Bermingham is the

Gaelicised Gaelicisation, or Gaelicization, is the act or process of making something Gaelic, or gaining characteristics of the ''Gaels'', a sub-branch of celticisation. The Gaels are an ethno-linguistic group, traditionally viewed as having spread from Ire ...

version of ' De Birmingham' and is descended from the family of Warwickshire, England. The Irish version of the name MacFeorais/MacPheorais is derived from Pierce de Bermingham (died 1307). The first recorded Bermingham in Ireland, Robert de Bermingham (son of William) accompanied Richard de Clare or 'Strongbow' in Henry II's conquest of Ireland in 1172. On arrival he received: "an ancient monument, valued at 200 pounds, on which was represented in brass the landing of the first ancestor of the family of Birmingham in Ireland." Louthcrest

The family settled initially in Galway in the west of the country and later in Kildare in the east. Myler de Bermingham founded the town and abbey of

Athenry Athenry (; ) is a town in County Galway, Ireland, which lies east of Galway city. Some of the attractions of the medieval town are its town wall, Athenry Castle, its priory and its 13th century street-plan. The town is also well known by virt ...

, Galway in 1240. The Pierce de Bermingham mentioned above held a castle at Carrick in county Kildare and is noted in history for murdering over twenty of the O' Connors clan at a feast he held there in 1305. For this 'notorious' act he earned the title of the 'Treacherous Baron'. Lord Richard de Bermingham was victorious in the

Second Battle of Athenry The Second Battle of Athenry ( ) took place at Athenry ( gle, Áth na Ríogh) in Ireland on 10 August 1316 during the Bruce campaign in Ireland. Overview The collective number of both armies are unknown, and can only be estimated. Martyn bel ...

in 1316. Richard's cousin John

Earl of Louth Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particular ...

defeated

Edward Bruce Edward Bruce, Earl of Carrick ( Norman French: ; mga, Edubard a Briuis; Modern Scottish Gaelic: gd, Eideard or ; – 14 October 1318), was a younger brother of Robert the Bruce, King of Scots. He supported his brother in the 1306–1314 st ...

at the

Battle of Faughart The Battle of Faughart (or Battle of Dundalk) was fought on 14 October 1318 between a Hiberno-Norman force led by John de Bermingham (later created 1st Earl of Louth) and Edmund Butler, Earl of Carrick, and a Scottish and Irish army command ...

in 1318. He was subsequently murdered along with over 150 relatives and guests during the Braganstown Massacre in 1329. The Peerage title of Baron of Athenry/Lord Athenry (one of the oldest titles on record in Ireland and Britain) was held by the Berminghams of Galway from the time of their arrival until 1799. Thomas Bermingham, the last Baron of Athenry and Earl of Louth died without a male heir that year and the title became extinct. The title

was held by two Berminghams, John (1329) and Thomas and also became extinct upon Thomas's death. A number of appeals were made by Bermingham descendants between 1800 and 1830 to the House of Lords to re-establish the Baron of Athenry title but these appeals were unsuccessful as no direct male line could be established.

References

* ''Bermingham: Origins and History of the Family Name - 1060 to 1830'', Douglas P Bermingham, Kildare. 2012. * ''Manual of origin, descent, etc., of Barony of Athenry'', Dublin, 1820. * ''Carbury and the Birminghams's county'' Matthew Devitt, Journal of the Kildare Archaeological and Historical Society, (1896–99) * ''Notes on the Persons named in the Obituary Book of the Franciscan Abbey at Galway'', Martin J. Blake, Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society, vol. VII. No. I. * ''Notes on the Bermingham Pedigree'' G. H. Orpen, op. cit., IX (1915–16), pp. 195–205. * ''The Bermingham family of Athenry'' Hubert T.Knox, op.cit., X, (1917–1918), pp. 139–54. * ''The Surnames of Ireland'',

Edward MacLysaght Edgeworth Lysaght, later Edward Anthony Edgeworth Lysaght, and from 1920 Edward MacLysaght ( ga, Éamonn Mac Giolla Iasachta; 6 November 1887 – 4 March 1986) was a genealogist of twentieth century Ireland. His numerous books on Irish surnames ...

, p. 17,

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...

, 1978.

External links

Origins of Birmingham

Birmingham City Council Birmingham City Council is the local government body responsible for the governance of the City of Birmingham in England, which has been a metropolitan district since 1974. It is the most populated local council area in the United Kingdom ...

Family name: Bermingham/Birmingham (Lord Athenry)
National University of Ireland, Galway
Bermingham/Birmingham House
National University of Ireland, Galway
Bermingham family, Barons Athenry

The National Archives National archives are central archives maintained by countries. This article contains a list of national archives. Among its more important tasks are to ensure the accessibility and preservation of the information produced by governments, both ...

Bermingham Castles of Ireland There are numerous Bermingham monuments in Ireland particularly in counties Kildare, Offaly, Galway, and Dublin. Most are now in a poor state. Athenry Castle in Galway has been restored, using building techniques similar to those employed when ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bermingham (Surname) Surnames of Irish origin Lordship of Ireland Irish families

See also

References

External links