History of Kinsalebeg
Piaras Mac Gearailt

Introduction

Rosc Catha na Mumhan or The Battle Cry of Munster is a very famous war song which was written over 250 years ago but which is still alive and recorded regularly by a range of individuals and musical groups including the Chieftains, Wolf Tones and Relativity. Many people will be familiar with the song but may not be aware that the song was written by the famous 18th century Gaelic poet Piaras Mac Gearailt aka Pierce FitzGerald (c. 1709-1795) who lived in Kilmaloo Kinsalebeg for a period of his life and died in the townland of Lackendarra in the parish of Kinsalebeg Co Waterford.  Piaras Mac Gearailt was a highly regarded poet and was widely considered to be one of the most influential of the Jacobite and Deiseach poets of the 18th century. Over fifty of his poems survive to the present day but the most famous of these is undoubtedly the Munster war song Rosc Catha na Mumhan.  Piaras Mac Gearailt was actually born in the townland of Ballykenneally aka Ballykinealy in the parish of Kilmacdonagh in Ballymacoda near Youghal around 1709 but lived a large part of his life in Kilmaloo, Kinsalebeg Co Waterford and some of his immediate family are buried in the graveyard of Kinsalebeg Church near Ferrypoint.  Rev. P. Power refers to the placename of “Gáirdín Phiarais” in Kilmaloo in his book “The Place-Names of Decies1” published originally in 1907. He describes it as: ”Gáirdín Phiarais:- “Pierce’s Garden”; so named from Pierce FitzGerald, the poet, who, according to local tradition, lived here for a period.”  

Piaras Mac Gearailt immediate family

The exact birth date of Piaras Mac Gearailt is not clear but is believed to be in 1709. He was born in the townland of Ballykenneally in the parish of Kilmacdonogh, Ballymacoda Co Cork and his parents were Michael FitzGerald Senior and Mary Power. The house where he was born is not the present day Ballykennealy House but an old house on the same site which later became an outhouse of Ballykenneally House and is still in existence. Records indicate that the present day Ballykenneally House was built in the early part of the 19th century which would have been after the death of Piaras Mac Gearailt. Some of these records indicate that the house was a rectory or glebe at some stage in the early years but we have no verification of this and members of the FitzGerald family were resident in Ballykenneally throughout this period. Piaras was the fourth of five sons in the family namely Redmond, Michael Junior, Gerald, Piaras aka Pierce and Martin. He had two sisters namely Grace and Eliza. Piaras’s brothers were all apparently educated in Spanish Colleges and it is assumed that he was also educated there but there is no reference to Spain in any of his writings which were mainly in Irish, English and some Latin. There are a number of references indicating that Piaras’s father and uncle were involved in wine smuggling between Ireland and Spain. This was really a continuation of a family tradition stretching back over the centuries which seemed to incorporate a combination of legitimate trade, smuggling and a sprinkling of piracy. Redmond was the eldest son in the family but he had apparently fallen out of favour with his father due to his extravagant lifestyle.  Redmond was cut off from any inheritance in his father’s will with the exception of three pounds “in clothes or horseflesh”. This will was not proved until 1736 which meant that Redmond did not even receive this meagre benefit as he had died in 1722. Piaras’s sister Grace FitzGerald died of smallpox in 1722, which was also the year that Redmond died, and Piaras wrote a sensitive elegy on the death of his siblings.

Michael FitzGerald Senior made his last will on 29th June 1722 but the will was not proven until the 17th July 1736 when the estate was left to the eldest surviving son Michael Junior.  Michael Senior’s wife Mary FitzGerald nee Power died on the 6th February 1753 having made her will on 26th December 1752. Michael Junior died in Spain in 1753 and was buried at Cadiz and his brother Gerald died the same year in Ballykenneally. This left Piaras as the eldest surviving brother and he inherited the family estate in 1753 which at this stage was confined mainly to lands in Ballykenneally in Ballymacoda Co Cork. The only other surviving brother at this time was the youngest brother Martin.

Piaras Mac Gearailt firstly married Kathleen FitzGibbon who was a daughter of Gibbon FitzGibbon and Anastacia Ronayne.  Piaras Mac Gearailt’s mother Mary Power and Kathleen FitzGibbons’s mother Anastasia Ronayne were daughters of Grace Osborne by separate marriages as we have outlined elsewhere.  Piaras Mac Gearailt’s first wife Kathleen died shortly after their marriage, possibly in childbirth. A relatively short period afterwards, in 1755, he married Elizabeth Lawlor who was a daughter of Robert and May Lawlor of Lackendarra in Kinsalebeg Co Waterford. Piaras Mac Gearailt was believed to have a home in Kilmalloo, Kinsalebeg at this stage of his life but also maintained the old family residence in Ballykenneally. The latter years of his life appeared to be mainly in Kilmaloo and he died in nearby Lackendarra in 1791 at the home of his in-laws the Lawlors. Piaras and Elizabeth Mac Gearailt nee Lawlor had at least two sons, Michael & Richard, and three daughters namely Mary, Grace & Ellen.

Parentage of Piaras Mac Gearailt

Piaras Mac Gearailt’s mother was Mary Power of Knockalahara, Kilmolash Co. Waterford who was a daughter of Pierce Power of Knockalahara and Grace Osborne. Pierce Power’s father was also named Pierce Power of Knockalahara. Grace Osborne was a daughter of Nicholas Osborne who in turn was a son of Sir Richard Osborne 1st Baronet of Ballintaylor and Ballylemon in Co Waterford. She was a sister of Sir Thomas Osborne, 5th Baronet of Tickenor Co Waterford, and was a formidable woman. She allegededly put a gun to the head of the Catholic priest who attended her husband Pierce when he was dying in 1701 as she did not approve of the Catholic religion. Grace Osborne was married three times and her first husband was John Stout of Youghal who died around 1656. Her second husband was Pierce Power of Knockalahara and from this marriage was born Mary Power. Mary Power married Michael FitzGerald and one of their sons was the poet Piaras Mac Gearailt. Grace Osborne thirdly and finally married Philip FitzJames Ronayne and from this marriage was born Anastacia Ronayne. Anastacia Ronayne married Gibbon FitzGibbon and from this marriage was born Katherine FitzGibbon who was the first wife of Piaras Mac Gearailt.  Grace Osborne was therefore a grandmother of Piaras Mac Gearailt and she was also a grandmother of his first wife Kathleen FitzGibbon as a result of her marriages to Pierce Power and Philip FitzJames Ronayne respectively.

Piaras Mac Gearailt’s father was Michael FitzGerald Senior aka Michael Mac Redmond FitzGerald and his ancestors on his father’s side had land & property in Ballycrenane near Ballymacoda but lost most of their property as a result of the Desmond rebellions between 1569 and 1583. The Desmond rebellions were led by Gerald FitzGerald, Earl of Desmond, who was head of the FitzGerald dynasty in Munster. Gerald FitzGerald and his followers, the Geraldines, together with their allies started the rebellion to prevent the threat of the extension of the Elizabethan English government rule over the province of Munster. They were ultimately defeated resulting in the obliteration of the Desmond dynasty in Munster and led to the widespread plantation of Munster by English settlers. The movement of the Ballycrenane FitzGeralds to Ballykenneally resulted from their involvement in the Desmond rebellion. 

Family Tree of Piaras Mac Gearailt

The following FitzGerald or Mac Gearailt family tree is derived from information gleaned from multiple sources including letters, wills, deeds, journals, church registers, books, other family trees etc. These sources are not always authenticated and therefore the family tree, like many family trees, should be treated with an element of caution. Details of the children of Piaras Mac Gearailt, for example, are largely derived from names listed in various and deeds and court cases but also from an 1852 letter written by Eliza Corcoran to Grace Pollock, both descendants of Piaras Mac Gearailt. This letter is part of the Wilkes family history and there is no reason to query its authenticity but like many other historical sources there are no corroborating data sources. This family tree covers nine generations from John FitzRedmond FitzGerald, great great great grandfather of Piaras Mac Gearailt, to the great great grandchildren of Piaras Mac Gearailt.   Each change in number indicates another generation and the plus (+) symbol indicates the spouse of the preceding person.

