Lady Joan Fitzgerald

Joan Fitzgerald
  • Countess of Ormond
  • Countess of Desmond
Bornc. 1514
Munster, Ireland
Died2 January 1565
Askeaton, County Limerick
Spouse(s)
Issue
Detail
Thomas, John, Edward, Walter, Edmund, James, Piers
FatherJames, 10th Earl of Desmond
MotherAmy O'Brien

Joan Fitzgerald, Countess of Ormond, Countess of Desmond (Irish: Siobhán Nic Gearailt) (died 1565), was an Irish noblewoman and heiress, a member of the Old English FitzGerald family, who were also known as the "Geraldines".

She married three times. Her first husband was James Butler, 9th Earl of Ormond, who had been proposed as a bridegroom for Anne Boleyn in 1522 to settle a dispute over the Ormond title and estates. Her second was Francis Bryan, a courtier and lord justice of Ireland. Her third was Gerald FitzGerald, 14th Earl of Desmond. With her last marriage she brought a period of peace between the FitzGeralds of Desmond and the Butlers, who were hereditary enemies. After her death her widower resumed the old feud by attacking her son Thomas Butler, 10th Earl of Ormond.

During her third marriage she carried on an amicable correspondence with Queen Elizabeth I of England, who recognised Lady Desmond's skill in diplomacy, and relied upon her to restore and keep the precarious peace in southern Ireland.

Family tree
Joan FitzGerald with two of her three husbands, her parents, and other selected relatives.[a]
Thomas
7th Earl

d. 1468
of Drogheda
James
8th Earl

1459–1487
Maurice
9th Earl

d. 1520
the Lame
Thomas
11th Earl

1454–1534
the Bald
John
de facto
12th Earl

d. 1536
James
10th Earl

d. 1529
Amy
O'Brien
Maurice
fitz Thomas

d. 1529
d.v.p.*
James
13th Earl

d. 1558
James
Butler
9th Earl

1496–1546
Joan
FitzGerald

d. 1565
James
12th Earl

d. 1540
Court Page
Gerald
14th Earl

c. 1533 – 1583
Rebel Earl
Thomas
10th Earl

c. 1531 – 1614
Black Tom
John of
Kilcash

d. 1570
Walter
11th Earl

1559 – 1633
'Beads'
Legend
XXXSubject of
the article
XXXEarls of
Desmond
XXXEarls of
Ormond
*d.v.p. = predeceased his father (decessit vita patris).
  1. ^ Moody, Martin & Byrne 1984, p. 168. "Fitzgeralds Earls of Desmond ..."
  2. ^ Moody, Martin & Byrne 1984, p. 169. "Butlers Earls of Ormond ..."
  3. ^ Burke 1866, pp. 205–206Genealogy of the earls of Desmond
  4. ^ Burke & Burke 1915, pp. 1548–1552Genealogy of the earls of Ormond


Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).