Page:The Complete Peerage Ed 2 Vol 1.djvu/342

 292 COMPLETE PEERAGE athenry I. 1280? I. Piers (Mac Phioris, (") or Bermingham), Lord Athenry [I.], s. and h. He was fined loos. for non- attendance in Pari. (1284), 12 Edw. I, and was placed as 7th Baron C") in the Pari, of 1295. On 23 Feb. 132 1/2 he was sum. to the Scottish expedition. He may be regarded as the first of his family to obtain recognition as LORD f) ATHENRY [L], although any date given for the origin of early prescriptive Irish titles such as this must be of the nature of guess work. On 2 Dec. 1302, he presented a petition to the Pari, at Kilkenny, mentioning the death of his s. Meiler, and the minority of that son's 2 daughters. Q He distinguished himself against the native Irish. He m., istly, ( — ). He m., 2ndly, Maud, da. of Richard of Roke- by, who gave her the lands of Kencloy in Roscommon. (') He d. 2 Apr. 1307, and was bur. at Athenry Priory. n. 1307. 2. Richard (Mac Phioris, (") or Bermingham), called "of the Battles," Lord Athenry [I.], 2nd, but ist surv., s. and h. male. (') Sheriff of Connaught 1299, 13 10 and 13 16. He assisted in the victories gained over Edward Bruce and the tribe of O'Connor in 1316, (*) and is said to have been a Lord of the Great Council [L] 13 17. He m. Finola. He d. before 1322, and was bur. at Athenry Priory. His widow had dower 1322. C") in. 1321. 3. Thomas (Mac Phioris, (") or Bermingham), Lord Athenry [I.], s. and h. He was a minor in 1334. On 30 Jan. 1346 he was made King's Chief Sergeant of co. Connaught. On 4 Aug. 1356 he received a writ from the King (directed to him as " his beloved Thomas de Birmingham, Lord of Athenry ") to restrain him from making war with the Clanricardes. He m. Edina, da. of ( — ) Mc Egan.(') He d. 1373, and was bur. at Athenry Priory. His widow d. 1384. (') See note " b " on previous page. C") It is probable, however, that any such placing at this early date is immaterial. The Baron placed next to him was his first cousin, another Piers Bermingham, Baron of Thetmoy, in OfFaley. See Appendix A. at the end of this volume. (') As to certain Irish peers being described as Dominus and others as Baro, see Appendix A in this volume. V.G. C) Justiciary Rolls, Ireland. («) Plea Roll. As to the succession of the heir male in the case of ancient Baronies of Ireland, see note iub Randall, Lord Dunsany [1781]. Meiler, his elder br., being the 1st s. and h. ap. of the last Lord, having m. Joan (in the presence of the English court), d. s.p.m., v.p., before 2 Dec. 1302, leaving two daughters his coheirs, the heirs gen. of the earlier Barons. See pedigree, p. 298. C"') The battle of Athenry, 10 Aug. 13 16, was the turning point in the subjug- ation of Ireland by the English, which was completed by the battle of Dundalk, 14 Oct. 1318, won by John (of Bermingham), Earl of Louth [I.] V.G. C) Plea Roll. (') This lady has hitherto figured with the surname of "Snymecaga " !! Though having a secure feeling that this was nonsense, the Editor could do nothing to " make