Earl of Desmond wife Margery FitzAnthony. The title Earl of Desmond was first created for Maurice FitzGerald, 4th Baron Desmond in approximately 1329. Over time, according to English sources, the FitzGerald family became highly assimilated to the local Irish culture. The final Earl of Desmond of this creation was Gerald FitzGerald, the 15th (or, by some counts, the 16th) Earl. The FitzGeralds and Fitzmaurices to had resisted the Reformation of King Henry VIII and, after the failure of the first and second Desmond Rebellions, the 15th Earl was defeated and killed by forces loyal to Queen Elizabeth I on 11 November 1583. His
Gerald FitzGerald, 5th Earl of Kildare him the title should have passed to his brother John, de jure 6th Earl, although his son-in-law, the Earl of Ormonde, also claimed the title in right of his wife, Elizabeth. The dispute was finlly resolved in favour of John's son Thomas FitzGerald, 7th Earl of Kildare. Gerald FitzGerald, 5th Earl of Kildare Gerald FitzMaurice FitzGerald, 5th Earl of Kildare (d. before 24 June 1428) was an Irish peer. Kildare was the son of Maurice FitzGerald, 4th Earl of Kildare and Elizabeth Burghersh. Kildare served as Justiciar of Ireland in 1405. In 1407 he defeated the O'Carrol clan at Kilkenny.