Maire Lynch
Maire Lynch, Countess of Clanricarde, fl. 1547.
Lynch was a member of the Tribes of Galway who married, prior to his death in 1544, Ulick na gCeann Burke, 1st Earl of Clanricarde.
The reason for the marriage was to aid Burke's assimilation into Old English society and learn English.
However, Lynch was only one of three wives that Burke was simultaneously married to( see Early Irish Law).
Upon his death, she claimed that their son, John Burke, should become 2nd Earl.
A commission established that the legitimate heir was Richard Burke, 2nd Earl of Clanricarde, son of Burke's first marriage to Grainne Ni Cearbaill of Ely O'Carroll.
Lynch was in compensation granted £ 300.00.
Her son, John, would nevertheless challenge his half- brother for the earldom in the 1550s.
In 1553, the Annals of the Four Masters state that John Burke was besieged at his castle of Binmore(" Beann- mor") by Earl Richard, but the latter had been driven off by Donnell O'Brien.
The same annals record," sub anno" 1598, that" the two sons of William, son of John Burke of Rinn- Mhil"( near Oranmore) were killed during an invasion of Galway by Hugh Roe Ó Donnell.
By 1547, Maire Lynch had remarried to Piers Martin of Galway( fl. 1547 – 60).
Adrian Martyn( 2005) believed the couple to be grandparents of Walter Martyn, Mayor of Galway for the term 1613- 14.
He accounts among her descendants Patrick Martyn fitz Walter( Mayor 1622- 23), George Martyn fitz Walter( Mayor 1631- 32), as well as other sheriffs and merchants of the town.
He further states that his research indicates that Maire and Piers are ancestors to a large section of the Martyn family of Galway, whom he terms the Clan Walter.
He places the clan in south- west Galway, in an area from Loughrea to Kilcolgan and bounded by Gort in the south.
The year of Lynch's death is unknown.
She would have been buried in the town of Galway.
Ulick Ruadh Burke
Ulick Ruadh Burke, 5th lord of Clanricarde, died 1485.
He was the son of Ulick an Fhiona Burke.
Ulick Burke, 1st Marquess of Clanricarde
Ulick MacRichard Burke, 1st Marquess of Clanricarde, 5th Earl of Clanricarde, 2nd Earl of St Albans( 1604, London – July 1657, Kent), was an Irish nobleman who was involved in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.
Lord Clanricarde was a Catholic Royalist, who had overall command of the Irish forces during the later stages of the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland.
He was created Marquess of Clanricarde in 1646.
Richard Bacach Burke
Richard Bacach Burke, The Clanricarde and Chief of the Name, died in 1538.
Burke was a son of Ulick Fionn Burke.
He succeeded his cousin, John mac Richard Mór Burke, as Clanricarde in 1538 but was deposed by his nephew, Ulick na gCeann Burke, in 1538.
All subsequent chiefs of the Galway Burkes would descend from Ulick while Richard Bachach's descendants disappeared into obscurity.
William mac an Iarla Burke
William mac an Iarla Burke, Irish lord, executed 1580.
Under the year 1581, the Annals of the Four Masters relate the story of Burke:" The son of the Earl of Clanrickard, i.e. William Burke, son of Rickard Saxonagh, son of Ulick- na- gCeann, son of Rickard, son of Ulick of Cnoc- Tuagh, was hanged at Galway, the third day after the execution of Turlough O'Brien; that is, Turlough was hanged on Thursday, and William on Saturday.
It happened that William was joined with his relatives in the war when they demolished their castles, as we have already mentioned; that he grew sorry for this, and went to Galway, under the protection of the English, the month before his execution; but some tale was fabricated against him, for which he was taken and hanged.
Such of his followers as went in under this protection were also hanged."
Burke was hanged by William Óge Martyn( died 1592) who, aware that Mayor of Galway, Dominick Lynch had a pardon for Burke, prevented the Mayor from arriving in time to stop the execution of Burke and his men.
William Burke's elder brother, and one of the two chief leaders of the Mac an Iarla wars, became Earl of Clanricarde in 1582.
Richard Burke, 2nd Earl of Clanricarde
Richard Sassanach Burke, 2nd Earl of Clanricarde, died 1582.
