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March 12, 2006
AN TOSTAL SOUVENIR PROGRAMME 1953 - CHAPTER 9
Chapter 8 of the An Tostal Programme of 1953 acknowledges the importance of the Fitzgerald family - the Geraldines, Earls of Kildare, some of whom were buried at Grey Abbey Cemetery.
THE GERALDINES
THE GERALDINES trace their ancestry to the powerful family of Gherardini of Florence. Maurice Fitzgerald came to Ireland with Strongbow. The family carved out large tracts of land for themselves in Munster, and in Leinster where they dispossesed [dispossessed – sic] the O’Byrnes and O’Tooles and drove them to the Wicklow mountains. Maurice built the Castle of Maynooth, and John Fitzthomas enlarged it in 1426. This same John took the Castle of Kildare from Calvagh O’Connor who had conquered it from De Vesci.
The Earls of Kildare strengthened their power by alliances with the Irish chiefs and by intermarriage with other powerful families. In this way they succeeded in holding their castles and became so powerful that an English king could say of the Great Earl “All Ireland cannot rule this man then let this man rule Ireland.” The Geraldines ruled Ireland as Deputies of the English King. But they became completely irish, speaking the Irish language in their homes, and encouraging native customs. Unlike their rivals the Butlers, they allied themselves with the native chiefs. This was chiefly the reason why Silken Thomas and his five brothers were executed by the English on Tyburn. Thereafter the English Kings appointed Englishmen as their deputies.
In the early seventeenth century Kildare Castle became a refuge for those who refused to accept the Protestant religion. When Gerald, the sixteenth Earl died, his cousin George was brought up a Protestant by the Court of Chancery. So the powerful Geraldine family lost their ancient Faith. The members of this famous house had faded from history for two centuries when English power was again challenged by the noble Lord Edward. lie was the last Geraldine to live in Kildare.
[There seems to be an error here. In the previous chapter the authors say Calvagh O’Connor captured the castle in 1294 and that it was re-taken by the Normans in 1307 so it is unlikely that it was the same John Fitzthomas who enlarged Maynooth in 1426. John Fitzthomas who became 1st Earl of Kildare in 1316 died that same year at Rathangan and was buried at Grey Abbey. Another John succeeded his father Gerald in 1410 and became the 6th Earl of Kildare until he died in 1427 - Mario Corrigan. Spelling and grammar are retained as in the original; mistakes indicated by square brackets and sic - [sic]. ]
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Chapter 8 of the An Tostal Programme of 1953 acknowledges the importance of the Fitzgerald family - the Geraldines, Earls of Kildare, some of whom were buried at Grey Abbey Cemetery.
Posted by mariocorrigan at March 12, 2006 04:15 PM
