John na Seamar Burke

John na Seamar Burke, aka John of the Shamrocks Burke, Baron Leitrim, died 1583.

Burke was one of the notorious Mac an Iarlas, whose conflict with his father, the 2nd Earl of Clanricarde, and feud with his own brother, Ulick, caused devastation to south Connacht from the early 1560s. One of his 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 buried Mullingar, Meelick and Athlone. After this he led his army west, attacked Galway, and plundered Connemara.

He was ambushed and killed by his brother Ulick 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:

• M1574.5. 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.

Children

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

Family tree

 Richard Sassanach
 =?      =?                         =?
  |       |                          |
  |       |                          |
  Ulick   John na Seamar, d. 1583.   William, 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?

References

• Burke (de Burgh), John, Terry Clavin, in Dictionary of Irish Biography from the Earliest Times to the Year 2002, pp. 39–40, 2010