Obituary-the 29th and Last Knight of Glin

CDfm

Another ancient title extinct

Death of last Knight of Glin, Desmond FitzGerald

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• Dr Desmond FitzGerald, Knight of Glin, and Madam Olda FitzGerald of Glin Castle, Co Limerick, in 2002.Photograph: Brenda Fitzsimons
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FRANK McDONALD
THE 29TH Knight of Glin, Desmond FitzGerald, the last heir to one of Ireland’s oldest hereditary titles, has died aged 74.
Minister for Arts and Heritage Jimmy Deenihan led tributes, saying the Irish Georgian Society and Ireland “has lost one of its titans and greatest champions of the arts and heritage”.
Describing the knight as a friend, Mr Deenihan recalled “having wonderful informed conversations with him at his home” – Glin Castle, Co Limerick. “He was always generous with his advice and kind in his remarks.”
The Minister expressed his deepest sympathy to the knight’s wife, Olda, and their three daughters, Catherine, Nesta and Honor, who were all by his bedside at a hospice in Limerick when he passed away after being ill with cancer for the past two years.
Catherine FitzGerald is married to the English actor Dominic West. Their wedding took place last year at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Glin and 300 guests enjoyed a lavish reception in the grounds of Glin Castle afterwards.
With no male heir, Desmond FitzGerald was the last knight of Glin, a title dating to the 14th century. He had been president of the Irish Georgian Society since 1991 and a prominent member since its foundation, as well as being Christie’s representative in Ireland.
“We in the Irish Georgian Society will sorely miss him and will find it hard to come to terms with his absence as he has been involved with the society since its early days and has been president for the last 20 years”, said its executive director, Donough Cahill.
“A passionate man, the knight tirelessly worked for the future of Irish country houses, their contents, parks and gardens, showing the way with the restoration of Glin Castle, and making it home to his collection of Irish paintings, furniture and the decorative arts.
“He was always a convivial and amusing companion, never shy of expressing his opinion and, even in the midst of the odd tirade, the glimmer of mischief was there, as his humour and love of words removed any possible sting,” Mr Cahill said.
In 2009, after being forced by the recession to auction some of his family treasures, the knight said: “I wish our politicians weren’t blindfolded and aesthetically ignorant, and would perk up and see that some of these places are very much part of our heritage.”
Desmond FitzGerald studied in Canada and Harvard, where he was awarded a master’s degree in fine arts. After his graduation, he worked for 11 years as a curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London before returning to Ireland. He was the author of many books and articles on landscape, gardens, painting, architecture and furniture.
Together with Prof Anne Crookshank, he wrote the seminal study The Painters of Ireland (1978), which was later recast as Ireland’s Painters (2002).
Along with James Peill, he was the author of Irish Furniture and The Irish Country House, and in 2009 he oversaw the publication of The Knights of Glin, Seven Centuries of Change in a collaborative effort with a number of distinguished Irish scholars. He was awarded a doctorate of letters by Trinity College in 2002 and was elected as a member of the Royal Irish Academy. He also served on the boards the National Gallery of Ireland, the Irish Landmark Trust, the Castletown Foundation and the Irish Heritage Trust.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0916/1224304193532.html

