Owen O'Moriarty facts for kids

Owen O'Moriarty (whose name in Irish was Eoin Ó Muircheartaigh) was a brave Irish warrior and leader. He became famous for his role in the very last part of the Desmond Rebellion and for the death of Gerald FitzGerald, 15th Earl of Desmond in 1583.

Who Was Owen O'Moriarty?

The Moriartys were an important Irish family, known as a Gaelic clan. For a very long time, they lived in the middle and western parts of County Kerry. In 1583, Owen O'Moriarty was the head of this family. He was also sometimes called Owen McDonnell Moriarty.

Moriarty Family History

At one point, the Moriarty family owned a lot of land. Their property stretched from a lake called Loch Lein all the way to the Blasket Islands. They were direct descendants of an ancient group called the Eoghanacht. The Moriartys were also closely related to the Earl of Desmond, as well as the O'Donoghues and Ferriters. The main castle of the Moriarty clan was at Castledrum, which is near Castlemaine in County Kerry.

The Desmond Rebellion

The Desmond Rebellion was a big conflict in Ireland during the late 1500s. It involved the Earl of Desmond, who was fighting against the English Queen, Queen Elizabeth I. After many defeats, the Earl of Desmond had to go into hiding in western Kerry.

A Raid and a Plan

In November 1583, some of Desmond's men attacked a relative of the O'Moriartys. They stole their cattle and robbed women and children. Owen Moriarty was very upset by this. He wanted to get revenge and get the stolen cattle back.

Owen asked for help from a local English commander named Sir William Stanley. Sir William agreed to help.

The Hunt for the Earl

Owen Moriarty, along with some government soldiers and his own warriors, began to chase the Earl of Desmond. They followed him into the Slieve Mish Mountains.

Finding the Earl

They found the Earl hiding in a small cabin. He was alone, without any guards. Owen O'Moriarty tried to capture the Earl of Desmond. He grabbed him and announced that he was arresting him in the name of Queen Elizabeth and the Lord General Ormond. However, Owen and his men worried that some of Desmond's followers might be coming. Because of this fear, they ended up killing the Earl.

The Reward and Records

The government paid a large reward for the Earl of Desmond's death. It was a thousand pounds, which was a huge amount of money at that time. Owen Moriarty's own story of what happened is still kept in official government papers today.

Moriarty Family After the Rebellion

Years later, in 1652, the Moriarty family's castle at Castledrum was destroyed by forces loyal to Oliver Cromwell. One son of the family managed to escape to Ballintermon, a place near Annascaul where there was a monastery.

Modern Day Connections

The descendants of Owen Moriarty still live in Ballintermon, Annascaul. Many Moriarty families in Kerry today can trace their family history back to this branch. The Annascaul branch of the family still owns an old chalice. This special cup is said to have the Moriarty family crest and was made with silver given by Queen Elizabeth herself.

In later times, some of Owen's descendants became important local officials. For example, Timothy Moriarty (born in 1774) and his son Timothy (born in 1824) from Ballintermon were hereditary Seneschals, or Barony Constables, of Corca Dhuibhne. This meant they were important local officers in charge of law and order in that area.