William Liath de Burgh
Encyclopedia
Background
De Burgh was a son of William Og de BurghWilliam Og de Burgh
Sir William Óg de Burgh, Anglo-Irish noble and soldier, died 1270.Sir William Óg was the third son of Richard Mor de Burgh, Lord of Connaught. De Burgh served with distinction in France with King Henry III in 1245 and later in Scotland. He was involved in fierce feudal warfare in Ireland where he...
, 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
Walter de Burgh, 1st Earl of Ulster
Walter de Burgh was 2nd Lord of Connaught and 1st Earl of Ulster .De Burgh was the second son of Richard Mór de Burgh, 1st Lord of Connaught and Egidia de Lacy. He founded Athassel Priory....
(died 1271). He was nickamed liath, Gaelic for grey, though the reasons are unknown.
Career
De Burgh spent much of his life fighting on behalf of his cousin, the 2nd Earl of Ulster, first coming to notice in 1290 when he was defeated in a skirmish with Mac Coughlan.He was deputy justiciar from 1 October 1308 under Piers Gaveston
Piers Gaveston
Piers Gaveston, 1st Earl of Cornwall was an English nobleman of Gascon origin, and the favourite of King Edward II of England. At a young age he made a good impression on King Edward I of England, and was assigned to the household of the King's son, Edward of Carnarvon...
, relinquishing office on 15 May 1309.
The Bruce Invasion of Ireland
He was captured at the Battle of ConnorBattle of Connor
The Battle of Connor was fought during 1315 in what is now Connor, County Antrim. It was part of the Bruce campaign in Ireland. Edward Bruce and his Irish allies defeated the 2nd Earl of Ulster's forces following the defection of his allies; who resolved to renounce their servitude to the...
in Ulster in 1315, when an army led by his cousin the Earl of Ulster was defeated by an Irish-Scots army led by Edward Bruce
Edward Bruce
Edward the Bruce , sometimes modernised Edward of Bruce, was a younger brother of King Robert I of Scotland, who supported his brother in the struggle for the crown of Scotland, then pursued his own claim in Ireland. He was proclaimed High King of Ireland, but was eventually defeated and killed in...
. He was sent to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, his release only been obtained by the earl in summer 1316, in exchange for his son, Edmund, as hostage.
Athenry
Returning from ScotlandScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
he was in Connacht by July 1316 and assembled "a motley
Motley
Motley refers to the traditional costume of the court jester, or the harlequin character in commedia dell'arte. The latter wears a patchwork of red, green and blue diamonds that is still a fashion motif....
army of Anglo-Norman
Anglo-Norman
The Anglo-Normans were mainly the descendants of the Normans who ruled England following the Norman conquest by William the Conqueror in 1066. A small number of Normans were already settled in England prior to the conquest...
colonists and Irish chieftains who had remained loyal to the earl and marched against Fedlimid O'Connor, who had taken advantage of the chaos to lay waste to the province. On 10 August, after a particularly bloody battle at Athenry
Athenry
Athenry is a town in County Galway, Ireland. It lies east of Galway city, and one of the attractions of the town is its medieval castle. The town is also well-known by virtue of the song "The Fields of Athenry".-History:...
, William was victorious."
Family
He had married Finola Ni Briain, daughter of Brian Ruad or The MacJordan, by whom he had three sons:- Sir Edmond Albanach de BurghEdmond Albanach de Burgh-Early life:Edmond Albanach was the son of Sir William Liath de Burgh. He acquired his nickname from the time he spent in Scotland from the spring of 1316 as a hostage for his father, after the latter's release by Robert the Bruce.-Mac William Íochtar:...
(died 1375) - John Burgh, (1350–1398) Chancellor of the University of Cambridge
- Sir Ulick de Burgh (died 1352)
- * Sir Walter Liath de BurghWalter Liath de BurghSir 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...