Nine generations from John FitzRedmond FitzGerald onwards:

..... 1  John FitzRedmond FitzGerald

........... 2  Redmond FitzJohn FitzGerald

................. 3  John FitzRedmond FitzGerald

....................... 4  Redmond Fitzgerald

............................. 5 Michael "Michael the 1st or Michael Senior" FitzGerald ( - 1722) d: Abt. 29 Jun 1722

.............................  + Mary Power ( - 1753) d: 06 Feb 1753

................................... 6  Redmond FitzGerald ( - 1722) d: Abt. 1722 in Cadiz Spain

................................... 6  Michael "Michael the 2nd or Junior" FitzGerald ( - 1753)

d: Bef. 1753 in Spain

................................... 6 Gerald "Garrett" FitzGerald ( - 1753) d: Bef. 1753 in Ballykenneally Ballymacoda Co Cork

................................... 6 Pierce FitzGerald (1709 - 1791) b: Abt. 1709 in Ballykenneally, Ballymacoda Co Cork, d: 1791 in Kilmaloo or Lackendarra, Kinsalebeg Co Waterford

...................................  + Katherine FitzGibbon m: Abt. 1753

...................................  + Elizabeth Lawlor m: Abt. 1755

......................................... 7 Michael "Michael the 3rd or Michael the Elder" FitzGerald ( - 1810) d: 02 Aug 1810

.........................................  + Mary Maher

............................................... 8 Michael "Michael the 4th or Michael the Younger" FitzGerald ( - 1845) d: Abt. 1845

...............................................  + Mary McGrath b: Grange Co Waterford, m: Abt. 1803

..................................................... 9 Michael Joseph "M.J. or Michael the 5th" FitzGerald (1818 - 1902) b: 10 Aug 1818, d: 13 Jan 1902 in Ballykenneally Ballymacoda Co Cork

.....................................................  + Catherine FitzGeraldnee (1852 - 1908) b: Abt. 1852,

d: Aft. 1908

..................................................... 9  John FitzGerald (1818 - ) b: Bef. 1818

........................................................... 10  FitzRedmond FitzGerald (1842 - ) b: Abt. 1842

........................................................... 10  John FitzGerald (1848 - ) b: Abt. 1848

............................................... 8  Mary Anne FitzGerald

............................................... 8  John FitzGerald ( - 1861) d: Bef. 1861

..................................................... 9  Michael "Michael the 6th" FitzGerald (1831 - )

 b: Abt. 1831

............................................... 8  William FitzGerald ( - 1861) d: Bef. 1861

..................................................... 9  Michael "Michael the 7th" FitzGerald (1822 - )

 b: Abt. 1822

..................................................... 9  Frederick FitzGerald (1837 - ) b: Abt. 1837

.........................................  + Catherine Cunningham

......................................... 7  Mary FitzGerald ( - 1840) d: Aft. 1840 in Rothwell, Leeds.

......................................... + William Wilks ( - 1819) m: 15 Dec 1784 in St Finbarrs Cathedral Cork, d: Bet. 1819–1820

............................................... 8 Mary Wilks (1784 - 1815) b: Abt. 1784 in Rothwell ?, Yorkshire, d: Aft. 1815

............................................... + Thomas Smith ( - 1815) m: 11 Feb 1805 in Rothwell Yorkshire ?, d: Aft. 1815

..................................................... 9  John Smith (1807 - ) b: 1807 in Methley Yorkshire

..................................................... 9  Anne Smith (1809 - ) b: 1809 in Methley Yorkshire

..................................................... 9  Joseph Smith (1811 - ) b: 1811 in Methley Yorkshire

..................................................... 9  Mary Smith (1813 - ) b: 1813 in Methley Yorkshire

..................................................... 9  Thomas Smith (1815 - ) b: 1815 in Methley Yorkshire

..................................................... + Frances Owen (1816 - ) b: Abt. 1816 in Woodlesford House Leeds, m: 08 Dec 1833 in Methley Yorkshire

..................................................... 9  Esther Smith (1817 - ) b: 1817 in Methley Yorkshire

............................................... 8  John Wilks d: West Africa

............................................... 8 Grace Wilks (1794 - 1864) b: Abt. 1794 in Cobh Cork, d: 20 Feb 1864 in Leeds England

............................................... + Richard Pollock (1785 - 1864) b: Abt. 1785 in Wakefield Yorkshire, m: 04 Jun 1808 in Rothwell, Yorkshire, d: Bef. 1864

..................................................... 9  Julia Ridsdale Pollock (1810 - ) b: 1810

..................................................... 9  Mary Pollock (1810 - ) b: 1810

..................................................... 9  Robert Pollock (1814 - ) b: 1814

..................................................... 9  William Pollock (1814 - ) b: 1814

..................................................... 9  Caroline Pollock (1825 - ) b: Bef. 1825

.....................................................  + Henry Joseph Morton

m: 18 Aug 1840 in Wakefield Yorkshire

..................................................... 9  Elizabeth Pollock (1825 - ) b: Bef. 1825

..................................................... 9  George Shaw Pollock (1825 - ) b: Bef. 1825

..................................................... 9  John Pollock (1823 - ) b: Abt. 1823

..................................................... 9  Joseph Pollock (1825 - ) b: Bef. 1825

..................................................... 9  Margaret Pollock (1825 - ) b: Bef. 1825

..................................................... 9  Thomas Pollock (1823 - )

b: Abt. 1823 in Walworth London

............................................... 8  Margaret Wilks ( - 1849) d: Abt. 1849

............................................... + Lancelot Blackett (1784 - 1852) b: 1784 in Appleby Westmoreland, m: 12 Jan 1807 in St Michael, Appleby Westmoreland, d: 09 Feb 1852 in Helmsley Yorkshire

..................................................... 9  Williamk Blackett (1809 - ) b: Abt. 1809

..................................................... 9 Jane Blackett (1809 - 1872) b: 1809 in Appleby Westmoreland, d: Abt. 1872 in Leeds England

..................................................... 9 Lancelot FitzGerald Blackett (1810 - 1875) b: Abt. 1810, d: 1875 in leeds

..................................................... + Mary Metcalf (1809 - 1863) b: Abt. 1809, m: 12 Jul 1830 in St Peter's leeds, d: 31 May 1863 in Headingley Leeds

..................................................... + Sarah Anne Smith (1828 - 1876) b: Abt. 1828, m: 07 May 1874 in Mill Hill Unitarian Chapel, Park Row Leeds, d: Abt. 1876 in Bradford (Verify)

..................................................... 9  Elizabeth Blackett (1812 - ) b: Bef. 06 May 1812

..................................................... 9 Sophia Ann Blackett (1817 - 1817) b: 1817 in Yarm Yorkshire, d: Bef. 27 Dec 1817

..................................................... 9  Richard Henry Blackett (1820 - )

b: 1820 in Yarm Yorkshire

..................................................... 9 Julia Anne Blackett (1826 - 1902) b: 1826 in Selby Yorkshire, d: 01 Sep 1902 in Lyndhurst Chingford Essex

..................................................... + Lieutenant Colonel John Robertson Younger (1809--1890) b: Abt. 1809 in Huddersfield Yorkshire, m: 05 Jan 1853 in Claines Worcs., d: 01 Dec 1890

..................................................... 9 Edwin Blackett (1827 - 1902) b: Abt. 1827,

 d: 01 Sep 1902 in At sea

.....................................................  + Ann Bentley m: Abt. 1852

..................................................... 9  Edmund Blackett (1827 - 1902) b: Aft. 1827,

 d: Abt. 1902

..................................................... 9  Joseph Wilks Blackett ( - 1849)

d: 10 Dec 1849 in At sea

..................................................... + Mary Manchester (1817 - 1869) b: Abt. 1817 in Seacroft Leeds, m: 21 Sep 1836 in Pontefract Yorkshire,

d: 14 Aug 1869 in Leeds England

............................................... 8  William Wilks ( - 1815) d: Aft. 1815

..................................................... 9  Robert Wilks

..................................................... 9  Richard Wilks

............................................... 8  Joseph Wilks

...............................................  + Mary Susanna

......................................... 7  Richard FitzGerald d: Africa

......................................... 7  Grace FitzGerald

.........................................  + Captain John Harrison

............................................... 8  Eliza Harrison (1787 - 1852) b: Abt. 1787, d: Aft. 1852

...............................................  + Mister Corcoran

..................................................... 9  Large Family Corcoran

......................................... 7  Ellen FitzGerald

.........................................  + Captain Captain Stowell

................................... 6  Martin FitzGerald

................................... 6  Grace FitzGerald ( - 1722) d: 1722

................................... 6  Elizabeth "Eliza or Eilis" FitzGerald

........... 2  Gerald FitzJohn FitzGerald


Ancestry of Piaras Mac Gearailt

Piaras Mac Gearailt’s ancestors on both sides, the FitzGeralds and Powers, were old Waterford families with distinguished histories. He was a direct descendant of Maurice FitzJohn Gerald, one of the sons of John FitzThomas, who was the first Earl of Deise & Desmond. We will confine the FitzGerald ancestry to the latter period of their time in Ballycrennane together with their full period in Ballykenneally which covers a period from about 1588 to 1908. This details the direct lineage of the ancestors of Piaras Mac Gearailt. It should be said that that even though the broad name of the family was FitzGerald the tradition of naming descendants as sons of the father’s Christian name can be confusing. In the summary below we start with John FitzRedmond of Ballycrenane who would technically be John Fitz Redmond FitzGerald if we were to use the full name.  The Earl of Cork refers to him as either John Fitz Redmond or John McRedmond to add to the confusion. A son of this John FitzRedmond was called Redmond and his name was therefore Redmond FitzJohn but for simplification (or more confusion!) we will include the overall family name of FitzGerald to the end of the surname so he becomes Redmond FitzJohn FitzGerald.

Historical References to FitzGerald Family

Attainment of John FitzRedmond FitzGerald (1588):

John FitzRedmond FitzGerald of Ballycrenane was attained for his part in the Desmond rebellion. Attainment normally meant confiscation of lands and property in those days but the FitzGeralds seem to have continued living on the land in Ballycrenane.  According to our records this John FitzRedmond would have been great grandfather of the poet Piaras Mac Gearailt.

Piracy Activities of Redmond FitzJohn FitzGerald (1622):

Redmond FitzGerald or Redmond FitzJohn FitzGerald, who we understand to be a son of the above John FitzRedmond, was living in Ballycrenane in 1622. According to the diary of Richard Boyle Earl of Cork this Redmond FitzGerald was involved in piracy at this period of his life. Apparently this was not the first time that he had resorted to piracy to supplement his income according to the Earl of Cork:

 “was turned pirate for the third time, God damn him !”.

We suspect that piracy was a more acceptable occupation than being a Catholic in the eyes of the Earl of Cork. In the same year of 1622 Gerald FitzJohn FitzGerald, a brother of Redmond, was captured by the Moors who were a fierce nomadic tribe. The Moors originated in North Africa but travelled to Southern Europe where they were particularly influential in Spain. There was a thriving wine business between Ireland and Spain in those days and it was known that the FitzGeralds were involved in the wine trade between Cadiz and Cork. However there seemed to be a blurring of the lines between legitimate trade, smuggling and piracy as business models and the FitzGeralds by all accounts were no strangers to any of these methods of doing business.  In later years the descendants of Piaras Mac Gearailt continued in the wine trade. Coming back to the plight of Gerald FitzJohn FitzGerald who had been captured by the Moors in 1622 – he apparently wrote to the Earl of Cork in September 1622 looking for £200 which he needed to pay as a ransom to the Moors to obtain his release from his captivity. There is no indication of a positive response from the Earl of Cork.

Earl of Cork and Lease of Ballykinealy (1627):

An entry in the Lismore Papers2 dated 5th May 1627 by the Earl of Cork states that he had promised Redmond FitzJohn Gerald (FitzGerald) the rights of the “plowland of Ballykenely” (Ballykinealy) if he paid him 170 pounds sterling within the year. He mentioned that Redmond’s mother was already one of his tenants in Ballykinealy at a rent of ten pounds sterling per annum. The following is the original entry in the Lismore Papers dated the 5th May 1627:

Lease of Ballykinealy (1634):

John FitzRedmond FitzGerald, son of Redmond, obtained a lease of the plowland of Ballykineally from the Earl of Cork in November 1634. Richard Boyle Earl of Cork has a few entries in his Lismore Papers2 diary in the period 1634-1636 which indicates that he made a lease of the plowland of Ballykinealy to John FitzRedmond of Ballycrynnen [Ballycrenane] in 1634. We believe that this John FitzRedmond was great grandfather of Piaras Mac Gearailt. The lease was for 5000 years and it was conditional on John FitzRedmond paying the Earl of Cork a sum of 1702 pounds sterling by the 1st May 1636. The following is the diary entry in the Lismore Papers dated 28th November 1634:

Updating of Ballykinealy lease by Earl of Cork (1636):

The payments on the Ballykinealy lease fell behind, as the following Lismore Papers entry indicates, but the FitzGeralds and the Earl of Cork appeared to come to an alternative payment schedule. These Ballykinealy (Ballykenneally) lands would have been in FitzGeralds of Desmond ownership up to the time of the Desmond rebellion. Subsequently they would have come into the hands of Walter Raleigh when the Desmond lands were confiscated in the latter end of the 16th century. They then came into possession of Richard Boyle 1st Earl of Cork around 1602 and he was now leasing the Ballykinealy plowland back to the FitzGeralds by the lease to John FitzRedmond (FitzGerald). The year 1636 was therefore the beginning of the FitzGerald history in Ballykinealy. They continued to have a presence in Ballykinealy until around 1908 when Catherine FitzGerald, widow of Michael Joseph FitzGerald B.L., sold the land and property to William Dooly. It later came into the ownership of the Barry family in the 1950s and continues in Barry ownership into the 21st century. The Lismore Papers2 diary entry of 29th March 1636 is as follows:

FitzGerald Land Confiscations after 1641-1649 Rebellion

The period from 1641 onwards was yet another turbulent period in the life of the FitzGeralds. Their lands in Ballykinealy were technically confiscated as a result of their support of the Catholic Confederacy in the 1641-49 rebellion. The land was apparently back in the hands of the Earl of Cork but the FitzGeralds continued to live in Ballykinealy. This was probably due to their relationship with the Earl of Cork, which appeared to survive despite the fact that they were on opposite sides of the rebellion. It no doubt suited the Earl of Cork that the FitzGeralds remained on the land in Ballykinealy at that time. However as we shall see there were still stormy waters to be overcome in the century ahead. Michael FitzGerald, father of Piaras, inherited the land of Ballykinealy at the latter end of the 17th century.

Oulawing of Redmond FitzGerald (1691)

Redmond FitzGerald of Ballykinealy was outlawed in 1691 for his support of King James in the Jacobite-Williamite war as were other members of the extended FitzGerald family in places like Ballycullane, Ballydaheen etc.  The FitzGeralds however continued to live in Ballykinealy despite the outlawing of Redmond.  Redmond was a son of John FitzRedmond FitzGerald, he was father of Michael FitzGerald (aka Michael Senior or Michael the 1st) and was grandfather of the poet Piaras Mac Gearailt.

Penal Laws (1695 =>)

The poet Piaras Mac Gearailt was born into yet another extremely difficult period in Irish history. The 1698 rebellion ended a few years before his birth and Ireland was now into the draconian anti-Catholic penal laws which commenced in the early 1700s and which were strictly enforced in Ireland. One of the more infamous enforcers of the penal laws was Alan Brodrick who held various key positions in Ireland in the first half of the 18th century including Speaker of the Irish House of Commons (1703), Attorney General (1707-1709), Chief Justice of Ireland (1710-1711), Lord Chancellor of Ireland (1714), Baron Brodrick (1715) and 1st Viscount Midleton (1717). Piaras Mac Gearailt was one of the many Munster Gaelic poets of the period who wrote bitterly in their poems about the penal laws and the activities of Alan Brodrick and his successors in the 18th century. Piaras Mac Gearailt blamed Brodrick for the desecration of Catholic churches and accused him of building walls and stables from the stones of demolished churches. This period of Irish history is covered in great detail by a number of writers including Eamon O’Ciardha in his book “Ireland and the Jacobite Cause 1685-17663” and we will not cover it in detail here other than to give a background to the period of Irish Jacobite support which was a dominant feature of the poems and writings of many of the Gaelic poets in the 18th century including Piaras Mac Gearailt.

Jacobite Period (1685-1775 approx)

The Jacobite movement or Jacobite period extended throughout most of the life of Piaras Mac Gearailt. The Jacobite period started in 1685 on the death of Charles II who was at that time King of England. Charles II was succeeded by his brother the Catholic King James II of England. The succession of James II was strongly opposed by the English and Scottish with the exception of Catholics and non Presbyterians in Scotland.  He was of course widely supported by the Catholic population in Ireland. James II further alienated the English aristocracy and the Scottish covenanters by appointing Catholics in positions of power and his tenure as king was destined to be short lived. He was deposed after a short time by the Dutch Protestant prince William of Orange and his wife Mary who was a sister of the now deposed James II. The accession of King William & Mary was of course opposed by the Catholic Irish and the largely Catholic or Episcopalian Scottish clans who believed that James II should be restored to the throne. This support for James II became known as the Jacobite movement from the Latin Jacob for James. After the death of James II in 1701 the Jacobite movement continued to support James’s successors from the House of Stuart as the rightful kings of England, Scotland and Ireland. This Jacobite support manifested itself not only politically but also in songs and poems during most of the 18th century when the native Irish Catholic population believed that the return of the Stuarts to the throne was the their only hope religious emancipation and for repeal of the draconian anti-Catholic laws brought in by King William of Orange and his successors.

