House of Burke

The House of Burke (de Búrca; Latinised to de Burca or de Burgo) is the name given to the clan of the Anglo-Norman family at one time known as de Burgh.

The first of the family to come to Ireland was William de Burgh (c.1160?-1204), a Norman adventurer and knight who settled in Ireland in 1185. He was the elder brother of Hubert de Burgh, Earl of Kent and Justiciar of England.

The later Anglo-Irish de Burghs (the Earls of Ulster, Lords of Connaught, and Earls of Clanricarde) descend from William de Burgh.

The "Burke" surname is one of the most common in Ireland and England, particularly in north Munster and Connacht. The name derives from "burg" or "burgh", meaning fort, and is of Norman origin.

Earls of Ulster
The Earls of Ulster who belonged to this family were
 * Walter de Burgh, 1st Earl of Ulster
 * Richard Óg de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster
 * John de Burgh
 * William Donn de Burgh, 3rd Earl of Ulster
 * Elizabeth de Burgh, 4th Countess of Ulster, who married Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence; thus, the Earldom of Ulster passed into the House of Plantagenet.