And

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Knights of Glin, A Brief History
[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Glin's rich history is partly as a result of the presence of the Knights of Glin and their history.[/FONT][/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The Knights of Glin are a branch of the great Norman Fitzgerald family, also known as the Geraldine's. As Earls of Desmond, the Fitzgeralds granted extensive lands in County Limerick in the early 14th Century by their Desmond overlords. [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The Desmond family were all descended from the Norman Maurice Fitzgerald, a companion-in-arms to Strongbow. Maurice was the son of Gerald of Windsor, and his wife the Welsh Princess Nesta. [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The Fitzgerald's came to Ireland from Wales in the 1170’s as mercenaries, at the request of King Dermot MacMurrough to help him subdue his subjects.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The Knights of Glin were granted the Barony of Kenry, bordering the banks of the Shannon near the great Desmond castle of Askeaton. In the Middle Ages, the holder of the title was known as ‘the Knight of the Glen’ or ‘the Knight of the Valley’. The Knights held extensive lands along the valley of the river Shannon between Limerick and the sea. They then owned a large number of tower houses in this area, including Shanpallas and Cappagh near Rathkeale.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Three of the branches of the Desmond lordship were known[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] as the White Knight, the Knight of Kerry, and the Knight of Glin. The last White Knight, Maurice Óg FitzGibbon died in 1611 and the title is believed to be extinct. Maurice’s son, Thomas FitzMaurice FitzGerald was granted Shanid in West Limerick in 1197 where, in 1200, he built a polygonal keep on a motte. The Desmond Gerladine's war-cry was ‘Shanid Abú’, meaning ‘Shanid for ever’. It can be seen on the coat-of-arms, on the ceiling of Glin Castle, and on many pieces of silver in the house, see picture.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The Glin FitzGeralds survived the Elizabethan, Cromwellian and Jacobite Wars. They then fought against the English with their kinsmen, the Earls of Desmond. Thomas FitzGerald was hanged, drawn, and quartered by the English forces in Limerick in 1567. He was heir of the then Knight, and legend has it that his mother seized his severed head and drank his blood before carrying his dismembered body to Lislaughtin Abbey!.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]One of the Knights of Glin’s castles, in Glin, Co. Limerick, was dramatically besieged by Elizabeth’s forces in July 1600, during the uprising of the ‘Sugán’ or ‘Straw’ Earl of Desmond. Before the siege Sir George Carew captured the Knight’s six-year-old son, tied him to the mouth of a cannon, and threatened to blow him to pieces unless the Knight did not surrender. The Knight replied bluntly that he was virile and his wife was strong and it would be easy to produce another son.’ The ruin of this castle still stands in Glin. See Glin Castle below.[/FONT]

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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Glin Castle
The old castle ruins consist of a massive square tower on a rock, in the bed of a small river, close to its junction with the Shannon. Near it is an ancient bridge, where the only pass over the river was situated, which the castle was most probably built to protect. There are numerous ancient forts in the various parts of the parish, five of which are within the demesne of Glin Castle.
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Glin Castle, home to the 29th Knight of Glin, has been in the FitzGerald family for over 700 years. Situated 32 miles west of Limerick city on the banks of the Shannon River on a 500 acre estate, it is one of the last of the great houses to still be lived in by the original family. Glin Castle has superb interiors with neo classical plasterwork, a rare flying staircase, and reportedly the best collection of Irish 18th century furniture, pictures, and porcelain in private hands.
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]http://www.freewebs.com/glinvillage/History of Glin.htm
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JMSE

Condolences to his family.

I find this fascinating, a direct patriarchal blood link right back through the centuries to the original Normans who arrived in the 12 century. And still living on the same land! I've passed that castle many times going from Limerick to Tarbert and always had a snigger as I passed the gate/folly. Its built large enough and in the style of a typical castle gate with the usual defensive qualites yet on both sides theres a 4 foot wall running away from it. I presume there was a higher wall long ago but now it looks funny. I never for once thought that the Geraldines were still living there.

CDfm

Geraldines - who would have thought it.

I read somewhere that the proper form of address was Knight and not "Sir" so was it like a titular barony or were there letters patent or a grant with the title.

These titles are a bit of heritage and they dont bother me

Siege of Glin Castle - extract from The Pacat

Map of Glin Castle

Enlarge image
Extract from The Pacata Hibernia - or a history of the wars in Ireland during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. First published London 1633.
The siege of Glynne July 1600

'The next day, when wee looked that the cannon should begin to play, the Cannonniere found the Peece to be cloyed, all the art and skill which either the Smith, or himselfe could or did use, prevailed nothing. The President (who is a man that knowes well to manage great Artillery) commanded that the peece upon her carriage (as she was) should be abased at the tayle, and elevated at the musle, as high as it might bee: then he willed the Gunner to giue her a full charge of powder, roule a shott after it, and to giue fire at the mouth, whereby the touch-hole was presently cleared, to the great rejoicing of the Armie, which of necessitie in attempting the Castle (without the favour of the Cannon) must haue endured great losse.

This particular I thought good not to omitt, because it may be an instruction to others, whensoever the like accident should happen. The Peece being thus cleared, the President having the Knight of the Valleyes eldest sonne, ( a child of six years olde) in his hands, to terrifie the Warders, hee caused the child to be set upon the top of one of the Gabions, sending them word, That they should haue a faire marke to bestow their small shott upon: The Constable returned answere, That the feare of his life should not make them to forbeare to direct their Volleys of shot to the batterie: for said he ( in undecent termes not fit for me to write ) the place is open where he was borne, and the Knight may haue more sonnes.

The President not intending (as hee seemed) caused the Infant to be taken downe from the Gabion, knowing that the discharging of the Cannon would haue shaken the poore childes bones in sunder, and then presently hee commanded the battery to begin, and the small shott did so incessantly burne powder, as the Warders durst not stand to their fight, until a breach was made assaultable into the Seller under the great Hall of the Castle: all this was done with the losse of one onely man, a Cannoniere'.


http://www.askaboutireland.ie/reading-room/history-heritage/big-houses-of-ireland/glin-castle-co.-limerick/siege-of-glin-castle-extr/

For the Irish version here is the link

http://www.askaboutireland.ie/reading-room/history-heritage/big-houses-of-ireland/glin-castle-co.-limerick/folk-traditions-of-the-kn/

JMSE

"The President not intending (as hee seemed) caused the Infant to be taken downe from the Gabion, knowing that the discharging of the Cannon would haue shaken the poore childes bones in sunder"

Meanwhile up in Ulster, Chichester was singing from a different hymnsheet, murdering women and children.

CDfm

JMSE wrote: »

Meanwhile up in Ulster, Chichester was singing from a different hymnsheet, murdering women and children.

Really, but wasn't this one of the English vs the Anglo-Norman battles.

Descended from Norman's myself, as it happen's, but there is some confusion over who we should cheer for.

No disrespect to the late Knight is intended, but, his family background as survivors for 700 years is worthy of a thread.

JMSE

No not English v AngloNorman, English v Gaelic Irish, no Old English involved, I'll have to check where I read that.........

JMSE

Aha CDfm I now realise after re-reading your last post, that you were referring to the Glin battle.

CDfm

JMSE wrote: »

Aha CDfm I now realise after re-reading your last post, that you were referring to the Glin battle.

And that was after reading Bannasidhe that I thought well the Knights of Glin/Geraldines/Fitzgeralds were these people so -some extracts below

The orthodox historiography likes to focus on Mac Murchada, Strongbow and the 'foolishness' of Ruadhrí Uí Conchobhair but privileges English sources over the Gaelic ones. For example, The New History of Ireland refers to the de Burgh earls of Ulster (and 'Lords of Connacht') as being in control of Connacht and the Uí Conchobhair's as a spent force - yet even a cursory reading of the Annals tells the opposite tale. On at least 3 occasions the Red Earl of Ulster bravely ran away when confronted with Uí Conchobhair power. The de Burgh's who did later acquire control of much of Connacht were the Gaelicised á Búrcs - the products of continual intermarriages with the Uí Briains of Thomond (Galway Burkes) and the Uí Máilles of Umhall and Uí Flaithbhertaighs of Iar Chonnacht (Mayo Bourkes).

When we get to the Early Modern period Hugh O Neill is portrayed as the uncrowned king who valiantly tried to stem the Tudor tide - in fact he was loyal to the crown for most of his life and 'rebelled' only when he fell out of favour with Elizabeth (see Hiram Morgan's Tyrone's War)...
At the Irish parliament held in the 1540s to declare Henry VIII King of Ireland (first time the island was 'officially' a united country) James Butler had to translate the relevant Act into Irish for the assembled 'English' nobles.

Battle of the Boyne? A Dutch prince fought his half Scottish/half French father-in-law for the throne of England...

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=74014316&postcount=63

And

Don't assume an Irish name means Catholic - many Irish 'converted' when they submitted- the best example being the O'Briens earls of Thomond who were Anglican and one can't get more Irish then the descendants of Boru!

Race is often brought into this when, in fact, the concept of 'race' as we know it was only beginning to develop and didn't really start to be a major issue until much later. The main issues of contention then were religion and culture. In Ireland under the Tudors Culture was the main thing with far more emphasis being placed on the annihilation of Gaelic culture then on religious conversion.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=74040541&postcount=102

A kind of a H&H mini-series over the main events of 700 years.

paul71

It is rather confusing tracking the different branches of the Fitzgerald family, living in Maynooth I have always associated the name with the Earls of Kildare rather than the Desmond part of the family. The last desendant of the Earls of Kildare, (Gearoid Mor, Gearoid Og, and Silken Thomas) is still alive, sadly his son died in his 20s in car accident about 15 years ago.

