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 emigrate to Hamburg, where he died in 1807. He is described as a handsome, finely formed man. 331

FitzGerald, George Robert, "Fighting FitzGerald," a noted duellist and lawless desperado, was born at Turlough, County of Roscommon, about 1748. He was of good family, nephew of the Earl of Bristol, Bishop of Derry; was educated at Eton; was received at the court of Versailles; commanded a body of the Volunteers, and in 1784 was presented with the freedom of the city of Londonderry. He brought one young wife to an early grave, mourned for her in an extravagant manner, and before long married a second. An account of his wild freaks and lawless excesses would fill a small volume. Most of his life was spent on his paternal estate in the County of Mayo. There he hunted by torchlight, terrified his friends by keeping bears and other ferocious animals as pets, erected a fort and set the law at defiance, and even held his father to ransom for a sum of £3,000. In 1782 he published a volume of 463 pages — An Appeal to the Public, relative to legal proceedings in which he had been engaged. On 12th June 1786 he was executed at Castlebar, with two accomplices, for the murder of an obnoxious attorney. Considering his station and connexions, the Irish Government showed remarkable firmness in permitting the law to take its course. His wife adhered to him to the last. His daughter, brought up by a relative, died in 1794, it is said of anguish on reading of her father's fate in an old copy of the Gentleman's Magazine, hidden away on the top shelf of a bookcase. An interesting series of articles on his life will be found in the University Magazine for 1840. 53 13. 146

FitzGerald, John FitzEdmund, Seneschal of Imokilly, in the County of Cork, was one of the most distinguished FitzGeralds of the 16th century—"the chief man of service among the rebels." He went out into insurrection with the Earl of Kildare. In 1569 Sir H. Sidney captured his castle of Ballymartyr; and eventually, with FitzMaurice, he had to submit to Sir John Perrot among the ruins of the church of Kilmallock, which they had destroyed a short time before. When FitzMaurice proceeded to France to seek assistance against England, the Seneschal was discovered to be in communication with him; and in November 1579 he threw aside the mask of loyalty and invaded the country of the Butlers, burning Nenagh and some other of Ormond's towns. Soon after, we are told, "Sir Walter Rawley returning from Dublin, had a hard escape from the Seneschal, who set on him with fourteen horse and sixty foot. . . About Twelfth-tide the Seneschal of Imokelly killed thirty-six of Pers's soldiers, and ten of Sir W. Morgan's, as they had been to get a prey." Next year he burnt down numerous towns in the Decies, and carried off 7,000 head of kine; reaping all the corn and conveying it to hiding places in the woods. In September 1582 he was m the field at the head of 200 horse and 2,000 foot; but his fortunes, like those of his friend the Earl of Desmond, were soon on the wane. Shortly before the Earl was slain, the Seneschal, much to the satisfaction, of Queen Elizabeth, submitted unconditionally; and Ormond, respecting the character of his former antagonist, successfully exerted himself to save his life. In 1585 he was committed to Dublin Castle, where he appears to have ended his troubled career early in 1589. He must not be confounded with his namesake and cousin, the following. "•'

FitzGerald, Sir John FitzEdmund, Seneschal of Imokilly, cousin of preceding, was born about 1528. He stood by the Government all through the Desmond war, although often sorely tempted to join the Earl, who was a relation of his. In July 1572 he was recommended to the Queen by Sir H. Sidney as deserving of reward for his sufferings in her service, and was granted an immediate sum of 100 marks and an annuity of 100 more out of the Munster forfeitures. When Parliament met for the arrangement of the forfeitures of the Desmond estates, he produced a feoffment which the deceased Earl had made of his property to him before the war. The dates of the document were proved to be erroneous, and his character for loyalty was compromised by this attempt to aid the family of his kinsman, and cheat the undertakers out of their prey. Nevertheless he continued to show himself "the best subject the Queen had in Munster." In March 1601, when Mountjoy sojourned at his house in Cloyne, he was knighted. He was a friend of Sir George Carew, and in his old age was in the enjoyment of as much leisure and dignity as official favour could procure for him. He died 15th January 1612, aged 84, and was buried in Cloyne Cathedral, where his monument may still be seen. '*'

FitzGibbon, John, Earl of Clare, was born near Donnybrook, in 1749. His father, a lawyer, originally was a Catholic, who had risen from obscurity to eminence, and amassed a large fortune. Young FitzGibbon, of a haughty and imperious temperament, received his early education under

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