The territory, in what is now County Galway, Ireland, stretched from the barony of Clare in the north-west along the borders of County Mayo, to the River Shannon in the east. Territories Clannricarde claimed dominion over included Uí Maine, Kinela, de Bermingham's Country, Síol Anmchadha and southern Sil Muirdeagh were at times at war. Those clans excepted the family’s claims on varying occasions as well, and many family members were ceremonially brought into the Irish heritage.

The Clanricarde, was a Gaelic title meaning "Richard's family", or "(head of) Richard's family". The Richard in question was Richard Mór de Burgh, 1st Lord of Connacht (died 1243), son of William de Burgh, whose great-great-grandson became the first Clanricarde in the 1330s. The title was first recorded in 1335, and had probably been being used informally for a few generations. However, with the advent of the Burke Civil War (1333–1338) it came to denote the head of the Burkes of Upper or south Connacht based largely in what is now east and central County Galway. Simultaneously it was used to describe the lands held by the family.^[1]

The title Mac William Uachtar was also used as a synonym. It was a Gaelic title meaning "son of the upper William (de Burgh)". It was used to differentiate the Burkes of upper or south Connacht from their cousins, the Burkes of lower or north Connacht, who were known was the Mac William Lower.

However, it was never used as popularly as the term Clanricarde and was in any case abandoned by the end of the 16th century.^[2][3]

In 1543 the then Clanricarde was created Earl of Clanricarde by Henry VIII.

• Ulick Burke of Annaghkeen or Sir Uilleag de Burgh, 1st Clanricarde or Mac William Uachtar (1333–1353)
• Richard Óg Burke, 2nd Clanricarde or Mac William Uachtar (1353–1387)
• Ulick an Fhiona Burke, 3rd Clanricarde or Mac William Uachtar (1387–1424)
• William mac Ulick Burke, 4th Clanricarde or Mac William Uachtar (1424–1430)
• Ulick Ruadh Burke, 5th Clanricarde or Mac William Uachtar (1430–1485)
• Ulick Fionn Burke, 6th Clanricarde or Mac William Uachtar (1485–1509)
• Richard Óge Burke, 7th Clanricarde or Mac William Uachtar (1509–1519)
• Ulick Óge Burke, 8th Clanricarde or Mac William Uachtar (1519–1520)
• Richard Mór Burke, 9th Clanricarde or Mac William Uachtar (1520–1530)
• John mac Richard Mór Burke, 10th Clanricarde or Mac William Uachtar (1530–1536)
• Richard Bacach Burke, 11th Clanricarde or Mac William Uachtar (1536–1538)
• Ulick na gCeann Burke, 12th Clanricarde or Mac William Uachtar and 1st Earl of Clanricarde (1538–1544)
• Sir Uilleag Burke, (disputed) 13th Clanricarde or Mac William Uachtar (1544–51)

• House of Burgh
• Mac William Íochtar, Bourkes of Mayo (Lower Connaught)
• Burke Civil War
• Earl of Clanricarde

Citations edit

Bibliography edit

• Bourke, Eamonn (1995). Burke: People and Places. Whitegate and Castlebar: Ballinakilla Press and de Búrca Rare Books. ISBN 0-946130-10-8.
• Moody, T. W.; Martin, F. X.; Byrne, F. J., eds. (1989). A New History of Ireland: IX: Maps, Genealogies, Lists, A Companion to Irish History, Part II. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-959306-4.
  • Earls of Ulster and Lords of Connacht, 1205-1460 (de Burgh, de Lacy and Mortimer), p. 170;
  • Mac William Burkes: Mac William Iochtar (de Burgh), Lords of Lower Connacht and Viscounts of Mayo, 1332-1649, p. 171;
  • Burke of Clanricard: Mac William Uachtar (de Burgh), Lords of Upper Connacht and Earls of Clanricard, 1332-1722,p. 172.

• Burke's East Galway: The Culture, History and Genealogy of the Families of East Galway