CDfm

paul71 wrote: »

It is rather confusing tracking the different branches of the Fitzgerald family, living in Maynooth I have always associated the name with the Earls of Kildare rather than the Desmond part of the family. The last desendant of the Earls of Kildare, (Gearoid Mor, Gearoid Og, and Silken Thomas) is still alive, sadly his son died in his 20s in car accident about 15 years ago.

Yes and Lord Edward Fitzgerald was a member of that family.

Interesting though that the current Duke was married to one of the McMurrough-Kavanaghs -those who invited Strongbow over.

I know this cos a relative of mine had a dispute with the 8th Duke.

paul71

CDfm wrote: »

Interesting though that the current Duke was married to one of the McMurrough-Kavanaghs -those who invited Strongbow over.

Thanks, that I did not know! Makes them relatives of George W. Bush.

CDfm

paul71 wrote: »

Thanks, that I did not know! Makes them relatives of George W. Bush.

Cousin Michael would not be impressed by that .

I wonder if there is a political timeline that could be used to plot the main events over what these families had to do to survive.

A sort of Anglo Irish Ascendency Map or Guide to the 700 years.

paul71

CDfm wrote: »

Cousin Michael would not be impressed by that .

I wonder if there is a political timeline that could be used to plot the main events over what these families had to do to survive.

A sort of Anglo Irish Ascendency Map or Guide to the 700 years.

It would be interesting, not just the Norman lords but the gealic lords, many of them intermarried with the Normans, some faded to poverty, indeed I know a desendant of Grainne O'Malley, nice family but you would not think they are Gealic royalty. There is a branch of the O'Neills running a vineyard in Spain for a few hundred years.

CDfm

We had a thread a while back on peerages

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056088122

JMSE

I saw yesterday when I passed the Glin castle mentioned above, that they are flying a white flag with red cross (diagonal crossed) at half mast. Whats that flag does anyone know?

paul71

JMSE wrote: »

I saw yesterday when I passed the Glin castle mentioned above, that they are flying a white flag with red cross (diagonal crossed) at half mast. Whats that flag does anyone know?

Sounds like St. Patricks Cross.

The Union Jack is made up of The St. George Cross for England, St. Andrews for Scotland, St. Patricks cross for Ireland, and the flag of Wales the name of which has slipped my mind for the moment.


Edit: Wales is actually not represented on the Union Jack.

Glin Man

hi
i'm from glin myself so as i was reading your comments i decided to register!
Firstly just was to say how sorry i was to hear that the knight passed away.
he was a lovely man and has left behind a lovely family and i know they'l miss him but so will all the people of glin.

the flag is the Fitzgerald family flag as far as i am aware. at least that's what i've always thought.

Simarillion

Glin Man is quite right, the flag flying is not that of St Patricks Cross, but is part of the coat of arms of the Fitzgerald family.

Condolences to the Fitzgeralds, the death of the Knight of Glin is a great loss to history and heritage in this country, but he leaves an amazing and wonderful legacy in the work he has done.

CDfm

Glin Man wrote: »

hi
i'm from glin myself so as i was reading your comments i decided to register! .

Welcome, and its nice to see you here.

I have tried a few threads before on people on the periphery , such as John Jinks TD,

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056064820

The Knight was very enthusiastic about his history, and of course, the families establishment and survival is Irish history in micro.

Where would you start ?

EDIT - found something

The Knights' Tale
Published on Friday 13 November 2009 12:29

Over seven centuries the various Knights of Glin were 'pugnacious, obsequious, rebellious, desperate, upstanding, debauched, broke, imperious, cruel, far-seeing, stupid and kind'...now their colourful history is revealed in a new book that has just been launched

IT is very much a local product, says Desmond FitzGerald, Knight of Glin of the book he has waited, and wanted, to write for most of his life.

Called "The Knights of Glin: Seven Centuries of Change", it is his, collective, attempt at capturing the essence of what his forebears stood for, good and bad, what they did and failed to do. It is a big, blocky broth of a book, caught between memoir and history, conflicted sometimes between scholarship and story. But it works.

This is who we were, warts and all, the book seems to say. Live with it. It's your story too.

And that is perhaps the whole glory of it. While it traces the FitzGerald family history – (yes, yes, sometimes yawningly) - what is most vivid is the fact that that history is woven into the fabric of the history of Limerick, the history of West Limerick more particularly but always against the context of Irish and, even, world history.

