(See Mairead Reidy`s beautiful illustrations in our PHOTO ALBUM, ABBEYFEALE ART section.

When Thomas Fitzgerald, 6th Earl of Desmond, approached the humble abode of one of his tenant farmers, just outside Abbeyfeale, on a dark and dreary winter’s evening in the year of Our Lord fourteen hundred and ten, little did he know that his life was about to change forever.
Thomas had left the family stronghold at Askeaton some days earlier and had travelled west to Portinaird –Purt Castle – to spend time hunting and fishing, while checking out the vast Desmond Estates along the borders of Limerick and Kerry. It was a journey that the young earl undertook on a regular basis, since inheriting the title and lands following the death of his father, John Fitzgerald, 5th Earl of Desmond, in 1399.
The remote, wooded and mountainous area around Abbeyfeale teemed with game of every description. Wild boars roamed the valleys, while higher up on the forest hillsides, sleek herds of deer grazed the grassy slopes. An abundance of hares and rabbits cavorted through the moors and boglands, and hid in the heather to avoid predatory wolves and foxes. Flocks of startled grouse and pheasant darted forth and rustled the trees as they rose swiftly into the blue sky. Gentle otters lazed by the river bank, while silver salmon leaped in bountiful unison from the clear waters of the flowing Feale. It was an idyllic and natural habitat, undisturbed and unchanged for hundreds of years, except for the occasional human intrusion.
And so, on that historic evening, Thomas and his small hunting party became so engrossed in the chase that they did not notice the approach of darkness. On the outskirts of Abbeyfeale, a damp, black mist suddenly descended, making further progress impossible. Thomas sent his servant ahead to seek out shelter, and the man returned shortly to inform his master that the house of one of his tenants, William McCormack, was close by, and that the local farmer would be honoured to receive the noble visitors and offer them food and lodgings for the night.
Thomas and his entourage arrived at the home of William McCormack and were entertained most royally. While the horses and hounds were fed and watered, the men were given dry clothes and seated down to a simple but substantial meal.
The McCormack daughters moved back and forth, carrying heaped plates of food and refilling empty goblets, while exchanging lighthearted banter with their guests. Relations between the native Irish and their Norman invaders had, over the years, improved dramatically. The strangers had enthusiastically embraced the Irish language and culture, and soon were known to be "more Irish than the Irish themselves." Meanwhile, their English Rulers in London, who saw any concession to the heathen natives as a sign of imperial weakness, viewed this turn of events with some alarm.
As the evening progressed and the company grew more convivial, Thomas began to pay particular attention to the attractive dark-haired young maiden who seemed to materialize at his elbow whenever his glass needed replenishing. Her name was Catherine, youngest daughter of William McCormack, and Thomas found himself quite captivated by the natural charm and shy beauty of this quiet, unassuming country girl. For her part, Catherine also displayed a more than passing interest in the dashing young earl and, as the candles flickered late into the night, the young couple sat and chatted, totally absorbed in each other to the exclusion of everyone else present.
In the following days and weeks, Thomas became a regular visitor to the McCormick home in Abbeyfeale, and it soon became apparent that his interest was not solely on the upkeep of his lands! He was quite happy to temporarily suspend the trappings of state and join with the locals in the tillage and harvesting of their crops. And, in the evening, he would stroll with Catherine along by the banks of the Feale, and wander through the grounds of the Cistercian Abbey, admiring the beautiful gardens so carefully cultivated by the humble monks.
As spring turned slowly in to summer, the unlikely romance between Thomas, 6th Earl of Desmond and Catherine, daughter of William McCormack, tenant farmer from Abbeyfeale, continued to flourish and bloom. And, it came as no surprise when, in due course, Thomas formally requested the hand of Catherine in marriage.
News of the impending nuptials quickly reached London, and the authorities there moved immediately to invoke the Statutes of Kilkenny, one of which prohibited mixed marriages between Normans and Gaels. Thomas was warned that he would forfeit his lands and title if he continued with the liaison.
Despite dire threats from London, Thomas pressed ahead with his wedding plans and the young couple finally exchanged vows in the summer of 1411. It is quite possible that they married in the Cistercian Monastery in Abbeyfeale but sadly, no records now remain to confirm this.
The ink was barely dry on the marriage certificate before the English Establishment moved with indecent haste to dispossess Thomas and replace him as Earl of Desmond with his uncle, James Fitzgerald. However, there was much political intrigue and petty rivalry within the corridors of power at that time, and it was not until 1422 that James was finally ratified as the 7th Earl of Desmond. (Locals would forever afterwards refer to him in derogatory terms as James the Usurper!)
Stripped of his title, Thomas now decided that his future lay outside Ireland and, late in 1411, he departed with his young wife for France. He settled in Rouen and remained there until his untimely death in 1420. He was buried in Paris with much pomp and ceremony and, among the mourners at his funeral, were the Kings of both England and France.
Thomas and Catherine had three sons; James, Maurice and John. In the years following the death of Thomas, the Fitzgerald name gained much prominence in military circles throughout Europe. The family had a strong involvement with The Irish Brigade in the eighteenth century, and the Fitzgerald Regiment played an active role in the Spanish War of Succession.
Robert, the son of Maurice, returned to Ireland in the forlorn hope of regaining the lands and title, which had been so cruelly taken from his grandfather. Just outside Adare – Ath Dara – the ford of the oaks – he fought his cousin, Gerard, The White Knight of Glin, in single combat, and killed him. From this encounter he received the surname "Adaire." Having failed in his mission to reclaim the Desmond heritage, he then sailed for Scotland and, in due course, he married Arabella, daughter of John Campbell, Lord of Argyle. The Adaire ancestry continues in Scotland to this day.
Very little is known of Catherine, following the death of Thomas. It is presumed that she remained in Rouen until her death and that she was laid to rest beside her husband, far from Ireland and from her beloved Abbeyfeale.
And so, our story ends – but not quite! Because four hundred years later, Ireland’s unofficial Poet Laureate, Thomas Moore, heard the inspiring story of the gallant earl who had given up everything for the women he loved. Moore was so moved by the romantic tale, that he composed a haunting ballad in memory of the 6th Earl of Desmond and his beautiful bride. He called it simply, "Desmond`s Song."