Duke of Leinster (/ˈlɪnstər/;[2][3]Irish:Diúc Laighean[4]) is a title and the premier dukedom in thePeerage of Ireland. The subsidiary titles of the Duke of Leinster are:Marquess of Kildare (1761),Earl of Kildare (1316),Earl of Offaly (1761),Viscount Leinster, of Taplow in the County of Buckingham (1747),Baron of Offaly (c. 1193),Baron Offaly (1620) andBaron Kildare, of Kildare in the County of Kildare (1870). The viscounty of Leinster is in thePeerage of Great Britain, the barony of Kildare in thePeerage of the United Kingdom, and all other titles in thePeerage of Ireland. Thecourtesy title of the eldest son and heir of the Duke of Leinster isMarquess of Kildare. The Duke of Leinster is the head of theHouse of Kildare.
The family seat of the current Duke of Leinster is now Oakley Park, nearAbingdon, Oxfordshire.[5] He succeeded as 9th Duke of Leinster, 9th Marquess of Kildare, 28th Earl of Kildare, 9th Earl of Offaly, 9th Viscount Leinster of Taplow, 14th Baron Offaly, 6th Baron Kildare, and as the Premier Duke, Marquess and Earl in the Peerage of Ireland.
The family was originally based inMaynooth Castle inMaynooth inCounty Kildare. In later centuries the family owned estates inCounty Waterford with their country residence being a Georgian house calledCarton House which had replaced the castle in County Kildare. In Dublin, the Earl built a large townhouse residence on the southside of Dublin calledKildare House. When the Earl was awarded a dukedom and becameDuke of Leinster, the house was renamedLeinster House. One of its occupants wasLord Edward FitzGerald, who became an icon for Irish nationalism through his involvement with theIrish Rebellion of 1798, which ultimately cost him his life.[citation needed]
Leinster House was sold by the Leinsters in 1815. After nearly a century as the headquarters of theRoyal Dublin Society, which held its famedSpring Show andHorse Show in its grounds,Oireachtas Éireann, the two chamberparliament of the newIrish Free State, rented Leinster House in 1922 to be its temporary parliament house. In 1924 it bought the building for parliamentary use. It has remained the parliament house of theIrish state.
The Dukes of Leinster had by the early 20th century lost all their property and wealth. Their Carton House seat was sold (though one of Ireland's most historic buildings with perfectly preserved 18th century grounds, it was controversially turned into a hotel and golf course in the late 1990s by the current owner in an act condemned by environmentalists[citation needed]), as later on was their other residence in Waterford. The family now live in a smaller property inRamsden, Oxfordshire.
A controversial claim by claimants who say they are descended fromthe 5th Duke, which is reported to have been largely debunked by Michael Estorick in 1981, was made in 2006 and subsequently failed.[6]
In 2005, a claim was filed with theDepartment of Constitutional Affairs by Theresa Pamella Caudill,[7] daughter of Eleanor and Maurice F. "Desmond" FitzGerald, on behalf of her nephew, aCalifornia builder, Paul FitzGerald, as claimant to be the rightful Duke of Leinster.[8] FitzGerald was claimed to be the grandson ofMajor Lord Desmond FitzGerald (1888–1916), the second son ofThe 5th Duke of Leinster, who was recorded as having beenkilled in action during theFirst World War, while serving with theIrish Guards. WhenMaurice, 6th Duke of Leinster, died childless, in February 1922, the Leinster dukedom and its considerable wealth and estates devolved upon his youngest brother,Lord Edward FitzGerald, who succeeded as 7th Duke. However, Paul FitzGerald's supporters claim that Lord Desmond faked his death and emigrated toCalifornia, by way