"The idea of tracing the history of a country through the fortunes and vicissitudes and local history of one family is not new," says Roy Foster, the venerable Professor of History at the University of Oxford in the foreword to the book.

"Irish history," he goes on, "might look rather different if there were more books like this one and if there were more Irishmen like the 29th Knight of Glin."

Right on! That's our Desmond – No. 29 – the man who awkwardly but happily led the celebratory parade in his homeplace of Glin when they got a new playground this summer. It's the same man who can talk, and with authority, and who has talked, and with authority, to historians, archivists, artists, archaeologists, gardeners, builders, experts of all kinds, about his world view. And his Glin view.

But there is another great thunk to this book. After Desmond, 29th Knight of Glin, the title dies. It can only continue through the male line and there is no son or nephew to take on the title. The family line lives on - quite vigorously in fact – through Desmond's three daughters and their children, but the title is doomed.

For that reason, if for no other, the book is important.

"I had the idea of doing a book like this since I was quite young," Desmond says. Early in his life, he became acquainted with fellow Glin man, Thomas A Culhane who had a wealth of historical knowledge about the Knights of Glin but who emigrated to Australia in 1927.

"I used to correspond with him when I was a student," says Desmond. From there, he continued to probe, to investigate, to try to piece it all together – not just in time, but in terms of ideas, influences and people. He made friends with a pharmacist in Limerick who put him on the right road –and he delved into dusty, fusty copies of the Limerick Chronicle "heaped up" on the top floor of the Limerick Leader building in the city.

Desmond was hungry for knowledge. But in the beginning, it seemed there was little to go on. Much, if not all, of the family papers had gone up in flames in some previous generation. A lot more of the family inheritance had been sold off to satisfy the demands of dunning sheriffs. He was left with small farings. But nonetheless, he kept digging, searching, delving.

My ancestors, he is quoted, somewhere, as concluding were an "improvident, wild and woolly lot who spent a lot of money".

A lesser man might have given up – or at least gone to ground – on the strength of that conclusion But Desmond FitzGerald has no problem being honest.

The Knights of Glin, if the book is to be believed, were a random lot. They were, at different times over seven centuries, pugnacious, obsequious, rebellious, desperate, upstanding, debauched, broke, imperious, cruel, far-seeing, stupid and kind.

Mostly, they reflected their times. Sometimes, they were ahead of their times. One Knight was prepared to sacrifice his son as cannon fodder. Another died from cholera caught while helping the destitute in a workhouse. There was a smuggling Knight and another who was notorious as Ridire na mBan, because of his numerous affairs.

The book chronicles all this – the wars and the intrigues, the arranged marriages and the love-marriages, the affairs and the elopements, the gambling and the rehabilitation, the profligates and the moneymakers, the artists and the gardeners. Through seven centuries and 28 previous Knights, the book tells a story of adventurism and opportunism, perfidy and loyalty, treason and rebellion, all shot through with human frailty.

These stories are not always told in the liveliest of fashion – but the fact remains that if the story were written in novel form, it would probably be a block-buster.

Desmond FitzGerald has a somewhat simpler take. "I think these stories have to be told, warts and all,"he says quietly, simply.

It is also, as Tom Donovan, editor and midwife to the book, explains, a story of survival.

"No one person could have written this," declares Tom. In bringing it into being, the book has called up a meitheal of scholars, each illustrating different aspects of the story through seven centuries – and all neatly chaptered.

But none better than Tom's own chapters – particularly those where he tells the story of Glin's evolution as a village or the up-close-and-personal account of four Knights in a row.

Desmond FitzGerald is right when he says: "If you can do it on a local level, it can be more telling than the main storyline of major history. The fact it is so local is, I think, its interest."

But the stories in this book, if we have ears to hear, eyes to read and mind to understand, tell us that history is not as simple as we may have thought.

The different sections of the book were written, in the main, by local academics and historians along with contributions from the Knight himself and his wife, Olda.

It was edited by Glin man and local historian, Tom Donovan, laid-out by Fitzsimons of Shanagolden and printed in North Kerry and it will be launched in the County Council's Lissanalta House in Dooradoyle this Thursday evening.

The Dublin launch with broadcaster Vincent Browne takes place in the Royal Irish Academy this Wednesday – and there will be a Glin launch in Glin Castle on Saturday night.

