The Clanricarde

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The Clanricarde, or the Mac William Uachtar, was a title held by twelve members of the Irish Burke family of Clanricarde between 1332 and 1544.

Clanricarde was a Gaelic title whose literal meaning was "Richard's family", or "(head of) Richard's family". The Richard in question was the illegitimate son of William de Burgh, whose great-great grandson became the first Clanricarde in the 1330s. The title was first recorded in 1335, and had probably being used informally for a few generations. However, with the advent of the Burke Civil War 1333-38 it came to denote the head of the Burkes of Upper or south Connacht based largely in what is now east and central Co. Galway. Simultaneously it was used to describe the lands held by the family.

Twelve men were recognised as The Clanricarde between 1332 and 1544. In 1543 Ulick na gCeann Burke accepted the title Earl of Clanricarde from Henry VIII and from that point onwards the heads of the family remained mostly loyal to the crown of England. Because of this the use of Clanricarde continued, although that of Mac William Iochtar was abandoned.

The title of Earl became extinct in the male line in 1916 with the death of the 15th Earl, but thanks to a second creation in 1800, it was transferred though the female line in 1916. This meant that the 6th Marquess of Sligo, George Ulick Browne, automatically became the 4th Earl of Clanricarde (Second Creation). The current incumbent is Jeremy Ulick Browne, 9th Earl Clanricarde, 11th Marquess Sligo.