The Penal Laws put severe restrictions on Catholics and other Nonconformists as they were called by putting restrictions on education, marriage & inheritance and the practice of religion. They also placed political restrictions on the involvement of Catholics as jurors, parliamentary representatives, council members etc and also barred them from certain professions such as lawyers or members of the armed forces. Piaras Mac Gearailt was born into this Jacobite period and he was one of many Gaelic poets and scholars who formed a kind of Jacobite support group during the 18th century. This period was famous for its poetry and songs and it has been said that the Jacobite period was probably one of the best periods for Gaelic poetry as demonstrated by the survival of much of it to the present day. Amongst the well known Gaelic Jacobite poets in this period were Eoghan Rua Ó Súilleabháin, Aodhagán Ó Rathaille and Seán Clárach Mac Dómhnaill and there were also of course many Scottish Gaelic Jacobite poets including Rob Donn McKay, Duncan Bán MacIntyre and Alexander MacDonald.  Charles Edwards Stuart (1720-1788) who was more commonly known as Bonnie Prince Charlie (or the Young Pretender) was a Jacobite pretender to the throne of England, Scotland and Ireland.  He was the grandson of the dethroned James II and his possible restoration to the throne was the hope and wish of many Irish and Scottish in the mid 18th century. He was the subject of many songs and poems including the evocative “Skye Boat Song” which was a lullaby sung by many mothers and grandmothers to their offspring. The song is a Scottish Jacobite folk song which recalled the escape of Bonnie Prince Charlie from Uist to the Isle of Skye after his 1746 defeat at the Battle of Culloden.  The song itself was written many years after Culloden but is typical of the Jacobite songs and poems of the period which have survived to the present day.

The Skye Boat Song:

Chorus: Speed, bonnie boat, like a bird on the wing,
Onward! the sailors cry;
Carry the lad that's born to be King
Over the sea to Skye.

Loud the winds howl, loud the waves roar,
Thunderclaps rend the air;
Baffled, our foes stand by the shore,
Follow they will not dare.

Chorus ...

Though the waves leap, soft shall ye sleep,
Ocean's a royal bed.
Rocked in the deep, Flora will keep
Watch by your weary head.

Chorus ...

Many's the lad fought on that day,
Well the Claymore could wield,
When the night came, silently lay
Dead in Culloden's field.

Chorus ...

Burned are their homes, exile and death
Scatter the loyal men;
Yet ere the sword cool in the sheath
Charlie will come again.

Chorus ...

Poetry of Piaras Mac Gearailt

 Piaras Mac Gearailt was a prolific writer who was responsible for a large body of poems and songs during his long life from his birth in Ballykenneally around 1709 to his death in Lackendarra circa 1791. Risteard O’Foghludha [Richard Foley] details around forty eight of his poems and songs in his 1905 publication “Amhráin Phiarais Mhic Gearailt”.  A number of these poems are written in a style that was known as the aisling or vision style which developed in the latter end of the turbulent 17th century and continued throughout the 18th century. In an aisling poem Ireland might be represented in the form of a vision of either a beautiful young woman or a haggard old woman depending on the circumstances of the poem. The woman is lamenting the state of Ireland or the Irish people but is professing the hope and aspiration that this situation will eventually end with the return of the Catholic House of Stuart or Bonnie Prince Charlie to the throne of Britain and Ireland.

 Piaras Mac Gearailt used to refer to himself as the “Árd-Sirriam Leithe Mógha” or High Sheriff of Mogh’s Half which is a reference to the South of Ireland.  In effect Piaras Mac Gearailt was describing himself as the unofficial High Poet of Munster. He was the leader of a group of influential Munster poets who came together a few times a year. They convened at the home of Piarais MhicGearailt in Ballykenneally and presumably later in Kilmaloo in what could be described as poetic or music sessions. Amongst those who apparently attended these gatherings were Seán Clárach Mac Domhnaill, Tadhg Gaelach Ó Súilleabhin, Éamonn de Bhál, Donnchadh Rua Mac Conmara  and Éamonn Ó Flaithbheartaigh.  

Rosc Catha na Mumhan:

 Piaras Mac Gearailt was the author of the rousing Jacobite song called Rosc Catha na Mumhan (The Battle Cry of Munster) which has survived the intervening centuries and is still recorded by a variety of artists both in Ireland and abroad. The song was written around 1750 and is sometimes known as Amhrán an Dóchais or The Song of Hope which is appropriate. The theme of the song is the promise that a French Fleet, containing some of the exiled Irish Wild Geese, was on its way over the waves to free Ireland. The song was written at a time when there were some expectations that the French in collaboration with Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) were planning to invade Britain to overthrow King George II and restore the Stuarts to the throne. This was of course the fervent wish of the Irish Jacobite supporters and was the theme of many songs and poems in this period. The French were indeed planning to invade Britain and in 1759 at the height of the Seven Years War they put in place a plan to invade Britain with a fleet of over 100,000 men. Their plans however were thrown into disarray when they were beaten by the British fleet at key naval battles including those as Quiberon Bay (off Brittany) and Lagos (off Portuguese coast). The Battle of Quiberon Bay in particular signalled the end of the French plans to invade Britain as after this they were no longer able to launch a large enough naval fleet to compete with the British. The inability of the French to invade Britain effectively signalled the end of the Seven Years War and also effectively removed the possibility of the Stuarts being returned to the throne.  The hopes and expectations of Piaras Mac Gearailt and his Jacobite colleagues as outlined in songs like Rosc Catha na Mumhan were therefore once again thwarted but it did not halt the flow of Jacobite songs and poetry.

The tune or melody of Rosc Catha na Mumhan has been used in many other songs in both English and in Irish including another Jacobite song “Lady Keith’s Lament” and it was used by Dominick Behan in his song “Come Out, Ye Black and Tans” which is an Irish rebel song about the infamous British auxiliary police force.  The melody of Rosc Catha na Mumhan is also ironically used in the Loyalist folk song “Boyne Water” which commemorates the victory of King William III of Orange over James II over at the Battle of the Boyne and which is regularly played by Ulster loyalist marching bands.  The melody of the song might therefore be a good candidate as a start point for an All Ireland national anthem as it would be familiar to both Nationalists and Loyalists. The words of the anthem would probably have to be changed however as neither version would likely be acceptable to both Nationalists and Loyalists!

The last verse of Boyne Water goes as follows:

So praise God, all true Protestants, and I will say no further,
But had the Papists gained that day, there would have been open murder.
Although King James and many more were ne'er that way inclined,
It was not in their power to stop what the rabble they designed.

The last verse of Rosc Catha na Mumhan is as follows:

Cruinníodh gach duine d'fhuil Mhíle thréin
go ritheann 'na chuisle den bhfíor-fhuil braon,
do milleadh le dlíthe is do crádh le claon,
go mbuailfidh sé buille le báire an tséin.

Protestant Conversion of Piaras Mac Gearailt

            Pierce Mac Gearailt was eventually forced to “recant” or disown his Catholic beliefs as Catholics could not inherit land due to the penal laws. The Piaras Mac Gearailt entry in the Dictionary of Irish Biography5 Vol 5 notes:

“Mac Gearailt can probably be identified with the Pierce Fitzgerald, gentleman, of Pillpark in the parish of Clashmore [sic Kinsalebeg] Co Waterford who conformed to the established church in April 1759.”

This is the only indication that Piaras Mac Gearailt may have lived in the townland of Pillpark in Kinsalebeg for a period as most historical references indicate that he lived in Ballykenneally, Kilmaloo and finally Lackendarra where he died. The oppressive and brutal penal laws imposed severe difficulties on Catholics and Protestant dissenters but despite these difficulties the number of Catholic conversions to the Church of Ireland (or the Established Church as it sometimes referred to) was relatively low and was largely confined to people who had most to lose in terms of their land and property ownership. It is estimated that less than 2000 people registered for conversion in the first fifty years of the 18th century. Nevertheless many people were left with no option if they wished to hold on to their property and subsequently pass it on to their children. A number of land owners sold or leased their land to friendly members of the Church of Ireland on the basis that the lands would be returned when the laws were rescinded. The control of the Church of Ireland (COI) even extended past the grave as wills had to be passed through the courts of the COI before they could be proved.  It is estimated that only about 5% of Irish land remained in Catholic hands in the latter end of the 18th century which shows the effect of the penal laws.

In his subsequent writings Piaras Mac Gearailt frequently wrote of his difficulties in having to recant his religion due to circumstances outside his control and made it clear that this was not a “conversion” in any real sense. He wrote at least one poem outlining his reasons for his conversion which revolved around the difficulties in retaining his land and passing the land on to his descendants. He outlined that he was being forced to take the hilly road to Kilcreddan Church as a Protestant or as “an innocent child of the Reformed Church” as he described it himself. The distress and despair of many converts is reflected in the poetry of Piaras Mac Gearailt when he wrote despairingly to fellow poet Thomas Barry of Clonmel who had mocked him about his decision to convert to Protestantism. The Tipperary lads were not shy with their criticism even in those days and Piaras Mac Gearailt was equally fortright in his poetic response.  The following is the translated first verse of his poem Freagra ar Tomás de Barra (Response to Thomas Barry): 

Response to Thomas Barry:

“O gossip, O friend, O Barry, most cultured in behaviour.

‘Tis sad for me to cleave to Calvin or perverse Luther,

But the weeping of my children, the spoiling them of flocks and land,

Brought streaming floods from my eyes and descent of tears.”