ofWinnipeg, Canada, where he lived until his death in 1967. It was further claimed by Mrs Caudill that a package of documents, witnessed byEdward, Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII),Sir Edgar Vincent, andLord Feversham, had been lodged by her father with the Crown Office of theHouse of Lords in 1929, and the family had been denied access to them. Mrs Caudill believed the documents included evidence that her father agreed to relinquish the title for one generation but made it clear it was to be passed down to his son, her brother Leonard FitzGerald. Instead, it was passed down through her father's brother's family. It was alleged that an archivist had acknowledged the package had once existed, but the official line was that it was now lost.[8]
In February 2006,Lord Falconer of Thoroton,Lord Chancellor (2003–2007), andHarriet Harman,Minister of State in theDepartment for Constitutional Affairs, considered thisclaim.[9] The claim was dismissed by Lord Falconer of Thoroton, despite a 30-year campaign by Paul FitzGerald's family reputedly costing £1.3 million. The Lord Chancellor adjudicated that the title was to remain with the existing holder, Maurice FitzGerald. Paul FitzGerald has a right of appeal against the Lord Chancellor's verdict by petitioning the monarch.[10]
In 2010, however, DNA evidence was presented that indicates that Paul FitzGerald is related to the wife of the 5th Duke, the former Lady Hermione Duncombe.[11] As reported inThe Scotsman,
With the help of Dunfermline-based genealogist Lloyd Pitcairn, Mrs FitzGerald Caudill [Paul FitzGerald's aunt] traced Maud Crawford, the grand-daughter of Lady Hermione's younger sister Urica Duncombe.
The results of the tests found that it was "41 times more probable" that Ms Crawford and Paul FitzGerald were extremely closely related than were from different families. The proof that Paul FitzGerald is related to the titled family is the first DNA evidence ever produced in the case, and it strongly supports Mrs Fitz-Gerald Caudhill's long-held claim suggesting that her mysterious father was the son of Lady Hermione, the wife of the fifth Duke of Leinster.[11]
The 5th Earl had at least one son Thomas, who predeceased him
John FitzGerald, 6th Earl of Kildare (de jure; d.c.1434), a younger son of the 4th Earl; he was forced to dispute his right to the title with a son-in-law of the 5th Earl
Thomas FitzGerald, 10th Earl of Kildare (died 1537),"Silken Thomas", eldest son of the 9th Earl, led an insurrection in Ireland and his honours were forfeit, and he died unmarried
Other titles (11th–13th Earls): Earl of Kildare and Baron of Offaly (1554)
Gerald FitzGerald, 11th Earl of Kildare (1525–1585), second son of the 9th Earl, was given a new creation in 1554 then restored to his brother's honours in 1569
Gerald (Garrett) FitzGerald, Lord Offaly (1559–1580), eldest son of the 11th Earl, predeceased his father without male issue
Gerald FitzGerald, 15th Earl of Kildare (1611–1620), only son of the 14th Earl, died in childhood
George FitzGerald, 16th Earl of Kildare (1612–1660), also 2nd Baron Offaly from 1658, a son of Thomas, himself younger brother of the 14th Earl, and the 1st Baroness Offaly
Other titles: Earl of Kildare (1316), Earl of Offaly (1761), Viscount Leinster, of Taplow in the County of Buckingham (GB 1747) andBaron of Offaly (c. 1193)
The Most Noble Maurice (FitzGerald), 6th Duke of Leinster. (1887–1922). Marquess and Earl of Kildare, County Kildare, Earl and Baron of Offaly, all in the Peerage of Ireland; Viscount Leinster of Taplow, co. Bucks, in the Peerage of Great Britain and Baron Kildare of Kildare in the Peerage of the United Kingdom;
Premier Duke and Earl of Ireland.
