The FitzGerald dynasty — known collectively as the Geraldines — were at the height of their power arguably the most formidable lordship in Ireland. Descended from Maurice FitzGerald, one of the original Norman adventurers who arrived with Strongbow in 1169, the FitzGeralds split into two great branches across the medieval centuries: the earls of Kildare in Leinster and the earls of Desmond in Munster. Between them, these two branches built, held, and contested castles across a vast swathe of Ireland — from the Pale around Dublin to the furthest peninsulas of Kerry — and their castle heritage is among the most extensive of any dynasty in Irish history.
What Castles Did the FitzGerald Clan Own?
The FitzGerald castle portfolio split broadly between the Kildare and Desmond branches. The earls of Kildare held Maynooth Castle as their principal seat, along with Kilkea Castle in south Kildare, Lea Castle on the Laois border, and a network of lesser strongholds across Leinster. The earls of Desmond held Desmond Castle at Adare in Limerick, Askeaton Castle on the River Deel, Castleisland in Kerry, and a range of further strongholds across Munster. Together these castles represented the physical infrastructure of the most powerful Anglo-Norman lordship in Ireland. The full heritage of the FitzGerald family is explored at the FitzGerald surname heritage page.
What Was Maynooth Castle and Why Was It the Seat of the Earls of Kildare?
Maynooth Castle in County Kildare was the principal stronghold of the FitzGerald earls of Kildare — the branch of the dynasty that rose to near-royal power in Ireland at the end of the fifteenth century. At the height of their influence in the 1490s and early 1500s, the earls of Kildare were the effective rulers of Ireland, their control of the Irish Parliament and the Dublin administration giving them a power that dwarfed that of any other lord on the island. Maynooth was the seat from which they exercised this authority, and it was a substantial castle — a great tower keep surrounded by a curtain wall and supported by multiple towers. The castle was demolished in 1647, but the ruins of the keep and parts of the curtain wall survive in the town of Maynooth today, accessible as a heritage site.
What Was the Significance of Kilkea Castle?
Kilkea Castle in south County Kildare is one of the oldest continuously inhabited castles in Ireland and was a significant stronghold of the FitzGerald earls of Kildare from the medieval period. The castle is associated with Gearóid Mór, the eighth Earl of Kildare, one of the most powerful figures in late medieval Ireland. Historical tradition holds that Gearóid Mór did not die but sleeps beneath a nearby lake, to return in Ireland's hour of need — a legend that placed him in the same mythological category as Arthur of Britain and Fionn Mac Cumhaill of the Fenian cycle. Kilkea Castle is now a hotel and has been substantially altered from its medieval form, but it retains elements of the original FitzGerald stronghold.
What Was the Silken Thomas Rebellion and What Did It Mean for the FitzGerald Castles?
The Silken Thomas Rebellion of 1534 to 1535 was a decisive turning point in FitzGerald history. Thomas FitzGerald — Lord Offaly, son of the ninth Earl of Kildare — renounced his allegiance to Henry VIII in a dramatic ceremony in Dublin and launched a rebellion that he hoped would overturn Tudor authority in Ireland. The rebellion failed; Maynooth Castle was besieged and taken by Crown forces in 1535 in what became known as the Maynooth Pardon — a promise of clemency that was not honoured — and Thomas and five of his uncles were subsequently executed in London in 1537. The destruction of the Kildare FitzGerald power was a watershed moment in Irish history, ending the period of near-autonomous Geraldine rule and opening the way for direct Tudor administration of Ireland.
What Was the FitzGerald Castle Heritage in Munster?
The Desmond branch of the FitzGeralds built extensively across Limerick, Kerry, and Cork, and their castle portfolio in Munster was extensive. Adare Castle — known as Desmond Castle — stands in the village of Adare in County Limerick and is one of the most photogenic castle ruins in Ireland, set against the River Maigue. Askeaton Castle on the River Deel in Limerick was the principal seat of the Desmond earls in the later medieval period, its great hall still standing as one of the finest medieval hall ruins in the country. The Desmond earls were eventually destroyed by the Munster Plantation following their rebellion in the 1560s and 1570s, their enormous Munster estate confiscated and redistributed to English settlers. The Walsh family, one of the great Norman-Irish families of Leinster and Munster, are explored at the Walsh surname heritage page.
What FitzGerald Castle Heritage Survives Today?
The FitzGerald castle legacy is visible across Leinster and Munster in varying states of preservation. Maynooth Castle is partially ruined but accessible. Kilkea Castle operates as a hotel. Adare Castle is a substantial ruin within the village of Adare. Askeaton Castle's great hall is one of the most impressive medieval ruins in Limerick. The landscape of Kildare, Limerick, and Kerry carries dozens of further FitzGerald-associated strongholds in various states of preservation, each a physical marker of the dynasty's extraordinary reach across the medieval centuries.
If you are proud of your FitzGerald heritage or your roots in Kildare, Limerick, or Kerry, Celtic Ancestry Gifts carries heritage gifts for the FitzGerald name and hundreds of other Irish surnames — woven blankets, mugs, and home decor for families celebrating their Geraldine heritage. Use the search bar on our homepage to find your family name.