Piaras Mac Gearailt seemed to revert back to his Catholic religion in later years as indicated by his song “Aithrí an Ghearaltaigh” or “FitzGerald’s Repentance” which was written around 1762.  He was very strong in his condemnation of two Catholic priests who converted to the Church of Ireland despite his own earlier conversion. One of these was Rev. John Power, an Augustinian parish priest in Tallow Co Waterford, who apparently converted in 1763 and became a minister of the Reformed Church at Lismore. Rev. John Power was in fact a first cousin of Piaras himself and they were both grandchildren of Pierce Power and the redoubtable Grace Osborne. Piaras Mac Gearailt wrote a powerful and vindictive satire about the conversion of Rev John Power in his poem Seagan Caoch which was really a reference to Seaghan Caoch Paor (Blind John Power). It is in the poem Seagan Caoch that Piaras Mac Gearailt makes reference to the allegation that his grandmother, Grace Power nee Osborne, had put a pistol to the head of the priest who attended his grandfather Pierce Power when he was on his death bed in 1701. She apparently did not approve of the Catholic religion or the last rites. The second priest criticised by Piaras Mac Gearailt was Fr Jeremiah Hart, a priest in Carrigtwohill, who converted to the Protestant faith around 1774 and became a minister in Killeagh in 1775. The condemnation of the two priests by Piaras Mac Gearailt is somewhat surprising considering his own earlier conversion to the Reformed Church due to the difficulties the FitzGeralds encountered in land ownership and inheritance in Ballykenneally. Apparently both priests converted back to the Catholic faith before they died.

Piaras Mac Gearailt Land Transactions (1765 =>)

Piaras Mac Gearailt leased out his lands in Ballykenneally as outlined in a deed drawn up on the 27th July 1765 with Registry of Deeds6 reference No: 156697. Deeds are factual documents which record the transaction details but do not record the circumstances leading up to the deed transactions themselves. These were difficult times for Irish Catholics and Catholic landowners in particular and many land & property transactions took place either as a direct result of the penal laws or in an attempt to avoid the penalties of the laws. We have outlined earlier how land was sometimes sold or leased to cooperative or friendly neighbours who were members of the established Church of Ireland and it is possible that the Ballykenneally land lease was one such transaction. The basis of some of these transactions was the preservation of inheritances with an underlying understanding that the land would be returned to the original owner or his descendants when the laws were repealed and that the temporary owner could presumably have use of some or all of the land in the interim. With the passage of time the descendants of those involved in a particular “temporary” arrangement might not have been so accommodating in their attempts to reverse the transactions and restoring the land to the original owners or their descendants.  It is possible that the lease of the Ballykenneally lands to the Welsh/Roche families was indeed an arrangement to protect the Mac Gearailt inheritance.

In 1765 the Ballykenneally lands were leased by Piaras Mac Gearailt to Thomas Welsh of Taylorstown in County Waterford and James Roch of Odell who both had strong Kinsalebeg connections. Thomas Welsh of Taylorstown was probably related to the famous Walshs of Pilltown and James Roch was of the Odell House and Woodbine Hill Roch family. Thomas Welsh and James Roch were business partners and were mutually involved in a number of land and property arrangements around this period including the lease of the lands of Piaras Mac Gearailt. Thomas Walsh died in 1776 and his widow Mary Walsh nee Cotter subsequently married her late husband’s partner James Roch. The only child of this marriage was George Butler Roch who was born in 1784 and is the ancestor of the Roch family of Woodbine Hill. The term of the 1765 lease was for an extraordinary long period of four thousand years with the effective end of the lease not coming until the year 5765 A.D. The following are the details of the 1765 deed:

27th July 1765 Deed 156697: “A memorial of an indented deed bearing date the 27th day of July one thousand seven hundred and sixty five and made between Thomas Welsh of Taylorstown in the County of Waterford Esquire of the one part and James Roch of Ardmore in the said County Esquire of the other part reciting that Pierce FitzGerald Gentleman had by indenture  of lease demised unto the said Thomas Welsh and James Roch the lands of Ballykennely in the County of Cork for a term of four thousand years and upwards at a certain yearly rent and that Francis Hodder Esquire by article or minnitt bearing date the twenty fifth day of January one thousand seven hundred and sixty four had demised to the said Thomas Welsh and James Roch the lands of Ardramore and North and South Ballincurrig in the said County of Cork for three lives to be named renewable forever at a certain yearly rent and that the lands last mentioned were for the most part stocked with the cattle of the said Thomas Welsh and James Roch and likewise reciting that the said Pierce FitzGerald granted unto the said Thomas Welsh and James Roch his bond and warrant for two hundred pounds on which warrant judgement had been entered and likewise reciting that the said parties had not then come to any partition of stock or the money due by the said Pierce FitzGerald it was therefore by the said deed mutually agreed upon by and between the said Thomas Welsh and James Roch that in case either of them should die before a partition or division of the said lands, stock or money was had that the survivors of the said Thomas Welsh and James Roch would not take any benefit by such survivorship, but that the heirs or assigns of the person happening to die shall have as much benefit of the said lands stock and money as the survivor of them could or might have, the heirs and assigns of the person so dying paying a moiety of the rent received by the said lease and performing such part of the other covenants contained or that shall be contained in said leases to which the leassor so dying was or should be bound, which said deed is witnessed by James Gee of Rathlead in the County of Waterford Gent and John Keogh of the City of Dublin Gent and this memorial is witnessed by the said Henry Gee and John Keogh.  Thomas Welsh (Seal) James Roch (Seal) Signed and Sealed in presence of Henry Gee & John Keogh.”

Mac Gearailt, Welsh and Roch Land Dispute (1805)

Many years later the above 1765 land lease transaction between Thomas Welsh/James Roch on the one part and Piaras Mac Gearailt on the other part was the subject of a protracted dispute between the descendants of the above mentioned families.  George Roch/Thomas Welsh initiated a case in 1805 against the FitzGeralds on the basis that the FitzGeralds had withheld “forceable possession” of the Ballykenneally lands for almost twenty years. They were concerned that they would never get possession of the lands if they did not bring the case to court as the statute of limitations would come into effect.

Henry Pierce Welsh, who was acting as attorney for the plaintiffs Thomas Welsh & George Roch, outlined the cause of the case as follows:

“The Defendant Michael FitzGerald the Elder having withheld a forceable Possession of the Lands of Ballykenelly in the County of Cork which had been demised by his father to James Roche the father of the Plaintiff Roche and to Thomas Welsh the Grandfather of the plaintiff Welsh and having withheld said forceable Possession for near twenty years undisturbed it became necessary to take immediate proceedings to prevent a Bar by the Statute of Limitations”.

The original lease in 1765 was for a term of four thousand years and the benefits were to pass on to the descendants of Thomas Welsh and James Roche respectively. The plaintiffs in the case were George Roch of Woodbine Hill and Thomas Welsh and the defendants were Michael FitzGerald the Elder, Michael FitzGerald the Younger and others connected to the FitzGerald family. George Roch was the son of the James Roche who was involved in the original 1765 lease and Thomas Welsh was a grandson of the Thomas Welsh involved in the original lease. Michael FitzGerald the Elder was a son of the poet Piaras Mac Gearailt and Michael FitzGerald the Younger was a son of Michael the Elder. Henry Pierce Welsh, son of Thomas Welsh & Mary Cotter, was an attorney at law and acted on behalf of the plaintiffs. His brother Robert Welsh, a barrister at law, declined to assist the plaintiffs according to Henry Pierce Welsh for the reason:  “that he could not take any benefit under the Decree without first contributing in the Costs and that he then had too many suits on his hands but promised his assistance as a Barrister”. The whole case was very divisive and at one stage, according to attorney Henry Pierce Welsh, it was stated that:

“Pierce’s [Piaras Mac Gearailt] Interest was discoverable by the Popery laws about 2nd November 1757 [and] caused a Bill of Discovery to be filed in the Exchequer by John Gibbons a Protestant discoverer against Pierce and Martin FitzGerald and others and had been decreed to the possession of the lands now in question ...”.   

It was apparent that the case had moved on from the original lease dispute and had now moved into the arena that the Pierce FitzGerald and his younger brother Martin were acting Catholics in 1757 and therefore presumably not entitled to inherit the lands in Ballykenneally [Ballykinealy] in the first place. A Protestant discoverer, in this case a John Gibbons, was someone who took it on themselves to report people who they believed were either Catholics or who declared themselves Protestant but were still in effect Catholics. It was a lucrative business with a graduated scale of rewards for “discovering offenders” who were in breach of the penal laws ranging from £100 for “discovering” a bishop to £10 for every Jesuit or monk. Needless to say the small number of discoverers who plied their trade in Ireland were viewed as outcasts in society and lived their lives in fear of attack or vengeance. It will be recalled that Piaras Mac Gearailt had declared himself a Protestant in 1759 in order to be able to retain his land but this was a few years after the above alleged “discovery” in 1757. The legal inheritance position of Catholics had however changed significantly by 1805 when this case commenced.  The 1778 Papists Act and the 1791 Roman Catholic Relief Act had relaxed some of the anti-Catholic penal laws. Catholics were now enabled to inherit and purchase land and additionally a Protestant heir was no longer able to take over the estate of his Catholic kinsman. There is no doubt the FitzGeralds believed that the changed legal position was a factor that needed to be brought into the discussions as there is little doubt that the original 1765 lease arrangement for Ballykenneally would never have been entered into by the FitzGeralds if the Catholic inheritance laws  had not forced them to do so.

