Fitton’s Galway Summons
Archived: 17 October 2026
Abstract
In 1572 Sir Edward Fitton’s Galway court and arrest of the earl of Clanricarde provoked Ulick and John Burke’s rebellion across Connacht. Supported by gallowglasses and Scottish mercenaries, they attacked castles, towns, trade routes and government allies, devastating Athenry and threatening Galway. The crown released Clanricarde to restore peace, but negotiation merely suspended disputes over succession and authority. Meanwhile, rebels unsuccessfully aided James fitz Maurice during the siege and eventual fall of Castlemaine Castle, a key stage in the first Desmond rebellion. Deaths of churchmen, learned men and civilians, alongside reported human and cattle mortality, reflected insecurity amid Tudor rule.