Seán mac an Iarla a Búrc

Seán mac an Iarla a Búrc, aka John Burke, Baron Leitrim, died 1583.

Biography
Seán mac an Iarla a Búrc was one of the notorious half-brothers called the meic an Iarla ('sons of the earl'), whose conflicts with their father, the 2nd Earl of Clanricarde, and each other, caused devastation to south Connacht several times between the late 1560s and early 1580s.

The meic an Iarla ('sons of the Earl') were the half-brothers ... sons of Ricárd Sasanach ('the Saxon' [English]), 2nd Earl of Clanricard ... the cause [of their dissention] was the succession to earldom. [Seán] was the product of a valid marriage under Gaelic laws and his father's choice of heir. But the earldom was an English grant and under English law, the marriage of his parents was illegal, making him illigitimate and so ineligible to become earl. [He] refused to recognise this or cede any ground to Uilleag, who likewise used any means necessary to undermine his brother. Thus the two were as likely to fight each other as their enemies.

The conflicts occurred against a backdrop of ever-encroaching English government over the entire Island. The meic an Iarla used the conflicts of loyalist versus rebel, Gaeil versus Gaill, Irish versus English, Catholic verses Protestant, purely for their own ends. (Martyn, 2016, pp. 146-147)

One of a Búrc's most notorious acts was the destruction of Athenry in 1572, after which he demolished most of the castles in Clanricarde, afterwards plundering south County Galway, County Roscommon, and crossed the Shannon into County Westmeath, where he burned Mullingar, Meelick and Athlone. Following this, he led his army west, attacked Galway, and plundered Connemara.

Seán mac an Iarla a Búrc was ambushed and killed by his brother Ullleag at on 11 November 1583, and buried in Athenry. He had at least four sons, one of whom, Redmond Burke, Baron Leitrim, became an important rebel commander during the Nine Years' War.

Annalistic references
From the Annals of the Four Masters:


 * ''M1572.9.Fóccra chuirte do thabhairt la president chúiccidh Chonnacht Sir Éduard Phitun im fhel Patraicc i n-Gaillimh dá raibhe fo chumhachtaibh na bainrioghnaó Luimneach go Sligeach. Tangattar fon toghairm-sin iarla Cloinne Riocaird cona chloinn .i. Uilleacc & Sean go maithibh a muintire & Sliocht Riocaird Óicc A Búrc, & Mac Uilliam Iochtair .i. Sean A Burc mac Oiluerais mic Seain go m-Búrcachaibh Iochtarachaibh h-i maille fris & Dál c-Cais cona c-coimhtionol. Iar t-tocht dóibh i c-cend an phresident go Gaillimh, ad-chualattar dá mac iarla Cloinne Riocaird Uillecc & Sean fosccadh scceóill eiccin tres ro omhnuighsiot an president & ro élaidhset co h-inchlethe as an m-baile. Amhail at-chualaidh an presidens an ní-sin ro gabhadh maithe Cloinne Riocaird lais, & ro fhaccaibh i l-laimh isin m-baile iad, & luidh fein & an t-iarla (athair na cloinne-sin) fo rest lais go h-Áth Luain, & as-sidhe go h-Ath Cliath, & ro fháccaibh an t-iarla ann, & soais fein doridhisi go h-Ath Luain. O 'd-chualattar clann an iarla an ní-sin tuccattar esfhuaccra d'amhsaibh & d'aos tuarasdail na c-coiccríoch c-comhfhoccas tocht gan chairde ina n-dochum. Ro fregradh go neimhlescc lá Cloinn t-Suibhne Uachtair & Iochtair Chonnacht & la Cloinn n-Domhnaill Gallócclach (go n-il-chédaibh Albanach araon riú) an toghairm íshin riasiú ráinicc leó-sidhe tionol go h-aon-mhaighin. Rucc an president a dhiorma slóigh & saighdiúiridhe lais go Gaillimh, & rucc ordanás & eirghe amach na Gaillmhe lais go h-Achadh na n-Iubhar .i. baile cloinne Domhnaill Uí Flaithbertaigh, & bá h-e Murchadh na t-Tuagh mac Taidhcc Uí Fhlaithbhertaigh baoí agá tharraing ar an turus-sin. Ro fáccbadh dias do Sliocht Domhnaill Uí Fhlaithbertaigh i t-timcheall an bhaile, Ro leith-brisedh & ro lán-gabhadh an baile lasan president iar sin, & ro fhágaibh an mhéid baoí slán de ar láimh Murchaidh na t-Tuagh Uí Fhlaithbertaigh. Do fhill an president tra go Gaillimh tré Cloinn Riocaird, & tre Uibh Maine gan troid gan tachar go rainicc co h-Áth Luain./ A proclamation was issued by the President of the province of Connaught, Sir Edward Phiton, about the festival of St. Patrick, respecting a court to be held at Galway of all those who were under the authority of the Queen, from Limerick to Sligo. At this summons came the Earl of Clanrickard and his sons, Ulick and John, with the chiefs of their people; the descendants of Richard Oge Burke; the Lower Mac William, i.e. John Burke, the son of Oliver, son of John, together with the Lower Burkes; and the Dal-Cais, with their adherents. Upon their arrival before the President in Galway, the two sons of the Earl of Clanrickard, Ulick and John, heard some rumour, on account of which they dreaded the President, and privily fled from the town. When the President heard of this fact, he made prisoners of the chieftains of Clanrickard, and left them in durance in the town; and he himself, with the Earl (the father of the two already referred to, whom he had arrested), proceeded to Athlone, and from thence to Dublin, where he left the Earl, and (then) he himself returned again to Athlone. As soon as the sons of the Earl heard of that affair, they ordered the soldiers and mercenaries of the neighbouring territories to repair to them without delay. That summons was promptly responded to by the Clann-Sweeny of Upper and Lower Connaught, and by the Clann-Donnell Galloglagh (who had many hundreds of Scots along with them). Before however they had time to assemble together, the President took his forces and soldiers with him to Galway, and carried with him the ordnance and rising-out of that town to Achadh-na-n-iubhar, the castle of the sons of Donnell O'Flaherty; and it was Murrough-na-dtuagh, the son of Teige O'Flaherty, that induced him to go on this expedition. Two of the sons of Donnell O'Flaherty were left about i.e. in care of the castle. The President, after having half destroyed the castle, took complete possession of it, and left such part of it as remained undestroyed to Murrough-na-dtuagh O'Flaherty. He then returned to Galway, and passed through Clanrickard and Hy-Many to Athlone, without receiving battle or opposition.''