A beautifully produced, elegant book, sumptuously illustrated, it is, most definitely, one for the bookcase – and for posterity.

http://www.limerickleader.ie/news/local/the_knights_tale_1_2190591

And here is a link to the Glin Papers held at UL - a 3 or 400 page catalogue

http://www2.ul.ie/pdf/849950328.pdf

Nhead

The cross is the cross of the Fitzgerald's their crest also has a monkey. You can see the monkey on Maynooth Castle. The coat of arms of the Dukes of Leinster derives from the legend that John FitzGerald, 1st Earl of Kildare, as a baby in Woodstock Castle, was trapped in a fire when a monkey rescued him. The FitzGeralds then adopted a monkey as their crest (and later supporters) and occasionally use the additional motto Non immemor beneficii (Not forgetful of a helping hand).

CDfm

Here is a description of the the KoG's from the Landed Estates Database

The Knight of Glin is a title which has been in existence for six centuries, borne by a branch of the Fitzgerald family who have been settled at Glin, county Limerick since the 14th century. In the 19th century the estate of the Knight of Glin was in the parish of Kilfergus, barony of Shanid, county Limerick and it amounted to 5,268 acres in the 1870s. At the same time the Reverend Richard Fitzgerald of Ballydonohue owned 403 acres. In the early 1840s William O'Leary was agent to the Glin estate. The Compton interest in the lands of Glin and other county Limerick lands was advertised for sale in March 1852. The Fitzgeralds still reside at Glin and Desmond Fitzgerald the 29th Knight of Glin is a well known authority on the Irish county house and its contents. Some estate papers are now in the University of Limerick but most of the family archives were destroyed in 1860.

The links gives details of the estate's and the family connections.

http://www.landedestates.ie/LandedEstates/jsp/estate-show.jsp?id=2157

http://www.landedestates.ie/LandedEstates/jsp/family-show.jsp?id=2160

JMSE

An estate amounting to 5,268 acres in 1870 does point however to the fact that these 'noble' families were on the fortunate side of an extremely unbalanced land distribution. No wonder the Land League was born in these conditions.

CDfm

JMSE wrote: »

An estate amounting to 5,268 acres in 1870 does point however to the fact that these 'noble' families were on the fortunate side of an extremely unbalanced land distribution. No wonder the Land League was born in these conditions.

Thats all very well.

But how did they get it and hang on to it for soo long.What were they like as landowners ???

CDfm

Some detail on the Knights funeral

IN the same tradition as his father and grandfather, a 100-year-old horse-drawn cart was used to carry the last Knight of Glin, Desmond FitzGerald, to his final resting place.............

Shortly after 2pm, the coffin was carried from Glin Castle to the waiting cart. The red cart was decorated on either side with ivy from the gardens and was driven by John 'Bosco' McMahon (66), of Lisselton, Co Kerry.
It was Mr FitzGerald's wish that he be brought to the church and grave by cart, in the same fashion as the 28th and 27th Knights of Glin.
He was the first and last knight to have his funeral celebrated in the local Catholic church, having donated the nearby Church of Ireland to Glin Development Association. It is now a Church of Ireland educational facility.
Uilleann piper Ronan Browne performed a lament, 'The Chulainn', as the oak coffin was lifted on to the shoulders of his staff and brought inside. Pall-bearers included the knight's son-in-law, actor Dominic West. Just a year ago, West was married to Catherine FitzGerald at the same church.


http://www.independent.ie/national-news/family-and-friends-remember-true-patriot-as-knight-of-glin-laid-to-rest-2887241.html

InTheTrees

RIP. I met him once. A really nice man.

Its very sad to see the end of the line too.

CDfm

InTheTrees wrote: »

RIP. I met him once. A really nice man.

Its very sad to see the end of the line too.

I don't understand how it is the end of the line.

It was not like a lordship , more like a titular/courtesy title, and he was called Mr or Knight and not Sir.

What is the basis for the title ???

