Earldom of Kildare
| Dukedom of Leinster | |
|---|---|
 Argent a saltire gules
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| Creation date | 26 November 1766 |
| Monarch | George III |
| Peerage | Peerage of Ireland |
| First holder | James FitzGerald, 1st Marquess of Kildare |
| Present holder | Maurice FitzGerald, 9th Duke |
| Heir presumptive | Edward FitzGerald (nephew of the present holder) |
| Remainder to | the 1st Duke's heirs male of the body lawfully begotten |
| Subsidiary titles | Marquess of Kildare Earl of Kildare Earl of Offaly Viscount Leinster Baron Offaly Baron Kildare |
| Former seat(s) |
Maynooth Castle Kilkea Castle Leinster House Carton House |
Duke of Leinster (/ˈlɪnstər/;Irish: Diúc Laighean) is a title in the Peerage of Ireland and the premier dukedom in that peerage. The subsidiary titles of the Duke of Leinster are: Marquess of Kildare (1761), Earl of Kildare (1316), Earl of Offaly (1761), Viscount Leinster, of Taplow in the County of Buckingham (1747), Baron Offaly (1620) and Baron Kildare, of Kildare in the County of Kildare (1870). The viscounty of Leinster is in the Peerage of Great Britain, the barony of Kildare in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, and all other titles in the Peerage of Ireland. The courtesy title of the eldest son and heir of the Duke of Leinster is Marquess of Kildare.
The family seat now is Oakley Park, near Abingdon, Oxfordshire.
This branch of the Welsh-Norman FitzGerald dynasty, which came to Ireland in 1169, were initially created Earls of Kildare. The earldom was created in 1316 for John FitzGerald. Two senior FitzGeralds, Garret Mór FitzGerald and his son, Garret Óg FitzGerald served as Lords Deputy of Ireland (the representative of the Lord of Ireland (the King of England) in Ireland). The tenth Earl, Thomas FitzGerald, known as Silken Thomas, was attainted and his honours were forfeit in 1537. In 1554, Thomas's half-brother and only male heir, Gerald FitzGerald, was created Earl of Kildare in the Peerage of Ireland. He was subsequently restored to the original Patent in 1569, as 11th earl. The second (1554-created) earldom became extinct in 1599, although the original earldom survived.
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