 * M1574.5. Clann iarla Cloinne Riocaird .i. Uilliam, & 'Sean do brisedh breithre, & braithreasa for aroile, & amhsa mhór d'Albanchaibh & d'Éirennchaibh do fhosdadh lá Sean A Búrc. Fuair iarla Urmumhan iáromh protexion dó, & do-rad braighde ré comhall don bhainríoghain ar laimh an iarla./The sons of the Earl of Clanrickard, namely, William and John, violated their pledged word and brotherly friendship ; and John Burke took many Scotch and Irish mercenaries into his service. The Earl of Ormond afterwards obtained protection for him; and he delivered up hostages into the hands of the Earl, to be kept for the Queen.


 * M1583.19. Mac iarla Chloinne Riocaird Sean A Búrc mac Riocairt Shaxanaigh mic Uillicc na c-Cend, mic Riocaird, mic Uillicc Cnuic Tuagh do mharbhadh go mio-ghaolmhar lá a dearbhrathair (Uilleacc A Búrc) ar ionnsaighidh oidhche. Monuar tra ro ba maircc daerbrathair do dhuthraccair duine mharbhadh a dherbrathar n-aile im comhroinn criche ar is bith caich ar uair an bith-so. Ba doiligh mór ná ro sccrutt Uillecc ina inntinn gur bó maol-guala gan brathair, & nách sluacch neach ina aonar. Ní h-edh-sin do-bert dia uídh acht a corp do chnes-tolladh & a thaobh do threghdadh go b'farccaibhsiot marbh gan anmain é, & as ar éiccin fuair lucht a iomchair go Baile Atha an Ríogh airm in ro h-adhnaiceadh an t-áirsigh. Bá crádh cridhe lá a thír badhéin an fhir h-íshin, ar fhephas a cheille, a chrotha, & a cheneóil, a einigh, a uaisle & a oirbhertae./The son of the Earl of Clanrickard, namely, John Burke, the son of Rickard Saxonagh, son of Ulick-na-gCeann, son of Richard, son of Ulick of Cnoc-tuagh, was unfraternally slain in an assault at night, by his brother Ulick Burke. Alas! woe to that brother who wished to slay his other brother about the partition of a territory, for this world is the world of every one in turn. It was a great pity that Ulick did not ponder within his mind that ‘shoulders are bare without a brother,’ and that ‘one makes not an army’; instead of this, he perforated his body, and pierced his side, so that he left him stretched out lifeless ; and it was with difficulty that his body was obtained by those who carried him to Athenry, where the hero was buried. The death of this good man weighed upon the hearts of the people of his territory, on account of his good sense, his personal form, his noble birth, his hospitality, his nobleness, and his renowned achievements.

Children

 * Redmond Burke, Baron Leitrim
 * William Burke, Lord of Bealatury
 * John Óge Burke
 * Tomás Burke

Family tree
Richard Sassanach =?     =?                         =?   |       |                          |   |       |                          |   Uilleag Seán, d. 1583. Uilliam, d. June 1581. =various women |  ________|__________________________________________________________________________________________________   |                          |                           |                             |                    |   |                          |                           |                             |                    |   Redmond, fl. 1580s-1602. William, fl. 1580s-1616. John Óge, executed June 1601. Tomás, fl. 1600-02. ?son, fl. 1583?