Burke, Bourke, de Burgh
Burke is the most common of the Hiberno-Noman surname. It is estimated
that there are some 19,000 people with the name in Ireland today. Burke with its variant Bourke is
fourteenth on the list of commonest names.
Sir John Davis said in 1606: "there are more able men of the surname
of Bourke than of any name whatsoever in Europe". Burke came to Ireland at the
Anglo-Norman invasion in the person of William de Burgo (called William the
Conqueror by Irish annalists), who succeeded Strongbow as Chief Governor. In 1179 vast estates in Connacht were
granted to the de Burgos, or Burkes, but beyond sporadic ravaging, they did not
possess the territory until the next generation when it was regranted to Sir
Richard de Burgo, or Burke, by Henry III. This
Richard de Burgo died in 1243. He
had a son Richard from whom the Burkes or Bourkes in Co. Tipperary were
descended. This Richard had a son
Edmund who was the ancestor of the Barons of Castleconnell, the Barons of
Brittas, and the Burkes or Bourkes of Co. Limerick.
Having regard to the large number of Burkes, or Bourkes, now living the
figure 19,000 must be multiplied several times to include emigrants of Irish
stock to America and elsewhere. It
is hardly possible that all Burkes stem from the one ancestor. The name, it may be remarked, is
not found in England except in families of Irish background. Even if several different Burkes came to Ireland in the wake
of Strongbow, it is the one great family which has been so prominent in Irish
history.
The Burkes became more completely hybridized than any other Norman
family. They adopted Brehon Law and
proclaimed themselves chiefs after the Irish fashion, forming, indeed, several
septs of which the most important were known as Mac Williams Uachtar (Galway)
and Mac Williams lochtar (Mayo). Minor
branches became Mac Davie, Mac Gibbon as Gibbon.
As late as 1518, when the city of the Tribes was still hostile to its
Gaelic neighbors and the order was made that "neither O nor Mac should
strut or swagger through the streets of Galway", a more specific
instruction was issued forbidding the citizens to admit into their houses "
Burkes, Mac Williams, Kelly or any other septs". The original form of the name often used
even as late as the sixteenth century: two de Burgos were bishops of Confetti
between 1508 and 1580.
After the Battle of Kinsale at which Lord Burke of Castleconnell
distinguished himself (on the English side),
the leading Burkes displayed more loyalty to their King than to their
country, though when the two loyalties coincided during the reign of James II,
they were to be found among the leading men of the confederated Catholic and
many of the name were attained and deprived of their estates, much of which,
however, was recovered by them after the Restoration. The Earl of Clanrickarfe, whose peerage dated from 1543,
commanded one of the infantry regiments in James II's army. Of the many Burkes who took service with
continental powers after the defeat of the King, none was more distinguished
than Toby Bourke (1773-1847), a peer of France descended from the Mayo Burkes,
accompanied Wolfe Tone to Ireland in the 1798 expedition and later became a
famous Napoleonic commander. Several
other Burkes or Bourkes distinguished themselves in the army of France.
Later in the eighteenth century the
outstanding Burkes were the famous statesman Edmund Burke (1729-1797), whose
only son, Richard Burke(1758-1776), was agent of the Catholic Committee and Dr.
Thomas Burke (1758-1794), Dominican Bishop of Ossory, author of HIBERNICA
DOMINIC ANA. Another Dominican of
note was Rev. Thomas Nicholas Burke (1830-1883), Whose fame as a preacher,
especially during his visit to America, was phenomenal. Pope Pius IX called him "the prince
of preachers". His contempory,
also Galway born, Canon Ulick Bourke, P.P. (1829-1887), was a pioneer in the
Irish Language revival. Another
sensation relating to a Burke of humbler origin was the trial and execution of
the notorious William Burke (1792-1829); his activities in smothering the
victims whose bodies he sold for dissection has added a verb to the English
Language to burke. Many other
Burkes, Bourkes, and de Burgs might also be mentioned. No account of the name, however brief,
would be adequate which omitted Sir Bernard Burke (1814-1848), Ulster King of
Arms, and his fathers, John Burke (1787-1848), a Tipperary man, celebrated for
his work on genealogy, peerages and family history. Billy Burke Glenda The Good Witch of the
North in the Wizard of OZ.
ANNALS OF LOCH CE
TRANSLATION BY WILLIAM M. HENNESSY
On the 26th of January
1857, the Master of the Rolls submitted to the Treasury a proposal for the
publication of materials for the History of Ireland from the Invasion of the
Romans to the reign of Henry VIII.
Start: "The kalends of January on Friday,
the 26th of teh moon, the 15th, the age of the Lord, at that time, fourteen
years and a thousand."
The Annals are a collection
of manuscripts that were found in various parts of the Ireland. Many of these manuscripts were
translated from Celtic to Latin and Greek to Irish (Gallic) to English.
There are many references to what could be the
name of Luddy. I have picked out
some of the more prominent names and names used by other researchers of the
Luddy name.
O`Lighdha or Ua Lighdha Cairpre, herenagh of Emly 1057 Vol 1 pg 55
O`Lighdha, Finnachts, Comab of Benen, died 1243 Vol 1 pg 361
O~Laidigh , John Bishop of
Cill-Alaidh died 1280 Vol 1 pg 485. Seoan.
h. Laoroig
O~Laidigh Archdeacon of Enach-du`in died 1288 Vol. 1 pg 497
O~Laidigh, John Bishop of Killala died 1289 Vol. 1 pg. 499
The main theme in the
Annals is the overcoming of the invasion of the Irish country by foreigners. There are many references to the Norman
Invasion and the DeBurgo or Burks. The annals illustrate that as time pasted the Burks became
allies of the Gaelic Irish and fought the British Invaders. There are also references to Burks who stayed loyal to the British Crown, and as time
goes on Burks fought Burks. There
are more than 200 references to Burks in the Annals.
End: "Aedh, son of Brian, son of
Ruaidhri Mac Diarmada, died in Grainsech-na-manach, the fourth day of the month
of March 1648."
The Annals in my oppion are
very difficult reading, but anyone who wants to study the history of Ireland it
is a must to read. The Annals are
written both in Irish and English.
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