Rickard de Bermingham

Rickard de Bermingham (died 1322), aka Rickard Mac Fheorais, was Anglo-Irish lord of Athenry.

Rickard is reckoned third lord of Athenry and Dunmore, both in County Galway. He was a grandson of Meyler de Bermingham, the founder of Athenry. He was the chief tenant in south Connacht of Richard Óg de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster, whose desmene lands stretched from the port town of Galway to Meelick on the River Shannon, de Burgh's caput been the town of Loughrea.

Despite his ethnic background, de Bermingham and his family are always described in the Gaelic-Irish annals as Mac Fheorais, indicating his descent from Peter (Piarus, a quo Fheorais) de Bermingham. The identity of Rickard's mother is uncertain though it is thought she was Gaelic, possibly an O'Kelly.

This may explain why the family were regarded as at least semi-Gaelic by bards and seanchai so early in their history. Alternatively, the appellation Mac Fheorais may have begun with Peter of Tethmoy, father of Rickard's grandfather, Meyler de Bermingham.

Rickard is described in Leabhar na nGenealach as:

Risteard na gCath [=of the battles] – the battle of Ath na Riogh [=Athenry], the battle of Cnoc an Tochair [=Knocktopher] and the battle of Fionnlugh

He succeeded his father, Peter, around 1309. He had land around the Moy in northern Connacht, but his main estate lady between Dunmore and Athenry in what is now County Galway, the caput of the lordship been based at the latter town. Immediately due east was the Gaelic kingdom of Uí Maine, which had only been lightly settled by the Anglo-Irish, mainly along the border between it and the lordship.

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