Fitzpatrick
Encyclopedia
The surname
Fitzpatrick is the translation of Mac Giolla Phádraig from the original Irish
to English
. It is the only surname of native Gaelic-Irish origin with the Norman French Fitz prefix. All others are of Hiberno-Norman
descent. Giolla Phádraig (the devoted of St. Patrick
) was King of Ossory
, a kingdom in Leinster
in Ireland
. According to Carrigan
, this kingdom was founded by Aengus Osrith who flourished some time about the latter half of the 2nd century of the Christian era. Giolla Phádraig's reign
commenced some eight centuries later in 976 AD and he reigned until he was slain in 996 AD. His sons were styled Mac Giolla Phádraig (son of Giolla Phádraig). As part of the colonisation of Ireland by England
, natural Irish names had to be restyled in the English format. Mac Giolla Phádraig was anglicised as Fitzpatrick.
By far the most important branch of the sept
is the family whose Chief was known as Lord of Upper Ossory. At one time he was almost royal ruler over Laois
and neighboring Kilkenny
. Following the Norman
invasion in the late 12th century, their power was vastly diminished by the ascendancy of the Ormond Butlers and other Hiberno-Norman
magnates. Although their patrimony was restricted to Upper Ossory, the Fitzpatricks were by no means dispossessed of all their property. They were one of the original great Irish families to submit to Henry VIII
, and as a result, in 1541, Brian, the first to assume the surname Fitzpatrick in place of Mac Gìolla Phádraig, was created Lord Baron of Upper Ossory. In the 17th century, the Fitzpatricks lost considerable territory through their staunch support of James II
. Nevertheless, the head of the sept received a peerage in 1714. Records from 1878 show that no less than 22,000 acres (89 km²) of the finest land in Ossory was owned by the family.
The clan
name is found throughout the world and several individuals and families have been prominent. Apart from the Lords and Earls of Upper Ossory, also prominent was Brian Mac Giolla Phádraig
(1585–1652), Vicar Apostolic of Ossory, who was murdered by Cromwellian
soldiers. He was instrumental in saving the "Book of the O'Byrne", which he had transcribed, from destruction. The family of Sir Percy Fitzpatrick
made a major contribution to the political formation of South Africa
. Major Thomas (Broken-Hand) Fitzpatrick, from Cavan
, Indian Agent to the Sioux, Cheyenne
and Arapaho
tribes brought peace to the Plains
Indians
of North America
in 1851 at Fort Laramie. Patrick Fitzpatrick (1792–1865) was a trusted colleague of Daniel O'Connell
. Fitzpatricks have also contributed, with significant influence and success, in high office in Ireland, England, Canada
, India
, Australia
and the United States
.
There is a concentration of Fitzpatricks in County Laois
, and the border counties of Ireland, such as Cavan, Fermanagh, Armagh, Meath and especially County Down. The Fitzpatrick motto - Fortis sub Forte Fatiscet - can be interpreted as "The strong will yield to the strong." A second motto, "Ceart ládir abú" translates to "Right and Mighty Forever".
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
Fitzpatrick is the translation of Mac Giolla Phádraig from the original Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
to English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. It is the only surname of native Gaelic-Irish origin with the Norman French Fitz prefix. All others are of Hiberno-Norman
Hiberno-Norman
The Hiberno-Normans are those Norman lords who settled in Ireland who admitted little if any real fealty to the Anglo-Norman settlers in England, and who soon began to interact and intermarry with the Gaelic nobility of Ireland. The term embraces both their origins as a distinct community with...
descent. Giolla Phádraig (the devoted of St. Patrick
Saint Patrick
Saint Patrick was a Romano-Briton and Christian missionary, who is the most generally recognized patron saint of Ireland or the Apostle of Ireland, although Brigid of Kildare and Colmcille are also formally patron saints....
) was King of Ossory
Ossory
The Irish geographical name Ossory can refer to:* Kingdom of Osraige* Roman Catholic Diocese of Ossory* Church of Ireland diocese of the Bishop of Ossory* A prophet of the Omnian religion in Terry Pratchett's Discworld...
, a kingdom in Leinster
Leinster
Leinster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the east of Ireland. It comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Mide, Osraige and Leinster. Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the historic fifths of Leinster and Mide gradually merged, mainly due to the impact of the Pale, which straddled...
in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. According to Carrigan
Carrigan
Carrigan is a townland in the Parish of Tomregan, Barony of Loughtee Lower, County Cavan, Ireland. The townland name is an anglicisation of the Gaelic placename “Cairrig-ín” which means ‘A little rock or a rocky surface’...
, this kingdom was founded by Aengus Osrith who flourished some time about the latter half of the 2nd century of the Christian era. Giolla Phádraig's reign
Reign
A reign is the term used to describe the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office of monarch of a nation or of a people . In most hereditary monarchies and some elective monarchies A reign is the term used to describe the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office...
commenced some eight centuries later in 976 AD and he reigned until he was slain in 996 AD. His sons were styled Mac Giolla Phádraig (son of Giolla Phádraig). As part of the colonisation of Ireland by England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, natural Irish names had to be restyled in the English format. Mac Giolla Phádraig was anglicised as Fitzpatrick.