According to the attorney for the plaintiffs a “Commission of Rebellion” was also prepared for presentation to the defendant Michael FitzGerald.  It would appear that Michael FitzGerald was not cooperating with the legal proceedings and the Commission of Rebellion was the mechanism used by the plaintiffs to force him to cooperate with the authorities. It was similar to a modern day bench warrant whereby the defendant could be arrested and brought to court if he did not comply with the instructions of the court.

It is clear that the FitzGeralds had been in danger of losing their diminished estate in Ballykenneally in 1757 due to the penal laws but managed to retain it partly due to the “conversion” of Piaras Mac Gearailt to the Church of Ireland coupled with the leasing out of the lands in question to the Welsh/Roche families. The case between Welsh/Roche and the FitzGeralds went on for over ten years until 1815 at which point Michael FitzGerald the Elder, son of Piaras, had died and had been succeeded by his son Michael FitzGerald the Younger. The case against the FitzGeralds was eventually dismissed as a consequence of the legal advice of a Charles Burton. He advocated that the defendants would be entitled to a dismissal of the case and in addition costs were awarded against the Welsh/Roche plaintiffs.   

Overview by Risteard Ó Foghludha

Risteard Ó Foghludha was one of the established experts on Piaras Mac Gearailt. He compiled an overview of his poems and songs in “Amhráin Phiarais Mhic Gearailt4” which was published in 1905. He also wrote an English language summary of Piaras Mac Gearailt called “Pierce FitzGerald : A Deise Poet of the XVIII Century7” which appeared in the “Journal of the Waterford & South-East of Ireland Archaeological Society Vol IX 1906”. He commences by saying:

“Though born in County Cork, at Ballykineally, in the parish of Kilmacdonagh (Ballymacoda), Pierce FityGerald may well be claimed as a Deiseach on many counts. Both his parents came of a Waterford stock, as we shall see presently. He twice married spouses from the Deise; he wrote much concerning the district; lived a considerable portion of his life at Kilmaloo (parish of Clashmore) and ultimately died there some time between the years 1791 and 1800.”

He goes on to give an overview of the family history and some of the poems of Piaras Mac Gearailt before concluding as follows:

“Pierce composed altogether about fifty pieces of poetry. These are free-flowing and not by any means difficult. For fifty years at least he had been “High Sheriff” of the Poets of Munster, as he always terms himself in his writings and Warrants. He had this title in the year 1744 – August – and bore it all through until the year 1791 – 4th July – when he voluntarily surrendered it to a younger man, named John Cunningham, of Ballynoe, Co. Cork, on account of his own great age. This surrender is dated from Kilmaloo, and here he died about the same time. He was buried in the family tomb of Kilmacdonogh, just three or four fields from the house in which he was born and which is still in the hands of his descendants. His eldest son, Michael, died at Prospect Hall (Monetrea) about the beginning of the 19th century. Michael’s first wife was a Mary Maher, whose father, a ship owner, traded between Cork and Cadiz. I think she too belonged to the Co. Waterford, as well as the second wife, Catherine Cunningham. A son of this Michael FitzGerald married a Miss McGrath, whose father, John McGrath, of Grange, Co. Waterford, a very wealthy man, gave to the mother of the late Councillor M.J. FitzGerald, as dowry, the fee-simple of Ballymacart, near Ardmore, which was sold afterwards to Sir H. Barron.”

According to Risteard Ó Foghludha the title of “High Sheriff” was passed by Piaras Mac Gearailt to John Cunningham of Ballynoe in 1791 whereas other historical sources indicate that it was passed to Éamonn Ó Flaithbheartaigh. He also mentions that Michael FitzGerald died at Prospect Hall in Monatray about the beginning of the 19th century which seems to tally with the tombstone inscription in Kinsalebeg Church indicating that Michael FitzGerald died on the 2nd August 1810 and was buried in that churchyard.  This coincides with details in the Ballykenneally land court case between the FitzGeralds and the Welsh/Roche families where it is noted in early 1811 that the defendant Michael FitzGerald the Elder had died and was now replaced by Michael FitzGerald the Younger in the court proceedings. We have outlined elsewhere that a Major Richard FitzGerald lived in Prospect Hall around 1715 but there are no apparent connections between these two FitzGerald families.

Death of Piaras Mac Gearailt (1791)

 Piaras Mac Gearailt died in 1791 in the house of his wife’s family of the Lawlors in Lackendarra Kinsalebeg Co Waterford where he had lived in the latter end of his life. His last known writing was dated the 4th July 1791 and on that date he apparently transferred his position as “High Sheriff” to a younger poet named Éamonn Ó Flaithbheartaigh.  He also passed to him his Bata na Bachaille or Staff of Office which was the symbol of his position as chief poet of the school of poetry known as Cúirt na mBurdún. The Bata na Bachaille was apparently in the form of a crozier of between two and three feet in length and some historical records indicate that it later was given to the poet Máire Ní Dhonnagáin from Sliabh gCua in West Waterford. Piaras Mac Gearailt was buried in the family grave in what is known as “The Hill Cemetery” at Kilmacdonagh Ballymacoda close to where he was born. 

The total number of children of Piaras Mac Gearailt is a little unclear and in historical records it is usually indicated that he had “at least one son and three daughters”. We believe that there were at least five children namely Michael the Elder, Mary, Richard, Grace and Ellen FitzGerald. His son Michael FitzGerald the Elder and his grandson, also Michael FitzGerald the Younger, were both involved in the dispute and court case with the Welsh & Roche families over the lease of the FitzGerald lands in Ballykenneally. This case went on to 1815 but Michael FitzGerald the Elder was already deceased at that time.  Michael FitzGerald the Elder was initially married to Mary Maher whose father was a ship owner plying his trade between Cork and Cadiz and he secondly married Catherine Cunningham. Michael FitzGerald the Elder died on the 2nd August 1810 and was buried in Kinsalebeg Church near Ferrypoint, Kinsalebeg Co Waterford where his grandparents Robert and May Lawlor were also buried in June 1784 and November 1774 respectively. Michael FitzGerald the Younger, grandson of Piarais Mac Gearailt, married Mary McGrath of Grange whose father was quite wealthy and she apparently received a dowry of land in Ballymacart near Ardmore from her father.  Risteard Ó Foghludha‘s overview, which we include below, indicates that Michael FitzGerald the Younger and Mary McGrath had at least one son M.J. FitzGerald (Michael Joseph FitzGerald) who was a councillor. The 1901 Census of Ballykeneally, Kilmacdonagh lists a Michael Joseph FitzGerald as an 81 year old farmer with his wife Catherine aged 49 and no children. He had inherited the farm from his father Michael FitzGerald who died around 1876. Michael Joseph FitzGerald died on the 13th January 1902 at the age of 83 and his wife Catherine FitzGerald subsequently sold the farm to the Dooley family in 1908.

Descendants of Piaras Mac Gearailt

 The number and names of the children of Piaras Mac Gearailt has been a little unclear in historical records. We now understand that there were at least five children namely Michael, Mary, Richard, Grace and Ellen FitzGerald. The land transactions and subsequent disputes seem to identify that his eldest son and heir was Michael FitzGerald. We have referred to him as Micheal FitzGerald the Elder in this history and he and his descendants inherited the Ballykenneally lands which they retained until Catherine (Kate) FitzGerald sold the lands to the Dooley family in 1908, six years after the death of her husband Michael Joseph FitzGerald. An 1852 letter8 between Eliza Corcoran and Grace Pollock, two granddaughters of Piaras Mac Gearailt, appears to be authentic and gives some additional useful information on four of the children of Piaras Mac Gearailt.  The four children mentioned are Mary, Richard, Grace and Ellen but there is no mention in the letter of the eldest son Michael FitzGerald who had died in Kinsalebeg in 1810. We include below the contents of this letter with acknowledgement to William Wilkes, a descendant of Piaras Mac Gearailt if the facts in the letter are correct:

“To:  Ms Grace Pollock, Kingston Place, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, England.

From: Ms Eliza Corcoran, Square Queens Town Ireland dated 2nd Sept 1852.

