General Notes

In A.D. 1168, Dermot MacMorrogh, King of Leinster, driven from histerritory by Roderick O'Conor, High King if Ireland, sought assistancefrom the Norman-Welsh and succeeded in enlisting in his cause Richard deClare, Earl of Pembroke (called Strongbow). Having reached St. David's,on his way back to Ireland, Dermot was hospitably received by DavidfitzGerald (son of Gerald of Windsor), Bishop of the diocese. Accordingto Burke's Peerage, the Bishop persuaded his brother, Maurice fitzGerald,and his half-brother, Robert fitzStephen to assist MacMorrough with theirforces.
Sometime after achieving success in that campaign, Strongbow granted toMaurice fitzGerald, known as "The Invader of Ireland",  the middlecantred of Offelan, in which Naas was situated. Offelan was a districtquite distinct from Offaly.
Maurice married Alice de Montgomery and had six sons:
1. William fitzMaurice, Baron of Naas. Confirmed in his lands in Offelanin 1185.
2. Gerald fitzMaurice, 1st Baron of Offaly, ancestor of the Dukes ofLeinster.
3. Thomas fitzMaurice, Lord of Connello, Co. Limerick. d. A.D. 1213.Ancestor of the FitzGeralds, the Earls of Desmond, the White Knight, theKnight of Glin, the Knight of Kerry, the FitzMaurice Lords of Kerry, etc.
4. Maurice fitzMaurice of Kiltrany (now Burntchurch), Co. Kilkenny.Ancestor of the Barons of Burntchurch.
5. Alexander fitzMaurice, d.s.p.
6. Robert fitzMaurice.
Burke's Peerage  (1970)