Other titles: Marquesse of Kildare (1761), Earl of Kildare (1316), Earl of Offaly (1761), Viscount Leinster, of Taplow in the County of Buckingham (GB 1747),Baron Offaly (1620) andBaron of Offaly (c. 1193)
As of 2024, the 9th Duke and Marquess of Leinster and 29th Earl of Kildare is Maurice FitzGerald (born 7 April 1948). Alandscape gardener by profession,[14][15] he is the elder son of the 8th Duke and his second wife, Anne.[14] He was educated atMillfield and succeeded to his father's peerages on his death in 2004.[16] On 19 February 1972, as Earl of Offaly, he married Fiona Mary Francesca Hollick. They had three children:[14]
Lady Francesca Emily Purcell FitzGerald-Hobbs (born 1976)[14]
Lady Pollyanna Louisa Clementine FitzGerald (born 1982)[14]
As Maurice FitzGerald's only son died childless in 1997, his brother,Lord John FitzGerald (1952–2015), becameheir presumptive to the peerages.[18] He died in 2015.[19] Lord John FitzGerald had two children:
James FitzGerald (1722–1773) 1st Duke of Leinster, 1st Marquess of Kildare, 20th Earl of Kildare, 1st Earl of Offaly, 1st Viscount Leinster, 1st Baron Offaly
George FitzGerald (1748–1765) styled Earl of Offaly
William Robert FitzGerald (1749–1804) 2nd Duke of Leinster, 2nd Marquess of Kildare, 21st Earl of Kildare, 2nd Earl of Offaly, 2nd Viscount Leinster, 2nd Baron Offaly
George FitzGerald (1783–1784) styled Marquess of Kildare
Augustus Frederick FitzGerald (1791–1874) 3rd Duke of Leinster, 3rd Marquess of Kildare, 22nd Earl of Kildare, 3rd Earl of Offaly, 3rd Viscount Leinster, 8th Baron Offaly
Charles William FitzGerald (1819–1887) 4th Duke of Leinster, 4th Marquess of Kildare, 23rd Earl of Kildare, 4th Earl of Offaly, 4th Viscount Leinster, 9th Baron Offaly, 1st Baron Kildare
Gerald FitzGerald (1851–1893) 5th Duke of Leinster, 5th Marquess of Kildare, 24th Earl of Kildare, 5th Earl of Offaly, 5th Viscount Leinster, 10th Baron Offaly, 2nd Baron Kildare
Maurice FitzGerald (1887–1922) 6th Duke of Leinster, 6th Marquess of Kildare, 25th Earl of Kildare, 6th Earl of Offaly, 6th Viscount Leinster, 11th Baron Offaly, 3rd Baron Kildare
Lord Desmond FitzGerald (1888–1916)
Edward FitzGerald (1892–1976) 7th Duke of Leinster, 7th Marquess of Kildare, 26th Earl of Kildare, 7th Earl of Offaly, 7th Viscount Leinster, 12th Baron Offaly, 4th Baron Kildare
Maurice FitzGerald (b. 1948) 9th Duke of Leinster, 9th Marquess of Kildare, 28th Earl of Kildare, 9th Earl of Offaly, 9th Viscount Leinster, 14th Baron Offaly, 6th Baron Kildare
The coat of arms of the Dukes of Leinster derives from the legend thatJohn FitzGerald, 1st Earl of Kildare, as a baby inWoodstock Castle, was trapped in a fire when a pet monkey rescued him. The FitzGeralds then adopted a monkey as their crest (and later supporters) and occasionally use the additional mottoNon immemor beneficii (Not forgetful of a helping hand).[22] The motto "Crom A Boo" comes from the medievalCroom Castle and "Abu", meaning "up" in Irish;Crom Abu was the FitzGeralds' medieval warcry. Crom (Croom) and Shanet (Shanid) were two castles about 16 miles apart inCounty Limerick, one being the seat of the Geraldines of Kildare, and the other that of the Geraldines ofDesmond, whose distinctive war cries were accordingly "Crom-a-boo" and "Shanet-a-boo". In 1495 an act of Parliament was passed (10 Hen. 7. c. 20 (Ir)) "to abolish the words Crom-a-boo and Butler-a-boo." The word "Abu" or "Aboo", an exclamation of defiance, was the usual termination of the war cries in Ireland, as ina' buaidh, "to victory!"[23]Saint Patrick's Saltire, a red saltire on a white field, may have been adapted from the duke's arms on the 1783 creation of theOrder of Saint Patrick, of whichthe 2nd Duke of Leinster was the senior founder knight.
.svg)