Square Queens Town

Late Eve 1st Sepr. 1852

Dear Madam,

You will be kindly pleased to excuse the liberty I take in writing to you as I assume you to be my next relation and friend – which will appear by the annexed: -

Mary Fitzgerald daughter of Pierce Fitzgerald Esqr of Bally Kinneally near Youghal in this County of Cork, was your Mother, her Sister Grace was my Mother, and has lived with your Mother since she was 12 Years of Age, till she married Captn. John Harrison who belonged to Woking in England, your Mother have [read? having] had 6 Children at her Death namely Wm. John & Joe Mary Margt and I assume to say yourself Grace. I have omitted to state that your Aunt Ellen who was your Mothers youngest Sister had lived with her for a length of time, she then lived with my Mother till she got married to Captn. Stowall. She then went to Liverpool & from there to London. Since that I have not heard of her. After the Death of your Mother your Father married a Widow Jutstone of Bandon in this County who had 6 Children, Your Father then purchased a vessel for the African Trade, your Brother John and Uncle Richard Fitzgerald your Mothers youngest Brother went in her as supercargoes in which place both died. I am most happy/ to state to you, I trust for the pleasure of your mind and information that the Family of the Fitzgeralds are still highly respectable and do retain their ancient position not second to any in this Country. The youngest son of the late Captn Fitzgerald of the R.N. who was your and my first Cousin is a Bar[r]ister at Law, his Character is high and his manners most gentlemanlike, he resides at Castle Redmond, Middleton within 12 miles of this Town. He has a sister Mary who is highly accomplished, neither of them are married. I perfectly recollect you & your Sisters Mary & Margaret came to bid us adieu, when your Father & all the Family were going to England to take possession of your property. I am now 65 Years of Age in good health, and has [read have] reared a large family, all of whom thank God are no more but [= except] 3 who are as large and strong Men as any in the country, they are victuallors. Fearing I may tire you whose name I revere & respectfully request a Letter from you, wishing you every blessing this world can bestow & respectful compliments to all Friends. I am

My dear Madam

Yours ever respected Friend

Eliza Corcoran”

Children of Piaras Mac Gearailt

Michael FitzGerald:

Michael FitzGerald the Elder married firstly Mary Maher whose father was a ship owner trading between Cork and Cadiz. They had at least one son Michael FitzGerald the Younger who appeared to inherit the lands in Ballykenneally. He secondly married Catherine Cunningham. Michael FitzGerald died on 2nd August 1810 and is buried in Kinsalebeg Church near Ferrypoint Kinsalebeg Co Waterford.

Mary FitzGerald:

Mary FitzGerald married William Wilks on the 15th December 1784 in St Finbarr’s Cathedral Cork. William Wilks was from Leeds in Yorkshire and together with his son John and his brother-in-law Richard FitzGerald he ran a ship which was involved in what was known as the African Trade. The term African Trade covered a multitude of legitimate and unsavoury trading activities but was most commonly used as a euphemism for what was also known as “the triangular trade”. This was a three legged operation where the 1st leg involved the transportation of manufactured goods from Europe to Africa;  on the 2nd leg black slaves were transported from Africa to America; the 3rd leg involved the transportation of commodities from America to Europe. Mary FitzGerald and William Wilks had six children namely Mary, John, Grace, Margaret, William and Joseph.

-           Mary was born about 1784 and married Thomas Smith in Rothwell Yorkshire on 11th Feb 1805. They had six children namely John, Anne, Joseph, Mary, Thomas and Esther who were born in Methley Yorkshire.

-          John was involved with his father in the African Trade and died in West Africa.  

-          Grace was born about 1794 in Cobh and married Richard Pollock on 4th June 1808 in Rothwell Yorkshire. They had nine children namely Julia Ridsdale, Mary, Robert, William, Caroline, Elizabeth, George Shaw, John, Joseph, Margaret and Thomas Pollock.

-          Margaret married Lancelot Blackett from Appelby in Westmoreland on 12th Jan 1807 in St Michael Appelby. They had ten children namely William, Jane, Lancelot FitzGerald, Elizabeth, Sophia Ann, Richard Henry, Julia Anne, Edwin, Edmund and Joseph Wilks Blackett.

Richard FitzGerald:

Richard FitzGerald worked in the African Trade with his brother in law William Wilks who owned a ship.

Grace FitzGerald:

Grace FitzGerald married Captain John Harrison and they had one child Eliza who was born about 1787. Eliza married a Mr Corcoran and lived in Square Queenstown. Eliza Corcoran nee Harrison was the author of the letter to her cousin Grace Pollock nee Wilks which we have covered elsewhere.

Ellen FitzGerald:

Ellen FitzGerald married Captain Stowell.

FitzGerald Ballykenneally Lands after 1815

Tithe Applotments (1834):

The 1834 Tithe Applotments listing indicates that Michael FitzGerald, presumably the Younger, was the current occupier of the FitzGerald land holding in Ballykenneally at that point. The Tithe Applotments were compiled between 1823 and 1837 in order to determine the amount of tithes which occupiers of agricultural holdings over one acre should pay to the established Church of Ireland. These tithes or dues were to be paid to the Church of Ireland regardless of the religion of the land owners.

The proprietor of Ballykinealy House in 1837 was Captain Fitzgerald of the Royal Navy which is the same Michael FitzGerald the Younger as outlined above. Michael FitzGerald was appointed Lieutenant by the Naval Commissioners in 1801 and Commander in 1830 according to Piaras Mac Gearailt records in UCC Boole Library10.  The following entry for the parish of Kilmacdonough appears in Samuel Lewis’s Topographical Dictionary of Ireland9 published in 1837:

”The principal seats are Ballykinelly, the residence of Capt. FitzGerald, R.N., which was formerly a religious establishment; Ring, of J. McCarthy, Esq; and Greenland, of G. Goggin, Esq.”

This entry confirms that Ballykinealy House was built before 1837 but it is not clear why the author indicated that it was formerly a “religious establishment”. It would appear that other references to the house being a religious establishment may have been taken from the same Samuel Lewis source.

Griffiths Valuation (1847-1864):

Griffiths Valuation was completed in the 1847 to 1864 period and gives a comprehensive overview of the land holdings throughout Ireland. It gives details of the current occupants of the land, the immediate lessors from whom the occupier is currently leasing the land, the acreage and buildings of the holding and finally the rateable valuation of the property.  The Griffith Valuation for Ballykenneally (or Ballykinealy) around 1860 indicates that Michael FitzGerald was the occupier of a house, offices and land to the size of 116 acres 2 roods and 34 perches with a rateable valuation of £150 pounds. We are assuming that this was Michael FitzGerald the Younger who has been referenced above in the land dispute between the FitzGeralds and the Welsh/Roch families from 1805 to 1815. Michael FitzGerald was additionally leasing out about eight other small holdings consisting in the main of a house with a small garden with a combined total of around twenty three acres. Michael FitzGerald was leasing his farm and buildings from a John FitzGerald who was the main lessor and probably owner of most of the land in Ballykenneally. The Landed Estates sale rental of 1861 detailed below refers to the house as "a large and first-class residence". It was occupied by Michael Joseph Fitzgerald, a barrister and younger brother of John Fitzgerald. The National Inventory of Architectual Heritage11 states that this house was a rectory for some time and the Lewis Topographical Dictionary9 of 1837 states that it was formerly "a religious establishment" but we suspect the NIAH9 entry was based on the Lewis entry. There are no other indications that the house was a religious establishment at any point in the early 19th century.

Landed Estates Court (LEC) (1861):

Michael Joseph FitzGerald issued an affidavit in support of the FitzGerald position when their land in Ballykenneally was put up for sale in 1861 as part of the Landed Estates Court settlements. The FitzGeralds had been leasing the land from the time of their original lease with the Earl of Cork in 1636 and the affidavit was to reinforce that the FitzGeralds had been in continuous occupation of the land for over two hundred years from 1636 onwards and were therefore entitled to continue in possession. The land involved comprised 329 acres 0 roods and 31 perches and were held under a Lease bearing date 30th day of March 1636 from the Earl of Cork to John FitzRedmond FitzGerald for the term of 5000 years at a yearly rent of £17 13s. 4d. The Landed Estates Courts (LEC) were set up to attempt to regularise the land situation when many of the big estates ran into financial difficulties in the 19th century - in the case of the FitzGeralds the big landlord or estate owner was the Earl of Cork and his successors. The following is the Michael Joseph FitzGerald affidavit in 1861 which is useful to include here as it gives useful information to confirm the hereditary line of the FitzGeralds of Ballykenneally from 1636 to 1861:

