Edmund MacRichard Butler
Encyclopedia
Sir Edmund MacRichard Butler of Polestown (c.1420-13 June 1464) was the eldest son of Sir Richard Butler of Polestown
and adopted the Gaelic title of The MacRichard of Ossory.
in 1449). Edmund first came to attention in 1443 when he instigated the murder of Finan and Dermot MacGillapadraig, the sons of the King of the ruling Irish clan in Ossory
.
In 1447, Edmund founded the bridge at Carrick-on-Suir
- the first over the estuary.
In 1462, his uncle John Butler, 6th Earl of Ormond, arrived in Ireland with the objective of opening another front against the Yorkists
during the Wars of the Roses
. Enlisting Edmund MacRichard's help, he captured Waterford
and along with it, the son of the Earl of Desmond
. A long time enemy of the Butlers, Desmond had been encroaching on the weakened Butler patrimony in Co. Tipperary by moving up the Suir
valley towards Waterford. Edmund swept down to meet him but was heavily defeated, losing 400 men and was captured at the Battle of Pilltown. Ormond fled and Kilkenny was plundered by the Desmonds.
It was said that part of Edmund's ransom was paid with manuscripts from his library including the Psalter of Cashel which contained genealogies, the Calendar of Aengus and a Glossary written by Cormac mac Cullenan, King Bishop of Cashel
, which was the first comparative dictionary
written in Europe.
He was buried at Grey Friars, Kilkenny
). They had three sons, the eldest of whom succeeded him as "The MacRichard of Ossory":
Sir Richard Butler of Polestown
Sir Richard Butler of Polestown, County Kilkenny was the second son of James Butler, 3rd Earl of Ormond and Anne Welles. His older brother James inherited the earldom...
and adopted the Gaelic title of The MacRichard of Ossory.
Career
Like his father before him, Edmund was the Lord Deputy to his cousin, James Butler, 5th Earl of Ormond who was absent from Ireland (and had even given the English title of Earl of WiltshireEarl of Wiltshire
The title Earl of Wiltshire is one of the oldest in the Peerage of England, going back to the 12th century. It is currently held by the Marquess of Winchester, and is used as a courtesy title for the eldest son of the marquess....
in 1449). Edmund first came to attention in 1443 when he instigated the murder of Finan and Dermot MacGillapadraig, the sons of the King of the ruling Irish clan in Ossory
Ossory
The Irish geographical name Ossory can refer to:* Kingdom of Osraige* Roman Catholic Diocese of Ossory* Church of Ireland diocese of the Bishop of Ossory* A prophet of the Omnian religion in Terry Pratchett's Discworld...
.
In 1447, Edmund founded the bridge at Carrick-on-Suir
Carrick-on-Suir
Carrick-on-Suir is a town in South Tipperary in Ireland. As the name – meaning "the rock of the Suir" – suggests, the town is situated on the River Suir. The of the town gives the population as 5,906 and shows that it has grown by 5.7% since 2002...
- the first over the estuary.
In 1462, his uncle John Butler, 6th Earl of Ormond, arrived in Ireland with the objective of opening another front against the Yorkists
House of York
The House of York was a branch of the English royal House of Plantagenet, three members of which became English kings in the late 15th century. The House of York was descended in the paternal line from Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, the fourth surviving son of Edward III, but also represented...
during the Wars of the Roses
Wars of the Roses
The Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic civil wars for the throne of England fought between supporters of two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet: the houses of Lancaster and York...
. Enlisting Edmund MacRichard's help, he captured Waterford
Waterford
Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
and along with it, the son of the Earl of Desmond
Earl of Desmond
The title of Earl of Desmond has been held historically by lords in Ireland, first as a title outside of the peerage system and later as part of the Peerage of Ireland....
. A long time enemy of the Butlers, Desmond had been encroaching on the weakened Butler patrimony in Co. Tipperary by moving up the Suir
River Suir
The River Suir is a river in Ireland that flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Waterford after a distance of .Popular with anglers, it holds plentiful reserves of brown trout...
valley towards Waterford. Edmund swept down to meet him but was heavily defeated, losing 400 men and was captured at the Battle of Pilltown. Ormond fled and Kilkenny was plundered by the Desmonds.
It was said that part of Edmund's ransom was paid with manuscripts from his library including the Psalter of Cashel which contained genealogies, the Calendar of Aengus and a Glossary written by Cormac mac Cullenan, King Bishop of Cashel
Cashel, County Tipperary
Cashel is a town in South Tipperary in Ireland. Its population was 2936 at the 2006 census. The town gives its name to the ecclesiastical province of Cashel. Additionally, the cathedra of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly was originally in the town prior to the English Reformation....
, which was the first comparative dictionary
Dictionary
A dictionary is a collection of words in one or more specific languages, often listed alphabetically, with usage information, definitions, etymologies, phonetics, pronunciations, and other information; or a book of words in one language with their equivalents in another, also known as a lexicon...
written in Europe.
He was buried at Grey Friars, Kilkenny
Marriage and issue
He married Catherine O'Carroll, (who died in 1506) the daughter of Mulroney O'Carroll, Barbatus, King of Elyocarroll (which abutted OssoryOssory
The Irish geographical name Ossory can refer to:* Kingdom of Osraige* Roman Catholic Diocese of Ossory* Church of Ireland diocese of the Bishop of Ossory* A prophet of the Omnian religion in Terry Pratchett's Discworld...
). They had three sons, the eldest of whom succeeded him as "The MacRichard of Ossory":
- Sir James ButlerSir James ButlerSir James Butler of Polestown was the eldest son of Sir Edmund MacRichard Butler and was a warlord in Yorkist Ireland.-Career:James succeeded his father in 1464 as Lord Deputy to his absentee cousins John and Thomas, the 6th and 7th earls respectively of Ormond...
- Walter Butler of PolestownWalter Butler of PolestownWalter Butler of Polestown was the second son of Sir Edmund MacRichard Butler. His nephew Piers would become the 8th Earl of Ormond.-Issue:* Edmond Butler of Polestown, who had four sons, Walter, Peter, Theobald, and Richard....
- John Butler who had two sons,
- Pierce (the father of Richard Butler FitzPierce, who died childless)
- John óg (meaning junior) whose son William Butler FitzJohn-óg, was attainted of felony at Kilkenny and executed in Queen Elizabeth's reign.