EDIT - found something

Sir John fitz John, 1st Knight of Glin1
M, #190776

Last Edited=20 Sep 2009
Sir John fitz John, 1st Knight of Glin was born illegitimately.1 He married unknown Giles in 1260.3
Traditionally hiis mother was the wife of O'Coileáin.1 Sir John fitz John, 1st Knight of Glin also went by the nick-name of 'Sean mor na Surzainge' (or in English, of the girdle).3 He is the son of John fitz Thomas.2 Circa 1260 he held the lands and probably built the castles at Glyn and Beagh.3 In 1307 he had commisioned to capture certain outlaws.3 He was created 1st Knight of Glin either created by King Edward III after the Battle of Halidon Hill, or by virute of his father's status as a Count Palatine on 19 July 1333.1

http://thepeerage.com/p19078.htm#i190776

If you follow the links you will find a lot of Irish/gaelic inter-marriage by the Knights .

InTheTrees

Its funny really that the origin of the "title" is not clear, and its an unusual title anyway. It sounds like one of those Scottish lairdships that is attached to property.

I wonder if the College of Arms knows more?

CDfm

InTheTrees wrote: »

Its funny really that the origin of the "title" is not clear, and its an unusual title anyway. It sounds like one of those Scottish lairdships that is attached to property.

I wonder if the College of Arms knows more?

It does doesn't it.

Are you able to find out more ???

InTheTrees

CDfm wrote: »

It does doesn't it.

Are you able to find out more ???

I wasnt. But I only dipped briefly into the College of Arms website, and didnt find anything.

CDfm

InTheTrees wrote: »

I wasnt. But I only dipped briefly into the College of Arms website, and didnt find anything.

It is some type of Hereditary knighthood but is not a peerage.

The Knight of Kerry is a Baronet but that was a hereditary title post 1600 and the Knights of Glin were never made baronets.

http://www.burkespeerage.com/articles/peerage/page66-knight.aspx

ejmaztec

I see that the late knight's son-in-law, Dominic West from The Wire, was one of the orators.

http://www.kerryman.ie/news/last-knight-of-glin-laid-to-rest-2890755.html

IN moving scenes that will be remembered for many years to come, the last Knight of Glin, Desmond John Villiers FitzGerald, was laid to rest in his beloved Glin on Sunday afternoon, bringing to an end the 700-year-old, unbroken knighthood.
Just like his father and grandfather before him, the 29th Knight of Glin was taken to his final resting place by humble horse and cart, where more than 800 people gathered to say a fond farewell.
The understated red cart — which was crafted in Listowel over 100 years ago — was decorated on either side with ivy from the gardens of Glin Castle. It was driven by Lisselton native, John McMahon, while fellow Kerryman, Martin Kennedy of Asdee, led the cart to the burial site.
Mr Fitzgerald was the first knight to have his funeral mass celebrated in the local Catholic church, having donated the nearby Church of Ireland to Glin Development Association which now uses it as a Church of Ireland educational facility.
During the ceremony, Archdeacon of Limerick, Ardfert and Aghadoe, Robert Warren described the knight as an integral part of the local community and his death as the end of an era.
"I know that for many, titles can well be anachronistic in our modern-day life, but for those who have been privileged to share in those titles and in those lives, there is a sense of continuity. When a line such as the Knight of Glin comes to an end because of our rules of inheritance, there is of course sadness," he said.
After poems from the Knight's daughters Honor and Catherine, and son-in-law, actor Dominick West, Trinity College art history professor, Dr Edward McParland, recalled a man whose life revolved around his beloved Glin.
"Everything in his life centred on Glin and on his life here. It was from Glin that radiated out those passionate commitments which embraced the whole of Ireland. For this most cosmopolitan man, Ireland was the centre of the world and Glin was the centre of Ireland," he told mourners.
Among the mourners were the Countess of Dunraven and her daughter Lady Ana, Guinness heir The Honourable Garech Browne, Desmond and Penny Guinness, Sir Jack Leslie of Castle Leslie, The Earl and Countess of Rosse, Lord and Lady Waterford and close friend, Arts Minister Jimmy Deenihan.
Staff from the castle including gardeners Tom Wall and Bill Noonan also acted as pallbearers along with farmer Patsy Connolly, maintenance worker Leo Healy and publican Tom O'Shaughnessy.
- MARISA REIDY mreidy@kerryman.ie

theaceofspies

Never met the man but have read a bit about him. I would agree that he was indeed a patriot - something very rare in "Ireland" today. In many ways he was the opposite to our "Gombeen Fianna Fail Culture" and one can see alone from his funeral that the man had class. "What profit a man if he gaineth the world but forfeit his soul". May he rest in Peace and God grant us more men like him.