Raymond FitzGerald

Raymond or Redmond FitzGerald, nicknamed Le Gros, (died between 1189 and 1200 [See Orpen, volume 2, p. 42] ) was a Cambro-Norman commander during the Norman conquest of Ireland.

He was the son of William FitzGerald, brother of Odo de Carew and grandson of Gerald de Windsor. He grew up in Wales.

He was sent by Strongbow to Ireland in 1170, and landed at Baginbun Head at the Hook Peninsula, near Waterford, [See Orpen, volume 1, p. 184] where he was besieged in his entrenchments by the combined Irish and Ostmen, whom he repulsed. He was Strongbow's second in command, and had the chief share in the capture of Waterford and in the successful assault on Dublin. He was sent to Aquitaine to hand over Strongbow's conquests to Henry II, but was back in Dublin in July 1171, when he led one of the sallies from the town. Strongbow offended him later by refusing him the marriage of his sister Basilea, widow of Robert de Quinci, constable of Leinster. Raymond then retired to Wales, and Hervey de Mountmaurice became constable in his place.

At the outbreak of a general rebellion against the earl in 1174, Raymond returned with his uncle Meiler Fitz Henry, after receiving a promise of marriage with Basilea. Reinstated as constable he secured a series of successes, and with the fall of Limerick in October 1175 order was restored. Mountmaurice meanwhile obtained Raymond's recall on the ground that his power threatened the royal authority, but the constable was delayed by a fresh outbreak at Limerick, the earl's troops refusing to march without him. On the death of Strongbow he was acting governor until the arrival of William Fitz Aldhelm, to whom he handed over the royal fortresses. He was deprived of his estates near Dublin and Wexford, but the Geraldines secured the recall of Fitz Aldhelm early in 1183, and regained their power and influence. In 1182 he relieved his uncle Robert Fitzstephen, who was besieged in Cork.

The time of his death is not known. He was certainly alive when John came to Ireland in 1185. Gerald of Wales did not record his death in his "Expugnatio Hibernica" which was finished in 1189. His widow Basilia married Geoffrey FitzRobert at some time between 1198 and 1201. [See Orpen, volume 2, p. 42. This time range has not been narrowed since then. See, for example, the entry Raymond fitz William at p. 473 in S. J. Connolly: "The Oxford Companion to Irish History". Oxford University Press, 1998, ISBN 0-19-211695-9] According to tradition he was buried in Molana Abbey, a monastery he was befriended with. [See p. 187 in Aubrey Gwynn and R. Neville Hadcock: "Medieval Religious Houses Ireland". 1970, Longman, London, ISBN 0582-11229-X]

Literature

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* Goddard Henry Orpen: "Ireland under the Normans". The four original volumes were published in 1911 and 1920. A new one-volume edition was published in 2005 by Four Courts, Dublin, ISBN 1-85182-715-3.

References