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Robert Fitzgerald de Athdare[1]
Male 1363 -


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  • Birth  1363  Athdare Co. Limerick Ireland Find all individuals with events at this location  [2
    Gender  Male 
    Person ID  I0031  J. Purifoy Adair8
    Last Modified  12 Aug 2012 

    Family  Arabella Campbell 
    Married  1385  Athdare, Ireland Find all individuals with events at this location  [2
    Children 
     1. Niegello de Athdare,   b. 1403, Galloway, Scotland Find all individuals with events at this location
    Family ID  F18  Group Sheet

  • Notes 
    • Origin of the name Adair: Celtic and Gaelic

      From Ath, a ford, and dare, from darach, the place of oaks, "The ford of t
      he oaks." There is the following tradition of the origin of this surnam
      e. "Thomas, the sixth Earl of Desmond, while on a hunting excursion was b
      enighted, and lost his way, between Tralee and Newcastle, in the coun
      ty of Limerick, where he was received and hospitility entertained by one W
      illiam McCormic, whose daughter he subsequently married. At this allianc
      e, the family and clan took unbrage. Resigning his title and estate to h
      is youngest brother, he fled to France in 1418, and died of Grief at Roue
      n, two years afterward. The King of England attended his funeral. He h
      ad issue, Maurice and John; Robert, the son of Maurice, returning to Irela
      nd, with the hope of regaining the estates and title of Thomas, his ancest
      or, slew Gerald, the White Knight, in single combat at Athdare, the fo
      rd of the oaks, whence he received the name of Adaire. He embarked for Sc
      otland, where he married Arabella, daughter of John Campbell, Lord of Argy
      le."


      James Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald, a cousin of the earl of Desmond (Sir Jo
      hn of Desmond, brother to the earl) - leader of a rebellion in Munst
      er in 1569. He escaped to France. Returned to Ireland (Ring of Dingl
      e) in 1579. Killed in a skirmish at Smerwick, on the Dingle peninsu
      la of County Kerry.


      Fitzegerald, Gerald, earl of Kildare d. 1513 Irish magnate, Lord Depu
      ty of Ireland 1481-94, 1496-1513. Supported the Yorkist cause until 14
      94 when temporarily deprived of office after Warbeck landed in Ireland; th
      ereafter loyal to the king.


      Fitzgerald, Gerald, earl of Kildare 1487-1534 Lord Deputy of Ireland 1513-
      20, 1524-26, 1532-33 between imprisonments for feuding with rival famil
      y. Died in Tower of London.

      Fitzgerald, Thomas, Lord Offaly and earl of Kildare 1513-37. Son of abov
      e: rebelled on his father's arrest 1533, but was defeated and executed.

      --------------------------------------------------------------------------
      ----------------------------------------------------Robert Adair (from Bar
      nett book) was a scion or younger son of the Noble House of Fitzgerald; An
      glo-Norman Viceroys of Ireland, and Earls of Desmond and Kildare in Scotla
      nd.

      According to tradition, which is mainly confirmed by history and Heraldr
      y, he fought a duel with the White Knight at the town of Adair, which w
      as located on the Desmond Estate, in Limerick County, Ireland. Robert sl
      ew his antagonist in single combat; He then sailed for Scotland under t
      he name of Robert Fitzgerald de Adair; but after landing in Galloway, he d
      iscarded his patronimic designation and wrote himself Adair. Robert marri
      ed a daugher of the most noble house in Scotland, to-wit: the House of Arg
      yle.

      From the book Touring Guide To Ireland the following:

      Desmond's Grave, Kerry County
      Accessible from either Tralee or Castleland, this grave contains the remai
      ns of Gerald Fitsgerald - an Earl of Desmond who was killed by Ormonde sol
      diers in 1583 - and lies 4 1/2 miles NW of Castleland in Glanageenty Gle
      n. The glen is 2 miles WSW of 1,097 ft. Knight's Mountain, which forms pa
      rt of the Glanarudder range.

      Kilmallock, Cill Mocheallog: St. Mocheallog's church, Limerick
      this old corporate town is pleasantly sited on the W bank of the River Loo
      bagh, to the N of the Ballhoura Hills in the fertile Golden Vale. Litt
      le is known of the settlement origins, but the magnificent ruins here sh
      ow that it was a place of importance. St. Molach or Mocheallog found
      ed a church or monastery here in the 7th century. The medieval town's ri
      se to prominence was due largely to the Anglo-Norman Desmond family, who w
      ere all powerful in Munster province for many centuries. As with all oth
      er occupying Anglo-Norman families, they organized the civic life, establi
      shed defences, and made provision for religion. Edward III granted a char
      ter, and the town was surrounded by a cut-stone wall fortified by earthe
      rn mounds and breached by four imposing gateways. Blossom's Gate, throu
      gh which the Charleville road passes, survives from this time and includ
      es a well preserved section of the wall. King's Castle is a tall, 15th ce
      ntury gate tower on the Limerick road.

      The Desmond family consolidated their considerable power by shipping lar
      ge Irish forces across the sea to help Edward III against the Scots. T
      he commanders of these forces were three counsins of the great Earl of Des
      mond, and they so distinguished themselves on the field that the king dubb
      ed them the White Knight, Black Knight, and the Green Knight respective
      ly - after the colours of their armor. The White Knight's descendants we
      re particularly involved with the life of Kilmallock. The tomb of the la
      st head of the family can be seen in the choir of the Dominican friary.
      Belfast - towns' development as a town can be traced back to 1177, when Jo
      hn de Courcy built a castle to command the ford from a strong positi
      on in a settlement which stood between the modern city's Donegall Place a
      nd Corn Market.

      In 1315 the castle was destroyed by Edward Bruce. In the early 16th centu
      ry, Belfast was little more than a fishing village - although still descri
      bed as a fortress - in the hands of the O'Neills. This family were the Ea
      rls of Tyrone, and they ruled the Lagan Valley from their stronghold of Ca
      stlereagh. Belfast continued to be a place of strategic importance howeve
      r, and it was attacked twice during Edward Fitzgerald's risings of 1503 a
      nd 1512. Fitzgerald was the Earl of Kildare.

      Definitions found in same book:

      Anglo-Normans - a name given to the mixture of Normans, English, and Wel
      sh nationals who invaded Ireland in the 12th century. Most of these peop
      le came from southwest Britain.

      Plantation Castles - defensive buildings erected in Ireland by English a
      nd Scottish settlers during the 17th century Plantation colonization schem
      e.

  • Sources 
    1. [S09511] Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names.

    2. [S22321] Adair: History and Genealogy by James Barnett Adair 1924.