county · British Isles

Clanricarde

1333 CE – 1543 CE (approx.) · capital Loughrea

The Gaelicised Burke lordship of south Galway, ruled by the Mac William Uachtar, which became an earldom under Henry VIII in 1543.

Origins

When William Donn de Burgh, Earl of Ulster, was murdered in 1333, his Connacht lands were seized by his kinsmen. The southern branch, led by Ulick de Burgh, adopted the Gaelic title Mac William Uachtar, the Upper Mac William, and ruled south Galway from Loughrea.

Rule and society

The Clanricarde Burkes adopted Irish law, language and customs, intermarrying with Gaelic families while competing with the O'Briens and with Galway town. Their battles included Knockdoe in 1504, where Ulick Fionn Burke was defeated by the Earl of Kildare. Tower houses dotted their lands.

Decline and legacy

In 1543 Ulick na gCeann Burke submitted to Henry VIII and became Earl of Clanricarde in the Kingdom of Ireland. Later earls were loyal to the crown, and Ulick Burke was made Marquess of Clanricarde in 1646.

Lineage

Earldom of Ulster 1205 CE – 1333 CEClanricardeKingdom of Ireland 1542 CE – 1800 CE

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Clanricarde. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/clanricarde
MLA
“Clanricarde.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/clanricarde. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Clanricarde.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/clanricarde.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Clanricarde’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/clanricarde (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