Burke Civil War 1333–38

The Burke Civil war was the name given to a conflict in Ireland, sparked by the death of William Donn de Burgh, 3rd Earl of Ulster. His only child, Elizabeth de Burgh (1332 – 1363), succeeded as Countess of Ulster and legal heir to the de Burgh estate as an infant. However Elizabeth (who lived in England, and eventually married into the English Royal family) was Countess in name only, as various factions of the de Burghs (now called Burke), fought with each other for control of the Earldom. The factions were headed by Sir Ulick Burke (d.1343), Sir Edmond Albanach Bourke (d.1375), and Sir Edmond de Burgh of Castleconnell (k.1338 - ancestor of the Bourkes of Clanwilliam in Munster).

Ulick was a great-grandson of Richard de Burgh, the illegitimate son of William de Burgh. He was the head of the Burkes based in Upper Connacht, what is now Co. Galway.

Edmond Albanach was the son of Sir William de Burgh, also know as William Liath Burke, who was the grandson of Richard Mor via his son, William Og, who was killed at the battle of Athanchip in 1270. He was the leader of the Bourkes based in mid and Lower Connacht, in what is now Co. Mayo.

Edmond of Clanwilliam was the fourth and youngest son of Richard Og, the 3rd Earl. Married to Slany ni Turlough O'Brian King of Thomond, he was based at Castle Connell in Limerick.

The eventual outcome of the war was the fragmentation of the de Burgh family into three distinct clans, all of which had several sub-septs. Ulick became the head of what was known as the Clanricarde Burkes of Galway, their title stressing their descent from William's son Richard. Their alternative title was Mac William Uachtar, i.e. the Upper Mac William. They became Earl of Clanricarde in 1543, a title held in the family till the death of the 15th Earl in 1916.

The Bourkes of Mayo fell under the leadership of Edmond Albanach, known as the Mac William Iochtar, i.e., the Lower Mac William. This title would be held by successive descendants of Edmond Albanach up to the 1590s.

Edmond of Clanwilliam was captured, jailed, starved and ultimately drowned in Lough Mask in 1338 at the instigation of Edmond Albanach. However the Bourkes of Clanwilliam survived and prospered in Munster under the leadership of his sons, Richard Bourke of Castle Connell and Walter Bourke of Ballybourneen.

Genealogical Relationship of Clanricarde, Clanwilliam and Mac William

William de Burgh (c.1160?-1204) ______________________|_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Richard Mor Richard (c.1194-1242) |
_______________________
|
Walter de Burgh, William Og William Ban 1st Earl of Ulster (k.1270)
(c.1220-71) |
| | Richard Og de Burgh, Sir William Richard 2nd Earl of Ulster |
(d.1326) | | ______________________| | |
| | | John de Burgh Sir Edmond de Burgh Sir Edmond Albanach Sir Ulick Burke of Ulster of Clanwilliam (d.1375) (d.1353) (1286-1313) (k.1338) | |
| |
William de Burgh, "Clanwilliam Bourke" "Mac William Iochtar" "Clanricarde Burke" 3rd Earl of Ulster of Limerick of Mayo of Galway (1312-33)
Elizabeth de Burgh,=Lionel of Antwerp 4th Countess of Ulster (1332-63) Philippa Plantagenet, 5th Countess of Ulster (1355-82) Roger Mortimer, 6th Earl of Ulster (1374-98)