Quick Facts
Biography
Barnaby Fitzpatrick (born Irish: Brían Óg Mac Giolla Phádraig) (c.1485–1575) was the last person to have claim to the kingship of Osraige; forfeiting his ancestral title in favour of being created the first Lord Baron Upper Ossory by King Henry VIII of England, by patent dated 11 June 1541, as part of the King's policy of Surrender and regrant. Barnaby Fitzpatrick was subsequently knighted on 1 July 1543.
Biography
Brían Óg, finding his brother an embarrassment and a hindrance to his ambitions of becoming an English Baron, gave up his brother to the Butlers and the Butlers acted out their cruel revenge on him. That being done, Brían, in 1537, submitted to the English king and gave up all his ancient rights. Unfortunately for his kinsmen, he gave up all the rights of his kinsmen as well "who of course were not consulted as to this act of treachery towards them."So in 1541, Brían Óg became Brian (Barnaby) Fitz-Patrick, the First Baron of Upper Ossory at Castletown, and married Margaret Butler, daughter of Piers Butler, 8th Earl of Ormond, the Lord Deputy of Ireland. In this year, with Brian's submission, "chieftaincy merged into the landlord, and the clansman became mere rent-payers or tenants on their ancestral territories forever".
He was afterwards imprisoned at Waterford until he restored "some preys he had seized in Leix".
Family
About 1530, he married Margaret Butler, widow of Richard Mór Burke and widow of Thomas FitzGerald (of Desmond), first daughter of Piers Butler, 8th Earl of Ormond.They had children:
- Barnaby (c. 1533–1581), his successor and second Baron, was invited to study in London with the boy-king Edward VI, who developed a deep affection for him.
- Florence, who succeeded to Upper Ossory on the death of his brother.
- Grainne or Grizzel who was married to her first cousin, Edmund Butler, 2nd Viscount Mountgarret.
In 2002, researchers Ronan Fitzpatrick and Steve Zalewski published a book containing a list of all known descendants of Barnaby Fitz-Patrick, 1st Baron Upper Ossory; revised edition published in 2013.