Hon. Eleanor Butler (c. 1545 – c.1636) was countess of Desmond during her marriage to Gerald FitzGerald. She administrated the earldom during her husbands long absence in captivity. She became involved in the conflicts within the Irish aristocracy and the English Crown.
Contents
Birth and origins
Eleanor was born at Kiltinan Castle, County Tipperary, in about 1545. Her mother was Cecilia MacCarthy Reagh and her father was Edmund Butler, the baron Dunboyne.
First marriage
Early in 1565, she became the second wife of Gerald FitzGerald, the Earl of Desmond. She could speak Irish and English and her education was by private tutors. Her new husband had only recently become a widower and the marriage had several advantages. The Desmonds and the Butlers were traditional enemies of each other. Her husband received a sizable dowry and in return she received the town of Bridgeford in County Carlow which came complete with a castle. After the wedding they lived briefly together at Askeaton castle before her husband decided to do battle against the Ormonde family at the Battle of Affane. He lost and he was captured. She found herself in charge of the estate until he returned late in 1565. She was in charge of the estate again in 1568. Her husband and his brother, John, had been placed in the Tower of London the year before and there was a dispute about who should look after their estates. Butler had the two claimants arrested and she took over the administration.