Earl of Desmond

The original Barony of Desmond in the province of Munster was held by descendants of Thomas FitzMaurice, Lord OConnello. Thomas was the eldest son of Maurice FitzGerald, Lord of Lanstephan and he was a key supporter of the Lord of Pembroke known as ("Strongbow") in his 1169 invasion of Ireland. Maurice FitzGerald, Lord of Lanstephan was the founder of the FitzMaurice/FitzGerald Dynasty in Ireland. Being descended from the eldest son of Maurice FitzGerald, Lord of Lanstephan, the House of Desmond was a cadet branch of the famous Geraldines; the senior branch, the House of Kildare, were ancestors of the Dukes of Leinster, which was founded by Thomas's brother and 2nd eldest son of Maurice FitzGerald, Lord of Lanstephan namely Gerald FitzMaurice, 1st Lord of Offaly

A drawing of Maurice FitzGerald, Lord of Lanstephan, progenitor of the Irish Geraldines, from a manuscript of the Expugnatio Hibernica, an account of the 1169 invasion of Ireland written by Maurice's nephew, Gerald of Wales in 1189.

Thomas's son, John FitzThomas, became the first Baron Desmond upon receiving, for his homage and service, a grant in 1259 of the lands of Decies and Desmond from Prince Edward of England. Before passing to Edward, these lands had been held by Thomas FitzAnthony, the father of John's wife Margery FitzAnthony.[5]

The title Earl of Desmond was first created for Maurice FitzGerald, 4th Baron Desmond in about 1329.[6] Over time, according to English sources, the FitzGerald family became highly assimilated to the local Irish culture. The final Earl of Desmond of this creation was Gerald FitzGerald, the 14th (or, by some counts, the 15th or even the 16th) Earl. The FitzGeralds and Fitzmaurices had resisted the Protestant Reformation of King Henry VIII and, after the failure of the first and second Desmond Rebellions, the 15th Earl was defeated and killed by forces loyal to Queen Elizabeth I on 11 November 1583. His title, along with the enormous estates of his family, were forfeit to the English Crown. His nephew, James FitzThomas FitzGerald, the Súgán Earl, attempted to regain control of both during the Nine Years War, but he was captured by the English and executed in 1603.

The second creation was in 1600 for James FitzGerald, the "Tower Earl", who was also created Baron Inchiquin. He was the successor of Gerald FitzGerald, 14th Earl of Desmond. He assumed the title of Earl of Desmond, which had been suppressed in 1582 after the Desmond Rebellions. He spent much of his life in captivity, and was temporarily, but unsuccessfully, restored to the earldom in 1600–01 by the English in an attempt to pacify Munster during the Nine Years War. He thus became the 1st Earl of Desmond, but soon returned to England, where he died in obscurity.

The third creation was in 1619 for Richard Preston, 1st Lord Dingwall, who was also created Baron Dunmore.

The fourth creation happened while Preston was still alive, in 1622 for George Feilding, 1st Viscount Callan, second son of the Earl of Denbigh and nephew of James I's favourite and lover, George Villiers. The eight-year-old Feilding was given the right to the title Earl of Desmond as and when Preston died without a male heir. Preston had also been a favourite and probably lover of James I; he had a daughter who, the plan was, George Feilding would marry, but this did not happen. In 1628 Preston died and George was made Earl of Desmond by Charles I (Preston's Scottish Lordship of Dingwall passed to his daughter Elizabeth, the Duchess of Ormond).[7]

George Feilding's eldest son, the second Earl of Desmond, also inherited the title of third Earl of Denbigh after his uncle, the second Earl of Denbigh, died childless. The title Earl of Desmond has descended subsequently with the title Earl of Denbigh and the current holder is the twelfth Earl of Denbigh and eleventh Earl of Desmond.