"I, Michael Joseph FitzGerald, of Ballykennelly, in the County of Cork, esquire, Barrister-at-law, a son of Michael FitzGerald, late of Ballykennelly aforesaid, and hereinafter called Michael FitzGerald the fourth, make oath and say:- That, from the traditions and hearsay of my family and relatives, and from my own knowledge as to some of the more recent matters of pedigree hereinafter stated, I believe that John FitzRedmond FitzGerald, the lessee named in the Lease of the Thirtieth of March, One Thousand Six Hundred and Thirty-six, of the Lands ordered to be sold in this matter, died leaving Redmond FitzGerald, his eldest son, him surviving; and that said Redmond afterwards died leaving Michael FitzGerald, hereinafter called Michael FitzGerald the first, his eldest son, him surviving: and that the said Michael FitzGerald the first, some time previously to the Seventeenth day of July, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Thirty-six, died leaving his sons Redmond FitzGerald, Michael FitzGerald the second, Garrett FitzGerald, Pierce FitzGerald, and Martin FitzGerald, him surviving; and that of these sons, the said Pierce FitzGerald succeeded to the said lands, and died leaving his eldest son Michael FitzGerald, hereinafter called Michael FitzGerald the third, who died leaving him surviving his eldest son Michael FitzGerald, hereinafter called Michael FitzGerald the fourth, and who was my father, and also William FitzGerald and John FitzGerald, younger sons of the said Michael FitzGerald the third; and that of these younger sons, both of whom are now dead, there is male issue now living, Michael FitzGerald, aged about 39 years, and Frederick FitzGerald, aged about 24 years, the sons of the said William FitzGerald and Michael FitzGerald, aged about 30 years, the son of the said John FitzGerald; and that the said Michael FitzGerald the fourth, the eldest son of the said Michael FitzGerald the third, died in the year One Thousand and Eight Hundred and Forty-five, leaving him surviving his eldest son, John FitzGerald, the owner in the title of this matter, and myself, a younger son, aged about 41 years; and that my said brother, John FitzGerald, married in the year One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty-eight, and has issue the following sons - FitzRedmond FitzGerald and John FitzGerald, aged respectively about 19 years and 13 years. Signed Michael J. FitzGerald. Dated: 17th January 1861."

Period 1863 to 1980:

In 1863-1864 Michael FitzGerald continued to lease the farm but John FitzGerald had disposed of the land to Mountifort Longfield who was a son of the Reverend Robert Longfield of Castlemartyr, Co Cork. Michael FitzGerald was now leasing the land from Mountifort Longfield and on his death in 1864 from his son Lieutenant Colonel M J C Longfield.

In 1876 Michael Joseph FitzGerald took over the lease of the land when his father Michael died in 1876.

In 1902 Catherine FitzGerald took over the lease when her husband Michael Joseph died on the 13th January 1902 at the age of 83. The land itself was still in the ownership of the Longfield family but around 1914 was bought by the state and effectively the FitzGeralds owned the land themselves at this point.

Catherine FitzGerald sold the farm to William Dooley in 1908. William Dooley died without issue on 19th November 1915. The farm was taken over by his brother Maurice Dooley who was married to Hannah Millerick of Kilcredan, Co. Cork. The Dooleys retained possession until the farm was sold to James Barry in 1954 and from 1980 it was in the possession of Ellen and Maurice Barry.


Appendix 1

Rosc Catha na Mumhan by Piaras Mac Gearailt (Irish)

D'aithníos féin gan bhréag ar fhuacht
'S ar anfa Thétis taobh le cuan
Ar chanadh na n-éan go séiseach suairc
Go gcasadh mo Shéasar glé gan ghruaim

Chorus:

Measaim gur subhach don Mhumhain an fhuaim
'S dá maireann go dubhach de chrú na mbua
Torann na dtonn le sleasaibh na long
Ag tarraingt go teann 'n-ár gceann ar cuairt

Tá lasadh sa ghréin gach lae go neoin
Ní taise don ré, ní théann fé neoil
Tá barra na gcraobh ag déanamh sceoil
Nach fada bheidh Gaeil i ngéibheann bróin

Chorus:

Measaim gur súbhach don Mhumhain an ceol
'S dá maireann go dubhach de chrú na dtreon
Torann na dtonn le sleasaibh na long
Ag tarraingt go teann 'n-ár gceann fé sheol

Tá Aoibheall ar mire agus Áine óg
agus Clíona an bhruinneal is áilne snó;
táid mílte agus tuilleadh den dtáin seo fós
dá sníomh le buile gur tháinig an leon.

Chorus:

Measaim gur subhach don Mhumhain an ceol
is dá maireann go dubhach de chrú na dtreon
torann na dtonn le sleasaibh na long
ag tarraingt go teann 'nár gceann fé sheol.

Is annamh dom maidin ar amharc an lae
Ná bainim chum reatha go farraige síos
Mo dhearca dá leathadh ag faire de shíor
Ar bharcaibh an fharaire ag gearradh na slí

Chorus:

Measaim gur súbhach don Mhumhain 's gur binn
'S dá maireann go dubhach de chrú na rí
Torann na long ag scoilteadh na dtonn
Ag tarraingt go teann 'n-ár gceann gan mhoill

Cruinníodh gach duine d'fhuil Mhíle thréin
go ritheann 'na chuisle den bhfíor-fhuil braon,
do milleadh le dlíthe is do crádh le claon,
go mbuailfidh sé buille le báire an tséin.

Chorus:

Measaim gur subhach don Mhumhain i gcéin
is dá maireann go dubhach de chrú na dtréan
torann na dtonn le sleasaibh na long
ag tarraingt go teann 'nár gceann le faobhar.

Wolfe Tones version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lJFY3FqGvk

There are numerous English translations of Rosc Catha na Mumhan but it is difficult to match the rousing nature of the original Irish song as written by Piaras Mac Gearailt.  The English interpretation by Dr Robert Dwyer Joyce (1830-1883) comes close to the feeling of the original Irish song as it more of an interpretation than a pure literary translation.  Robert Dwyer Joyce was born in Glenosheen Co. Limerick at the foothills of the Ballyhoura Mountains and was a regular contributor of poems and stories to The Nation and Irish People newspaper before he emigrated to Boston in 1866. He had studied medicine at UCC and worked as a physician in Boston but is best known now for his poetry and music. He produced a volume of his own poems but a number of his songs are still very well known including The Boys of Wexford, The Wind that Shakes the Barley and The Blacksmiths of Limerick. He was also a collector of music and his English version of Piaras Mac Gearailt’s Rosc Catha na Mumhan was one of his few ventures into language translation.

Battle Cry of Munster (English Translation by Joyce)

I knew it well by storm and cold,

The waves which lash’d the shore foretold,

The birds’ sweet notes in forest tell,

Our Prince comes over oceans’ swell.

Chorus:

‘Tis time for Munster now to cheer,

‘Twill glad our wasting clans to hear,

The dash of the wave ‘gainst the ships of the brave,

And gallant hearts that are drawing near.

The sun’s full splendour shines each day,

No cloud obscures the pale moon’s rays,

The slender branches sigh the tale

The mist shall soon rise from the Gael.

Chorus:

‘Tis time for Munster now to cheer,

‘Twill glad our wasting clans to hear,

The dash of the wave ‘gainst the ships of the brave,

And gallant hearts that are drawing near.

High triumph have Aoibheall and Aine at last,

Eana’s fair virgins’ gloom is past;

A thousand and more of this joyous train,

Now herald our hero with fairy strain.

Chorus:

‘Tis time for Munster now to cheer,

‘Twill glad our wasting clans to hear,

The dash of the wave ‘gainst the ships of the brave,

And gallant hearts that are drawing near.

In storm or calm at peep of day,

With eager steps I seek the bay,

And strain my eyes in hopes to greet,

The first glimpse of our Prince’s fleet.

Chorus:

Oh! Joyful in Munster the music rings,

And joyful to all whom mourn their kings;

The dash of the wave ‘gainst the ships of the brave,

And gallant band the future brings.

All ye whose hearts beat warm and fast

With Gaelic blood, the die is cast;

Rise up, rise out, like chiefs of old,

And smite the foe whose doom is told.

Chorus:

Oh! Sweet in Munster, sweet abroad

To the sadden’d race of each proud lord,

Is the dash of the wave ‘gainst the ships of the brave,

Who come to join us with the sword!

Note: Translation courtesy Robert Dwyer Joyce

Bibliography

1 ^                     Place-Names of Decies by Rev. P. Canon Power. Published initially 1907.

 2 ^ a b c                     Lismore Papers (1566-1643) by Richard Boyle/Alexander Grosart. NLI Ir 94106 b 5.

3 ^                       Ireland and the Jacobite Cause 1685-1766 by Eamon O’Ciardha.

Published Four Courts Press 2002.

4 ^                      Amhráin Phiarais Mhic Gearailt by Risteard Ó Foghludha. Published 1905.

5 ^                      Dictionary of Irish Biography Vol 5.  Published RIA/Cambridge University Press 2009.

6 ^                      Registry of Deeds (Henrietta Street Dublin); Deed Ref No: 156697.

7 ^                      Pierce FitzGerald : A Deise Poet of the XVIII Century by  Risteard Ó Foghludha.

 Published 1906 in Journal of the Waterford & South-East of Ireland Archaeological Society (JWSEIAS) Vol IX 1906.

8 ^                      Letter: http://www.oswild.org/hobnob/family/john/william-wilkes.html

9 ^ a b c                      Topographical Dictionary of Ireland by Samuel Lewis. Published 1837.

10 ^                   Piaras Mac Gearailt file (Items 1 to 9); UCC Boole Library Cork.

11 ^                   The National Inventory of Architectual Heritage. (See www.buildingsofireland.ie)

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