Earldom of Desmond: Map & History
Earl of Desmond is a title of nobility created by the English monarch in the peerage of Ireland.
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Earl of Desmond is a title of nobility created by the English monarch in the peerage of Ireland. The title has been created four times. It was first awarded in 1329 to Maurice FitzGerald, 4th Baron Desmond, a Hiberno-Norman lord in Southwest Ireland, and it was held by his descendants until 1583 when they rose against the English crown in the Desmond Rebellions. Following two short-lived recreations of the title in the early 1600s, the title has been held since 1628 by the Feilding family of Warwickshire, England. The current holder is Alexander Feilding, 12th Earl of Denbigh and 11th Earl of Desmond. The earldom held by the Fitzgerald family historically comprised what is now the entirety of County Limerick with large swathes of County Cork, County Kerry and County Waterford also being included. It bordered the Kingdom of Desmond, Kingdom of Thomond and the Earldom of Ormond
Modern Countries Once Part of Earldom of Desmond
At its mapped extent, Earldom of Desmond covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Earldom of Desmond's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Earldom of Desmond in Depth
Summary of history of the title
The Munster Desmonds were a cadet (junior) branch of the powerful FitzGerald dynasty who came to Ireland from Wales as part of the 12th century Anglo-Norman invasion. Over the following centuries, the FitzGeralds famously assimilated themselves in Ireland, and, in the late 16th century Tudor conquest of Ireland, they took arms against the Protestant English Crown in the Desmond Rebellions. As a result, the family's estates were confiscated, the earl beheaded and the title suppressed.
The English government imprisoned James FitzGerald, the eldest son of the last earl, in the Tower of London for decades. However, in 1600, during the Nine Years War, in an attempt to pacify the people of Munster, James was freed and title recreated for him though without right of inheritance.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Earl of Desmond (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Earldom of Desmond Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Earldom of Desmond appears, with the other states of the time.
Earldom of Desmond Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 20,188 km² in 1408 CE.
Earldom of Desmond: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Earldom of Desmond exist?
Earldom of Desmond is dated to 1333 CE – 1458 CE, in the High & Late Middle Ages era.
How large was Earldom of Desmond at its peak?
At its peak in 1408 AD Earldom of Desmond covered about 20,188 km².
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