, died February 1332
He may also have had other children- legitimate or illegitimate:
- Raymond, ancestor of the Mac Raymond Burkes of Muinter Murchadha
- Richard, ancestor of the Clan Henry, Mac Walter of Lackagh, Mac William Duinn, Mac Tibbot and Mac Meyler
- Theobald, died 1336
- Thomas
- Gylle de BurghGylle de BurghGylle de Burgh, was an Anglo-Irish Lady, .De Burgh was the only daughter of Sir William Liath de Burgh and a sister of Sir Walter Liath de Burgh. Walter was captured and starved to death by his cousion, the Earl of Ulster, in 1332....
(fl. 1332) - Mor, married Ruaidhri O Cellaigh who died 1339
- Two unnamed sons, killed in LeinsterLeinsterLeinster 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 1311
Summation
Ronan Mackay summed him up as a loyal and capable lieutenant of the Earl. "From 1305 onwards he was lord of connacht in all but name, allowing Richard to concentrate on the rest of his sprawling domains. The fact that Connacht did not collapse during the Bruce invasion was primarily due to William's ability and his strong ties to many of the leading Irish families of the province. Ironically his success in building a local power base there was to lead to conflict between his heirs and the next earl of Ulster.He died in 1323 and was interred in the Dominican
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
priory at Athenry
Athenry
Athenry is a town in County Galway, Ireland. It lies east of Galway city, and one of the attractions of the town is its medieval castle. The town is also well-known by virtue of the song "The Fields of Athenry".-History:...
. He is the ancestor of the Bourkes of County Mayo
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
.
Annalistic references
From the Annals of the Four MastersAnnals 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...
:
- M1322.11. William Liath Burke, son of William More, died.
- M1324.3. William Burke, son of William More, died.
Family tree
Walter de Burgh|
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William de Burgh
William de Burgh
William de Burgh, founder of the de Burgh/Burke/Bourke family of Ireland, d. 1206.-In Ireland:He arrived in Ireland in 1185 and was closely associated with Prince John....
, died 1205. Hubert de Burgh, 1st Earl of Kent
Hubert de Burgh, 1st Earl of Kent
Hubert de Burgh, 1st Earl of Kent was Earl of Kent, Justiciar of England and Ireland, and one of the most influential men in England during the reigns of John and Henry III.-Birth and family:...
, d. 1243.
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Richard Mór de Burgh, 1st Baron of Connaught Hubert de Burgh, Bishop of Limerick, d. 1250. Richard Óge de Burgh
Richard Óge de Burgh
Richard Óge de Burgh, Anglo-Irish noble and soldier, ancestor of Burke of Clanricarde, fl. early-to-mid 13th century.-Background:De Burgh was a younger, illegitimate son, of William de Burgh...
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de Burgh Earl of Ulster
Earl of Ulster
The title of Earl of Ulster has been created several times in the Peerage of Ireland and Peerage of the United Kingdom. Currently, the title is a subsidiary title of the Duke of Gloucester, and is used as a courtesy title by the Duke's son, Alexander Windsor, Earl of Ulster...
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Burke of Castleconnell
Castleconnell
Castleconnell is a scenic village on the banks of the River Shannon, some from Limerick city and within a few minutes walk of the boundaries with counties Clare and Tipperary....
, County Limerick
County Limerick
It is thought that humans had established themselves in the Lough Gur area of the county as early as 3000 BC, while megalithic remains found at Duntryleague date back further to 3500 BC...
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Mac William Iochtar
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...
Bourke of County Mayo
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
. Hubert William Richard
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Clan Mac Hubert? Richard an Fhorbhair | |
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_______________________________________________________________| Sir David Donn Sir William Ruad
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Ulick Burke of Annaghkeen, d. 1343. Raymond Walter Óge
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Richard Óg Burke
Richard Og Burke
Richard Og Burke was an Irish nobleman, the son of Sir Ulick Burke, and the second Mac William Uachtar, head of Clanricarde.He married a daughter of O'Madden of Síol Anmchadha....
, d. 1387.
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Burke of Clanricarde
Clanricarde
Clanricarde was a term meaning both a territory and a title in Ireland between the 13th and early 20th centuries.-Territory:The territory, in what is now County Galway, Ireland, stretched from the barony of County Clare in the north-west along the borders of County Mayo, to the River Shannon in the...