son:- Richard (1600–1659), succeeded by his son:-
• Rt Rev Ulysees Burgh (1648–1693), Lord Bishop of Ardagh (Church of Ireland) m. Mary a daughter of Colonel William Kingsmill of Ballyowen co. Tipperary.

who had three sons:-

• Richard (b. 1666) of Dromkeen and Drumrusk, MP, whose estates were inherited by a cousin Walter Hussey who assumed the name Hussey de Burgh after the male line became extinct in 1778.
• Colonel Thomas de Burgh
  Thomas de Burgh
  Colonel Thomas de Burgh 1670 – 18 December 1730), often named in his lifetime as Thomas Burgh, was an Irish military engineer, architect, and Member of the Parliament of Ireland...
  
   of Oldtown, MP. (1670–1730) Minister, Surveyor General of Ireland and architect of Trinity College Dublin Library. From him descend the de Burgh's of Oldtown
  Hubert de Burgh (cricketer)
  Captain Hubert Henry de Burgh, DSO, RN was an Irish cricketer and Officer in the Royal Navy...
  
  .
• William de Burgh of Bert, MP (d. 1744) Comptroller and Accountant General for Ireland, grandfather of William de Burgh MP (1696–1754) Anti Slavery Campaigner.