Earl of Desmond was the head of the Fitzmaurice/FitzGerald Dynasty in Munster. The rebellions were motivated primarily by the desire to maintain the independence of feudal lords from their monarch but also had an element of religious antagonism between Catholic Geraldines and the Protestant English state.
What are known as the Desmond Rebellions were two bouts of warfare (1569-73 and 1579-83) as the Elizabethan English state attempted to spread its authority into Munster and collided with the existing power, the Earldom of Desmond, its allies and affiliates.
From the start, Fitzmaurice’s rebellion was more successful than the Northern Rebellion and had the potential to be much more detrimental to the Queen’s rule over Ireland.
The rebellion quickly developed from the landing of a small expeditionary force of approximately sixty men into a bloody contest which engulf Munster for four and a half years.
The rebellion commenced with small numbers of English settlers being attacked and driven off their lands. Cork and other towns were then threatened.
Both sides continued fighting until 1573, when most of Fitzmaurice’s allies eventually surrendered to English troops, and Fitzmaurice finally surrendered, but managed to negotiate a pardon in exchange for a quick and docile end to the rebellion.
Desmond Rebellions in Irish province of Munster
