Gerald FitzMaurice,

jure uxoris ''Jure uxoris'' (a Latin phrase meaning "by right of (his) wife"), citing . describes a title of nobility used by a man because his wife holds the office or title '' suo jure'' ("in her own right"). Similarly, the husband of an heiress could beco ...

1st Lord of Offaly ( – 15 January 1204) was a Cambro-Norman nobleman who took part with his father, Maurice FitzGerald, Lord of Llanstephan, in the

Norman Invasion of Ireland The Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland took place during the late 12th century, when Anglo-Normans gradually conquered and acquired large swathes of land in Ireland over which the monarchs of England then claimed sovereignty. The Anglo-Normans ...

(1169–71). Together with his five brothers and one sister Nesta they founded the notable FitzGerald/FitzMaurice dynasty which was to play an important role in Irish history. By right of his wife, the heiress Eve de Bermingham, Gerald was granted the barony of Offaly, thus becoming the first

Lord Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power (social and political), power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the Peerage o ...

. He is the ancestor of the

Kildare Kildare () is a town in County Kildare, Ireland. , its population was 10,302, making it the 7th largest town in County Kildare. It is home to Kildare Cathedral, historically the site of an important abbey said to have been founded by Saint ...

and

Leinster Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland. The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...

branch of the dynasty. Confusingly, his father Maurice was granted the lordship of Offelan in north

County Kildare County Kildare () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the Local gove ...

in 1175 by Strongbow.

Family

Gerald FitzMaurice was born in

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

in about 1150, the second-eldest son of Maurice FitzGerald, Lord of Llanstephan by his wife, Alice (daughter of Arnulf de Montgomery). Gerald had one sister, Nesta, who was named after their celebrated grandmother, Princess Nest ferch Rhys, and five brothers, including the eldest, William FitzMaurice, 1st Baron of Naas.

Career

Gerald's father was the leader of the first landing of Normans who arrived in Ireland in 1169 to assist the exiled Irish king of Leinster Dermot MacMurrough regain his kingdom. Accompanying his father from Wales to Ireland, he and his brother Alexander showed great valour in the battle against Roderick O'Conor outside the walls of Dublin in 1171. Upon the death of their father, on 1 September 1176, Gerald's elder brother William granted him half the cantred of Ophelan with centres at

Maynooth Maynooth (; ) is a university town in north County Kildare, Ireland. It is home to Maynooth University (part of the National University of Ireland and also known as the National University of Ireland, Maynooth) and St Patrick's College, Maynoo ...

and Rathmore. He was confirmed in them by Prince John in 1185. William FitzAldelm deprived Gerald and his brothers of their stronghold of

Wicklow Wicklow ( ; , meaning 'church of the toothless one'; ) is the county town of County Wicklow in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is located on the east of Ireland, south of Dublin. According to the 2022 census of Ireland, 2022 census, it had ...

, though, after a time, was compelled to give them

Ferns The ferns (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta) are a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. They differ from mosses by being vascular, i.e., having specialized tissue ...

in exchange. Gerald had already received, from Strongbow,

Naas Naas ( ; or ) is the county town of County Kildare in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In 2022, it had a population of 26,180, making it the largest town in County Kildare (ahead of Newbridge, County Kildare, Newbridge) and the List of urban ar ...

and other districts in what became

, and had erected

Castle. In 1197, he took part in the conquest of

Limerick Limerick ( ; ) is a city in western Ireland, in County Limerick. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. W ...

acquiring Croom, County Limerick.Charles Mosley, ''Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 107th edition, Volume 2'', p.2297 In 1199, though receiving King John's letters of protection, he was ordered to "do right" to Maurice Fitzphilip for the lands of 'Gessil and Lega', that he had taken from Maurice. Between 1185 and 1204, Fitzgerald, had established a settlement at Geashill. Originally of

motte-and-bailey A motte-and-bailey castle is a European fortification with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised area of ground called a motte, accompanied by a walled courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade. Relatively eas ...

design, it was a timber castle on an earthen mound, nearby were located the church and tenant dwellings. On his death Gerald was still in possession of those estates. In the 15th century the wooded fortress at Geashill was replaced by a stone tower house. Today, only the west wall of the castle remains. He is often described as '

Baron Offaly There have been two creations of the title Baron Offaly, both in the Peerage of Ireland. Two earlier medieval creations as Baron of Offaly existed for an earlier FitzGerald, who owned land in County Kildare, Ireland, including what was then " ...

', the middle cantred of which had been among his father's possessions. He died around 15 January 1204. Gerald is described by his cousin, Giraldus Cambrensis, as small in stature, but distinguished for prudence and honesty. He was the patrilineal ancestor of the earls of Kildare.

Marriage and issue

Sometime around 1193, he married as her first husband, Eve de Bermingham (died between June 1223 and December 1226), daughter of Sir Robert de Bermingham. In marriage, he received the barony of Offaly, becoming the first FitzGerald Lord of Offaly. Together Gerald and Eve had one son: * Maurice FitzGerald, 2nd Lord of Offaly,

Justiciar of Ireland The chief governor was the senior official in the Dublin Castle administration, which maintained English and British rule in Ireland from the 1170s to 1922. The chief governor was the viceroy of the English monarch (and later the British monar ...

(1194 – 20 May 1257), married Juliana de Grenville, by whom he had four sons. Following Gerald's death on 15 January 1204, Eve would go on to marry two more times. Her second husband was Geoffrey FitzRobert, and her third, whom she married sometime after 1211, was Geoffrey de Marisco, Justiciar of Ireland.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Offaly, Gerald FitzMaurice, 01 Lord of

Gerald Gerald is a masculine given name derived from the Germanic languages prefix ''ger-'' ("spear") and suffix ''-wald'' ("rule"). Gerald is a Norman French variant of the Germanic name. An Old English equivalent name was Garweald, the likely original ...

Irish lords 1150s births 1204 deaths Normans in Ireland Norman warriors 12th-century Irish people 13th-century Irish nobility People from Pembrokeshire People from County Offaly Barons Offaly