Gerald fitzMaurice, 3rd Earl Desmond

Gerald fitzMaurice FitzGerald, 3rd Earl of Desmond, died in 1398. He was also known by the Irish Gaelic "Gearóid Iarla" (Earl Gerald)

Acceded: 1357

Parents: son of Maurice FitzGerald, 1st Earl of Desmond, by his third wife Aveline, daughter of Nicholas FitzMaurice, 3rd Lord of Kerry.

Married:

1. after 20 July 1359 to Eleanor (or Ellen) Butler, Countess Desmond, daughter of James Butler, 2nd Earl of Ormond. They had three sons and two daughters.

Sons of Eleanor Butler and Gerald FitzGerald:

1. John FitzGerald, 4th Earl of Desmond
2. Maurice FitzGerald
3. James FitzGerald, 6th Earl of Desmond, 'the Usurper'

Daughters of Eleanor Butler and Gerald FitzGerald:

1. Joan, married Maurice FitzJohn, Lord of Kerry
2. Catherine, married John FitzThomas (C. Ormond)

Silver Shod Steed

After his disappearance in 1398, Gerald sleeps in a cave under Lough Gur, and will someday awaken and ride forth on a silver-shod steed to rule again in Desmond.

Career and poetry

Gerald was made Lord Chief Justice of Ireland in 1367, but in 1370 was imprisoned by Brian O'Brien of Thomond.[1] While in prison, Gerald wrote poetry in the Irish language, most famously the poem Mairg adeir olc ris na mnáibh ("Speak not ill of womenkind"). Indeed, Gerald was instrumental in replacing French with Irish as the preferred language of the Hiberno-Norman aristocracy, and typified the cliché among later Irish historians that the Geraldines were "more Irish than the Irish themselves."

Notes

• Gearóid Iarla. The Poet.
• 4th Earl of Desmond whose wife was Elenor Butler. You should be able to relate directly as a grand daughter to King Henry Plantagenet 3rd and all of the Plantagenet kings including William the Conqueror

links

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_FitzGerald,_3rd_Earl_of_Desmond
• Lough Gur
• Desmond Rebellions
• Shanid Castle

Citations

1. Searc's Web Guide to 14th Century Ireland - Gearoid Iarla Fitzgerald (1335-1398)

References

The Complete Peerage vol.IV,pp.243-245.

http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=er1357&id...

Gerald FitzMaurice FitzGerald
Given Name: Gerald Surname: FitzMaurice FitzGerald Nickname: Gearóid Iarla Sex: M Burial: Ciarraí, Ireland Birth: ABT 1344 in Shanid Castle,,Limerick,Ireland Death: 1398 in Desmond,,Kerry,Ireland Note:

   '''Gerald fitzMaurice FitzGerald''', ''3rd Earl of Desmond'', died in 1398.

   He was also known by the Irish Gaelic "Gearóid Iarla" (Earl Gerald)

Acceded: 1357
Parents: son of Maurice FitzGerald, 1st Earl of Desmond, by his third wife Aveline, daughter of Nicholas FitzMaurice, 3rd Lord of Kerry.
Married:

   # after 20 July 1359 to Eleanor (or Ellen) Butler, ''Countess Desmond'', daughter of James Butler, 2nd Earl of Ormond. They had three sons and two daughters.

Sons of Eleanor Butler and Gerald FitzGerald:

   # John FitzGerald, 4th Earl of Desmond

   # Maurice FitzGerald

   # James FitzGerald, 6th Earl of Desmond, 'the Usurper'

Daughters of Eleanor Butler and Gerald FitzGerald:

   # Joan, married Maurice FitzJohn, Lord of Kerry

   # Catherine, married John FitzThomas (C. Ormond)

==Silver Shod Steed==
After his disappearance in 1398, Gerald sleeps in a cave under Lough Gur, and will someday awaken and ride forth on a silver-shod steed to rule again in Desmond.
==Career and poetry==
Gerald was made Lord Chief Justice of Ireland in 1367, but in 1370 was imprisoned by Brian O'Brien of Thomond.[1] While in prison, Gerald wrote poetry in the Irish language, most famously the poem Mairg adeir olc ris na mnáibh ("Speak not ill of womenkind"). Indeed, Gerald was instrumental in replacing French with Irish as the preferred language of the Hiberno-Norman aristocracy, and typified the cliché among later Irish historians that the Geraldines were "more Irish than the Irish themselves."
==Notes==

   * Gearóid Iarla. The Poet.

   * 4th Earl of Desmond whose wife was Elenor Butler. You should be able to relate directly as a grand daughter to King Henry Plantagenet 3rd and all of the Plantagenet kings including William the Conqueror

==links==
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_FitzGerald,_3rd_Earl_of_Desmond

   * [http://www.shannonheritage.com/Attractions/LoughGur/ Lough Gur]

   * [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desmond_Rebellions Desmond Rebellions]

   * [http://www.of-ireland.info/castles/shanid.html Shanid Castle]

==Citations==
# Searc's Web Guide to 14th Century Ireland - Gearoid Iarla Fitzgerald (1335-1398)
==References==
The Complete Peerage vol.IV,pp.243-245.
Note: Geni Profile: Gerald fitzMaurice, 3rd Earl Desmond Note:

   3rd son but by 3rd wife of his father; became 3rd Earl of Desmond before 1363 [1358 on the death of his half-brother, the 2nd Earl of Desmond].

Cokayne:

   Succeeded to the Earldom in 1358; Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland 1367-1369

Was Lord Justiciar of Ireland in 1367
Is recorded in Lodge with daughter Emilia- See
The Annals of Clonmacnoise (trans. Mageoghegan, p. 319) say that "the lord Garrett, Earle of Desmond, a nobleman of wonderful bounty, mirth, cheerfulness in conversation, easie of access, charitable in his deeds, a witty and ingenious composer of Irish poetry, a learned and profound chronicler,... died penitently after receipt of the sacraments of the holy church."
# He was the first person of Norman ancestry known to have composed poetry in Irish. Thirty of his poems may be found in the Book of Fermoy. His poem "Mairg adeir olc ris na mnáibh" (translated as "In Defence of Women" may be found in the Book of the Dean of Lismore. Both Richard Berleth (The Twilight Lords) and Anne Chambers (Eleanor, Countess of Desmond) mistakenly attribute this poem to Gerald, the 15th Earl., , , , , Text: pp. 104-106
Father: Maurice FitzThomas FitzGerald b: ABT 1293 in Desmond Castle Mother: Aveline FitzMaurice FitzGerald b: ABT 1310 in Kerry,Ireland

Marriage 1 Alianore le Botiller Countess of Desmond b: ABT 1338 in Kilkenny, Kilkenny, Ireland

   Married: 20 JUL 1359 in Aft. July 20, 1359

Children

   Has Children Amy FitzMaurice FitzGerald

   Has Children James FitzGerald Sir, 7th earl of Desmond, 'The Usurper' b: ABT 1380 in Of Desmond, Adare, Co Limerick, Ireland

   Has Children Ellice FitzGerald