The Cause and Course of the Desmond Rebellions

In this video, I will continue almost directly onward from where we left off with the fall of the house of Kildare. Following the defeat and execution of Thomas Fitzgerald, Henry VIII has a golden opportunity to really exert the influence of the English state in Ireland. Naturally however, the lords and landowners of Gaelic Ireland had a thing or two to say about that.
The Desmond rebellions were an inevitable response the the growth of the state in Ireland, and over the course of this video I will explain why that was.
Have a look at my blog: www.irishhistoricalstudies.blogspot.com
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[@micealocadain]

That was well presented, I always enjoy the small local stories and how they fit into the greater narrative. Thank you.

[@tippwoitours4970]

Great video. Great presentation on a complex era of history

[@historicaldelving5426]

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[@eisirt55]

Brilliantly told .

[@clem740]

Good work, thank you for this clear and interesting presentation. I am currently reading Richard Berleth's The Twilight Lords, your video does a nice job of pulling together the main events of the period.

[@historicaldelving5426]

Thank you Clem. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.

[@paulnangle1614]

Really clear and detailed, an aspect of our history that is largely unknown,

[@pescajumba]

Very informative

[@trevorfitzgerald4996]

Very interesting

[@multymedia5320]

good vid - cheers for upload

[@derekhollingsworth1704]

I notice in another video O'Neill and O'Donnell referred to as rebels. You can't be a rebel for defending yourself from an invader

[@historicaldelving5426]

To be fair O'Neill had actually sworn allegiance to the crown. He accepted an Earldom. To be clear though I never intend to cause offense with the terminology I use in these videos.

[@derekhollingsworth1704]

​@@historicaldelving5426 Thank you for your reply.
It is true that O'Neill had played the crown and was either duplicitous, or switched sides. My difficulty is that Irish historical figures who resisted invasion are always referred to as rebels. I don't think it's appropriate. Even where they may have pledged allegiance to the crown - this was often under duress.
This is particularly true of Ulster in the Nine Years War where the crown was encroaching on a Gaelic society with it's own law, customs, language and system of rule. The English were invading. The Irish were resisting. The English crown, and English language, law, customs and religion, were neither established nor welcome in Ulster.
I often wonder if the roles were switched, and Gaelic Ireland had invaded England, would English language historians regard the English as rebels?
I accept that you do not intend to cause offence, and you are only doing what the majority of historians do.
It is similar to the term famine applied to the 1845-49 mass starvation. The Irish term 'An Gorta Mór' (The Great Hunger) is more appropriate. There was no famine because there was sufficient food on the island - the dispossessed Irish working the land had no access to this food. There are connotations with the terms 'rebel' and 'famine'.

[@historicaldelving5426]

@@derekhollingsworth1704 You make a good point on the terminology. Its not an angle on the topic I had ever really considered. I appreciate you taking the time to continue the conversation, I feel that I have a new perspective.

[@derekhollingsworth1704]

@@historicaldelving5426 Thanks for you reply

[@dastardlysmatemuttley2559]

@@derekhollingsworth1704 I have the same reaction to the term "settlers".
A benign term, for what was, an invasion and colonisation that sought to exploited the indigenous population.

[@ruadhbutler9143]

Great video! Keep 'em coming!

[@historicaldelving5426]

Thank you! Another one is on the way soon enough.

[@terrell112]

What does the Cramer’s from Cork have to do with The Kingdom of Desmond out of curiosity?

[@liamfoley9614]

Thanks for this. What are the best primary sources for this period?

[@historicaldelving5426]

Hi Liam, The Annals of the four masters are a prominent primary source for this period. They go all the way up to 1616. Sections from it are available online but if you want to get your hands on a physical copy it could be expensive.

[@SonyaKenna-c1s]

My great grandfather was a Desmond son off mac

[@peoplenoodlesoup]

My family the Desmond’s are from cork Ireland. I heard they are related to the Fitzgerald’s but I don’t understand. Why are their last names Desmond? So confusing trying to trace my tree. Is their name Desmond because they were just from there or is there something more special to it than that?

[@historicaldelving5426]

Confusing isn't it! When the Fitzgeralds came over with the Norman invasion in the 12th Century, some of them settled in what is now modern county Kildare, while others went south into Cork and Kerry. The Kingdom of Desmond was an Irish Kingdom at the time which encompassed areas from the modern counties of Cork and Kerry. The name Desmond helps us to differentiate between the Kildare and Cork branches of the Geraldine line, though I'm afraid I'm not sure when the name Desmond was actually adopted.

[@darrendesmond5395]

Same here! I’m currently tracing my family tree and there are a lot of Desmond’s, but I’m grateful I’m not researching Smith!

[@cqk3578]

@@historicaldelving5426 Desmond is the anglicized deis mumhan meaning south munster.

[@historicaldelving5426]

@@cqk3578 Indeed it is. I use Desmond because that is the dominant term in the historiography, and because its more accessible to those who are unfamiliar with Irish.

[@trevorfitzgerald4996]

When this was going on there would not have been much english being spoke Would have mainly French I am assuming.

[@derekhollingsworth1704]

Not sure about the term 'Tudor reconquest'

[@historicaldelving5426]

What issue do you have with it?

[@derekhollingsworth1704]

@@historicaldelving5426 Thanks for the reply. It is my understanding that it wasn't until the so-called Flight of the Earls (I think Voyage of the Chieftains would be a better term) that England was finally able to impose some kind of administrative control over the entirety of Ireland

[@historicaldelving5426]

@@derekhollingsworth1704 I think you're correct there, in that it wasn't until the flight/voyage that real control could be exerted, but I still think Tudor reconquest is a valid term? Started by Henry VIII and overseen to its conclusion by Elizabeth after the Earls left for the continent.

[@derekhollingsworth1704]

@@historicaldelving5426 My point is that reconquest implies it had already been completed, but had slipped. It is my understanding that England did not achieve this military feat until the conclusion of the Nine Years War

[@richardcurtin8086]

Was Gerald Fitzgerald beheaded at Ballyseede castle?

[@richardcurtin8086]

Brilliant video

[@historicaldelving5426]

Hi Richard, I can't say at the moment where exactly Gerald's head was cut off, but I do know that the place he was killed in was five miles East of Tralee at Bóthar an Iarla. I'll keep looking and try to find out where the posthumous beheading took place.

[@historicaldelving5426]

@Pat Scan Ah thanks for that Pat!

[@cqk3578]

He was beheaded in Glanageenty by a soldier by the name of O'Kelly.

[@cqk3578]

He was beheaded as carrying him was slowing them down and they feared a rescue attempt,his body was later buried near Castleisland.

[@waynemcauliffe-fv5yf]

My ancestors could of been in this because the McAuliffe`s come from the McCarthy`s. Thanks mate

[@Diksjim]

Not far from castleisland in brosna is a hill called Mount macauliffe. Some branch of your clan are from that spot

[@waynemcauliffe-fv5yf]

@@Diksjim Cheers mate it. Only been in Newmarket in Cork where my ancestors come from

[@Diksjim]

@@waynemcauliffe-fv5yf yeah it's not too fat from Newmarket get the maps out and look for the hill

[@waynemcauliffe-fv5yf]

@@Diksjim Ta mate i shall return