Lord Clare "John Fitzgibbon I"

Lord Clare “John Fitzgibbon I”

John Fitzgibbon, the first earl of Clare was born in Donnybrook, Dublin in 1748. He was also the Lord Chancellor of Ireland. His father was also John Fitzgibbon and was an MP for Newcastle, co Dublin. His mother was Elinor Grove, daughter of John Groove of Ballyhimock, co Cork. He had three brothers, who tragically all died young and he had three sisters who all survived into adulthood to go on and married well into some wealthy families.

All of Fitzgibbons early family were Catholics and his enemies were said to have taunted him of this fact as they were said to have lost mass fortunes as result of not going against or betray their faith to attain there land, one case of this is when his uncle lost a state worth over £100.000 which in to days money would be millions. Perhaps this is where his hatred of Catholics stems from.

John Fitzgibbon was well educated and started in Trinity College on the 6 June 1763, as a Commoner and received his B.A. in 1766. In the same year he was in rolled in Christ Church Oxford, but was not incorporated until June 1769. He proceeded with his MA on May 9 of 1770 as was common for Irish barristers practising law. In 1772 he was admitted into the Kings Inn in Dublin, this meant that he could legally practice law. He was particularly interest in property law or torts law as we know today.

Fitzgibbon first came onto the political seen in 1778, as an elected member for Trinity College in the Irish parliament. In his first parliament speech he displayed some qualities and acquirements that shaped his future current career, “these being savage indignation against prejudice injustice and more savage demands for punishments”. He firstly was in oppission for the catholic relief bill in 1778. This was in keeping with his loyalty towards Britain.

Fitzgibbon had an excellent résumé which included attorney general, Lord Chancellor of Ireland, a barrister not to mention he was an earl and indeed the list goes on. He taught that Wolf Tone should have been hanged for his part in the rebellion and was discussed by the decision to give him respite.

When taking about John Fitzgibbon one has to touch on the “act of union” of which he played a huge role in. He was often accuse of starting off the rebellion in 17 98 just so the act of union would seam like the only option that Britain had. But in reality the rebellion was a huge Burdon to him and in fact he tried his utmost to prevent it with no success.
Fitzgibbon took on the role or was given the role of chief propagandist for the act of union and in his most famous speech in the Irish parliament to his peers (10 February 1800 he said “only the union could compel the protestants to abandon political fantasy and assume their true responsibilities, taming the civilians, the barbarians Catholics, by living on there estates and implementing some much needed improvements”. This was one of the most famous speeches of the union debates and still today, historians rein act it.

In the end John Fitzgibbon died suddenly on 28 January 1802 at his home in Dublin not long after the union was set up. And although it is not possible to give a definite diagnosis for his death it is believed that he died from cirrhosis. He was survived by his wife Lady Clare of limerick. . John Fitzgibbon was said to be very hansom, with devilishly hansom greyish eyes, it is said that even when age and alcohol took it toile on him, he still looked his best.