Gerald FitzGerald, 8th Earl of Kildare

Gerald FitzGerald Gearoid Mór Mac Gearailt
8th Earl of Kildare
Coat of arms of Sir Gerard FitzGerald, 8th Earl of Kildare
Reign	1478–1513
Predecessor	Thomas FitzGerald
successor	Gerald FitzGerald
Spouse	Alison FitzEustace Elizabeth St. John
Issue Gerald FitzGerald, 9th Earl of Kildare Lady Eleanor FitzGerald Lady Alice FitzGerald Lady Margaret FitzGerald Lady Ellis FitzGerald Sir James FitzGerald Oliver FitzGerald Richard FitzGerald Sir John FitzGerald Sir Walter FitzGerald
Noble family	FitzGerald dynasty
Father	Thomas FitzGerald
Mother	Jane FitzGerald
Born	c. 1456 Maynooth, County Kildare
Died	c. 3 September 1513 (aged 56–57) County Kildare
Religion	Roman Catholicism
Occupation	Lord High Treasurer of Ireland (1504–1514) Lord Deputy of Ireland (1477), (1479–1494), (1496–1513)

Gerald FitzGerald, 8th Earl of Kildare KG (born c. 1456 – c. 3 September 1513), known variously as "Garret the Great" (Gearóid Mór) or "The Great Earl" (An tIarla Mór), was Ireland's premier peer. He served as Lord Deputy of Ireland from 1477 to 1494, and from 1496 onwards. His power was so great that he was called "the uncrowned King of Ireland".

Gerald FitzGerald, was the son of Thomas FitzGerald, 7th Earl of Kildare and Jane FitzGerald, the daughter of "the Usurper" James FitzGerald, 6th Earl of Desmond. The Gaelicized Cambro-Norman FitzGerald dynasty had risen to become the premier Irish Gall or Old English peers in Ireland. They were descended from Gerald de Windsor and the Welsh Princess Nest ferch Rhys, the daughter of Rhys ap Tewdwr, Prince of Deheubarth. The family's deep Gaelic roots have been down-played in recent days for contemporary political reasons. In fact, Lord Gearóid or Gerald was especially exemplifying of Ireland's political and cultural autonomy as summarized in the phrase More Irish than the Irish themselves.

Gerald married Alison FitzEustace, daughter of Rowland FitzEustace, 1st Baron Portlester, with whom he had five children:

He married secondly Elizabeth St. John, daughter of Oliver St. John of Lydiard Tregoze, a cousin of Henry VII, and had a further five children: