Lord of Connaught

Lord of Connaught (Irish: Tighearna Connacht) was a title used by several Norman barons in Ireland. Granted to William de Burgh, the lordship was claimed by his son, Richard Mor de Burgh, and his descendants.

During the Norman invasion of Ireland, William de Burgh (d.1206) was apparently granted Connacht, but never took possession of it. It remained in the hands of native kings until 1224, when his son, Richard Mor de Burgh, claimed it on the basis of his father's grant. Richard's uncle Hubert de Burgh was then Justiciar of Ireland and upheld the claim in 1227. Richard called upon the feudal levies of Ireland and conquered Connacht (1235), assuming the title Lord of Connaught.

Richard's son Walter de Burgh, 1st Earl of Ulster, his son Richard Óg de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster, and Richard Óg's grandson William Donn de Burgh, 3rd Earl of Ulster all seem to have used the title but, on the death of the latter in 1333, civil war broke out over control of the de Burgh lands.

Connacht was divided between Sir Ulick Burke (1st Mac William Uachtar (Upper Mac William) or Clanricarde, Galway) and Edmond Albanach de Burgh (1st Mac William Íochtar or Lower Mac William, Mayo)^[1] and the title fell out of use. It was not recognized in the Peerage of Ireland, and the heirs-general of William Donn, who retained the title Earl of Ulster, did not continue to use it.

de Burgh Genealogy: Lords of Connacht, Earls of Ulster and Earls of Kent

Walter de Burgh
of Burgh Castle,
Norfolk
m. Alice

William de Burgh
(d. 1206)

Geoffrey de Burgh
Bishop of Ely
(d. 1228)

Hubert de Burgh
1st Earl of Kent
Regent of England
(d. before 1243)

Thomas de Burgh
Castellan of Norwich

Richard Mór / Óge
de Burgh
Lord of Connacht
(d. 1242/3)

Hubert de Burgh
Bishop of Limerick
(d. 1250)

William de Burgh
Sheriff of Connacht

John de Burgh

Hubert de Burgh

Sir Richard de Burgh
Constable of
Montgomery Castle
(d. 1248)

Walter de Burgh
Lord of Connacht
1st Earl of Ulster
(d. 1271)

Sir William Óg de Burgh
Anglo-Irish Noble and Warrior
(d. 1270)

Barons Burgh
of Gainsborough
15th century

Richard Óg de Burgh
Lord of Connacht
2nd Earl of Ulster
(1259–1326)

de Burgh/Burkes
of Mayo
(Mac William Íochtar)

de Burgh / Burke
of Galway
(Mac William Uachtar/
Clanricarde)

Elizabeth de Burgh
Queen of Scots
(c.1289–1327)
m. Robert I
King of Scots

John de Burgh
(1286–1313)

Sir Edmond de Burgh
(1298–1338)

William Donn de Burgh
Lord of Connacht
3rd Earl of Ulster
(1312–33)

de Burgh / Burke
of ClanWilliam

Elizabeth de Burgh
4th Countess of Ulster
(1332–63)
m. Lionel
Duke of Clarence

Richard Mór de Burgh, 1st Lord of Connaught
Walter de Burgh, 2nd Lord of Connaught (1st Earl of Ulster)
Richard Óg de Burgh, 3rd Lord of Connaught (2nd Earl of Ulster)
William Donn de Burgh, 4th Lord of Connaught (3rd Earl of Ulster)
Elizabeth de Burgh, 4th Countess of Ulster

House of Burgh, an Anglo-Norman and Hiberno-Norman dynasty founded in 1193

Citations

[1]
Curtis, Edmund (2004) [1950]. A History of Ireland (6th ed.). New York: Routledge. pp. 58, 70–72, 91–92. ISBN 0-415-27949-6.

Bibliography

Curtis, Edmund (2004) [1950]. A History of Ireland (6th ed.). New York: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-27949-6.
*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.