By far the most important branch of the sept
Sept (social)
A sept is an English word for a division of a family, especially a division of a clan. The word might have its origin from Latin saeptum "enclosure, fold", or it can be an alteration of sect.The term is found in both Ireland and Scotland...
is the family whose Chief was known as Lord of Upper Ossory. At one time he was almost royal ruler over Laois
County Laois
County Laois is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It was formerly known as Queen's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. The county's name was formerly spelt as Laoighis and Leix. Laois County Council...
and neighboring 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...
. Following the Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
invasion in the late 12th century, their power was vastly diminished by the ascendancy of the Ormond Butlers and other Hiberno-Norman
Hiberno-Norman
The Hiberno-Normans are those Norman lords who settled in Ireland who admitted little if any real fealty to the Anglo-Norman settlers in England, and who soon began to interact and intermarry with the Gaelic nobility of Ireland. The term embraces both their origins as a distinct community with...
magnates. Although their patrimony was restricted to Upper Ossory, the Fitzpatricks were by no means dispossessed of all their property. They were one of the original great Irish families to submit to Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
, and as a result, in 1541, Brian, the first to assume the surname Fitzpatrick in place of Mac Gìolla Phádraig, was created Lord Baron of Upper Ossory. In the 17th century, the Fitzpatricks lost considerable territory through their staunch support of James II
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
. Nevertheless, the head of the sept received a peerage in 1714. Records from 1878 show that no less than 22,000 acres (89 km²) of the finest land in Ossory was owned by the family.
The clan
Clan
A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clan members may be organized around a founding member or apical ancestor. The kinship-based bonds may be symbolical, whereby the clan shares a "stipulated" common ancestor that is a...
name is found throughout the world and several individuals and families have been prominent. Apart from the Lords and Earls of Upper Ossory, also prominent was Brian Mac Giolla Phádraig
Brian Mac Giolla Phádraig
Brian Mac Giolla Phádraig was a scholar and poet of noble descent from Ossory. Only a handful of his poems are still extant. A cry of despair against the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, and its consequences for the world and class which he belonged to, his Faisean Chláir Éibhir bears a striking...
(1585–1652), Vicar Apostolic of Ossory, who was murdered by Cromwellian
Cromwellian conquest of Ireland
The Cromwellian conquest of Ireland refers to the conquest of Ireland by the forces of the English Parliament, led by Oliver Cromwell during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Cromwell landed in Ireland with his New Model Army on behalf of England's Rump Parliament in 1649...
soldiers. He was instrumental in saving the "Book of the O'Byrne", which he had transcribed, from destruction. The family of Sir Percy Fitzpatrick
Percy Fitzpatrick
Sir James Percy FitzPatrick, KCMG , known as Percy FitzPatrick, was a South African author, politician, mining financier and pioneer of the fruit industry. He authored the classic children's book, Jock of the Bushveld ....
made a major contribution to the political formation of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Major Thomas (Broken-Hand) Fitzpatrick, from Cavan
Cavan
Cavan is the county town of County Cavan in the Republic of Ireland. The town lies in the north central part of Ireland, near the border with Northern Ireland...
, Indian Agent to the Sioux, Cheyenne
Cheyenne
Cheyenne are a Native American people of the Great Plains, who are of the Algonquian language family. The Cheyenne Nation is composed of two united tribes, the Só'taeo'o and the Tsétsêhéstâhese .The Cheyenne are thought to have branched off other tribes of Algonquian stock inhabiting lands...
and Arapaho
Arapaho
The Arapaho are a tribe of Native Americans historically living on the eastern plains of Colorado and Wyoming. They were close allies of the Cheyenne tribe and loosely aligned with the Sioux. Arapaho is an Algonquian language closely related to Gros Ventre, whose people are seen as an early...
tribes brought peace to the Plains
Great Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
Indians
Plains Indians
The Plains Indians are the Indigenous peoples who live on the plains and rolling hills of the Great Plains of North America. Their colorful equestrian culture and resistance to White domination have made the Plains Indians an archetype in literature and art for American Indians everywhere.Plains...
of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
in 1851 at Fort Laramie. Patrick Fitzpatrick (1792–1865) was a trusted colleague of Daniel O'Connell
Daniel O'Connell
Daniel O'Connell Daniel O'Connell Daniel O'Connell (6 August 1775 – 15 May 1847; often referred to as The Liberator, or The Emancipator, was an Irish political leader in the first half of the 19th century...
. Fitzpatricks have also contributed, with significant influence and success, in high office in Ireland, England, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
There is a concentration of Fitzpatricks in County Laois
County Laois
County Laois is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It was formerly known as Queen's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. The county's name was formerly spelt as Laoighis and Leix. Laois County Council...
, and the border counties of Ireland, such as Cavan, Fermanagh, Armagh, Meath and especially County Down. The Fitzpatrick motto - Fortis sub Forte Fatiscet - can be interpreted as "The strong will yield to the strong." A second motto, "Ceart ládir abú" translates to "Right and Mighty Forever".