He was the son of Ulick na gCeann Burke, 1st Earl of Clanricarde and Grace O'Carroll.
He married: 1) Margaret O' Brien, daughter of Murrough O' Brien, 1st Earl of Thomond and Eleanor FitzGerald, before 6 October 1548; 2) Margaret O' Brien, daughter of Donough O' Brien, 2nd Earl of Thomond and Helen Butler, on 24 November 1553; and 3) Julia MacCarthy, daughter of Cormac' Oge' MacCarthy, in 1568.
He and his first wife, Margaret O'Brien( daughter of Murrough) were divorced after he claimed that she worked witchcraft against him.
As a result of his father's multiple marriages and relationships there were a number of candidates contending for title Earl of Clanricarde.
Richard, the oldest legitimate son, was the eventual successor.
He was sporadically opposed by his brothers and half- brothers, including John, who claimed the title in 1568.
Richard extended his influence at the expense of the O'Kelly's and the O' Madden's in the east of County Galway, overlordship over the O'Shaughnessey in the south, while allying himself with the O'Conor Don and the O'Brien of Thomond.
Other minor allies included the MacCostelloe and MacMorris, who acknowledged him to avoid encroachment from the Bourkes of Mayo.
In 1559 Clanricarde fought on the losing side at the Battle of Spancel Hill in County Clare as part of the Gaelic O'Brien succession dispute.
From around 1570 his sons rebelled against him and the Anglo- Irish government.
That decade witnessed regular warfare across the county which devastated towns such as Galway, Athenry and Loughrea.
At the time of his death Burke had endured imprisonment in Dublin, and repeated treachery by his sons.
After his death, further warfare was avoided when Ulick Burke killed his brother, John of the Shamrocks, and was acknowledged as the 3rd Earl of Clanricarde.
He was called" Sassanach"( Saxon, or Englishman), because of his association with the Anglo- Irish.
He died on 24 July 1582.
Richard Mór Burke
Ricarde Mor Burke, 9th lord of Clanricarde, died in 1530.
Burke was the second son of Ulick Fionn Burke, 6th Clanricarde, and Slaine Ni Con Mara (Slany MacNamara), succeeding in 1519 upon the death of his brother, Ulick Óge Burke.
He married Margaret Butler, daughter to Piers Butler, 8th Earl of Ormond (Ireland).
In 1522 he was part of a confederation of Connacht forces that marched to Sligo to give battle to the O'Donnells, who were conquering north Connacht.
However, the expedition fell apart without a fight after the failure of Conn Bacach O'Neill to defeat O'Donnell.
He was succeeded by his uncle's grandson, John mac Richard Mór Burke, who ruled till 1536.
Ulick na gCeann Burke, 1st Earl of Clanricarde
Ulick na gCeann Burke (died 1544), 12th Clanricarde and 1st Earl of Clanricarde (styled MacWilliam, and na-gCeann, meaning "of the Heads,having made a mount of the heads of men slain in battle which he covered up with earth"), was the son of Richard Mór Burke the 9th Clanricarde by a daughter of Madden of Portumna
William Burke, 7th Earl of Clanricarde
William Burke, 7th Earl of Clanricarde( died 1687), Irish peer, was the son of Sir William Burke, younger son of Ulick Burke, 3rd Earl of Clanricarde, and Joan O'Shaughnessy.
Burke had served with his brother Richard, the 6th Earl under their cousin, Ulick Burke, 5th Earl of Clanricarde, during the Irish Confederate Wars and they each succeeded to his title.
He became Lord Lieutenant of County Galway in 1680 and its Chief Governor in 1687.
His first wife was Lettice Shirley, daughter of Sir Henry Shirley and Lady Dorothy Devereux and granddaughter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex.
By her he had three sons including his heir, Richard.
His second wife was Helen, daughter of Donough MacCarty, 1st Earl of Clancarty, by whom he had two sons and two daughters.
Gilbert Talbot, 3rd Baron Talbot
Gilbert Talbot, 3rd Baron Talbot( c. 1332–1387) was an English nobleman and soldier.
He was the grandfather of John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury.

Question: Who is Ulick Na Gceann Burke, 1St Earl Of Clanricarde's paternal grandfather?