Thomas  FitzGerald, 23rd Knight of Glyn, at Shannon, Ireland

Glin Castle - Knights of Glin family crest

• General Notes
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    For a history of the Knights Of Glin and Glin Castle see the website:  http://www.glincastle.com/history.html
    
    The romantically titled Knights of Glin, a branch of the great Norman family, the FitzGeralds, generically known as the Geraldines of Desmond, were granted lands in West Limerick at the end of the 12th century and became gaelicized through marriage with the daughters of local chieftains. The family has been in County Limerick ever since; I am the 29th generation living there. The Desmonds fought against the English in the 16th and 17th centuries and lost vast estates in the process. Though they were Gaelic speakers, they began to be assimilated into the 'ascendancy' class in the mid-19th century by marrying into planter families useful for their connections and wealth.
    Thomas FitzGerald built his first Norman castle on a motte at Shanid, a few miles from Glin, in about 1200. "Shanid Abu", which translated from Gaelic means "Shanid forever" was the Desmond Geraldines' war cry. Their war cry and crests are on the back of the mahogany hall chairs, on the plaster ceiling, the bayonet holders in the hall, and on the many pieces of silver in the house.
    
    The Knights of Glin are a branch of the great Norman family, the Fitzgeralds or Geraldines, Earls of Desmond who were granted extensive lands in County Limerick in the early 14th. century by their Desmond overlords.
    The Desmond family were all descended from the Norman Maurice Fitzgerald, a companion-in-arms to Strongbow. Maurice was the son of Gerald of Windsor and his wife the Welsh Princess Nesta.
    The Fitzgeralds came to Ireland from Wales in the 1170's as mercenaries, at the request of King Dermot MacMurrough to help him subdue his subjects.
    Three of the cadet branches of the Desmond lordship were known as the White Knight, the Knight of Glin and the Knight of Kerry.
    The last White Knight, Maurice Og FitzGibbon died in 1611 and the title is now believed to be extinct.
    Maurice's son , Thomas FitzMaurice FitzGerald was granted Shanid in West Limerick in 1197 where he built a polygonal keep, on a motte, in about 1200. 'Shanid Abu' means 'Shanid for ever' and was always the Desmond Geraldines war-cry. It can be seen on the coat-of-arms on the ceiling of Glin Castle and on many pieces of silver in the house.
    The Knights of Glin were granted the barony of Kenry bordering the banks of the Shannon, near the great Desmond castle of Askeaton. In the Middle Ages the holder of the title was known as 'the Knight of the Glen' or 'the Knight of the Valley'. The Knights held extensive lands along the valley of the river Shannon between Limerick and the sea. They then owned a large number of tower houses in this area including Shanpallas and Cappagh near Rathkeale. The lands around Glin on the Kerry border made up another defensive area marching with those of the Gaelic chieftain the O'Connor of Kerry.
    The Glin FitzGeralds survived the Elizabethan, Cromwellian and Jacobite Wars. They then fought against the English with their kinsmen the Earls of Desmond. Thomas FitzGerald was hanged, drawn and quartered by the English forces in Limerick in 1567. He was heir of the then Knight and legend has it that his mother seized his severed head, drank his blood before carrying his dismembered body to Lislaughtin Abbey.
    One of the Knights of Glin's castles in Co. Limerick, the old Glin castle (now a ruin in Glin village), was dramatically besieged by Elizabeth's forces in July 1600, during the uprising of the 'Sugan' or 'Straw' Earl of Desmond. Before the siege Sir George Carew captured the Knight's six-year-old son, tied him to the mouth of a cannon and threatened to blow him to pieces unless the Knight did not surrender. The Knight replied bluntly that he was virile and his wife was strong and it would be easy to produce another son.'
    The Knight managed to hold on to the last portion of his estates which consisted of some 15, 000 acres and included the castle at Glin.