to the present day. (2) Gerald, the 4th Baron Offaly, died in 1287.
He was succeeded by his cousin Maurice, as 5th Baron, who in turn
was succeeded by his cousin John Fitz Thomas Fitz Gerald, who died
comparatively young in 1316. According to the Colin Fitzgerald
theory, this John, first Earl of Kildare, was twice married, and by
his second wife had six sons, of whom Colin Fitzgerald, who really
ought to have been described as Colin Fitz John - for it will
be observed that the Chiefs in the real genealogy are invariably
described as Fitz or son of their fathers - was the eldest. This
was impossible. How could John Fitz Thomas Fitzgerald, who died
at a comparatively early age in 1316, have had a son by his second
marriage, who must have arrived at a mature age before he "was
driven" from Ireland to Scotland in 1261, and be able to fight, as
alleged by his supporters, with great distinction, as a warrior
who had already an established reputation, at the battle of Largs,
in 1263? Let us suppose that Colin's reputed father was 70 years
old when he died. He (the father) must thus have been born as
early as 1246. Let us take it that his eldest son, the reputed
Colin, by his second wife, was born when his father was only 24
years of age - say in 1270 - and the result of the Fitzgerald origin
theory would be that Colin must have fought at the battle of Largs
7 years before, according to the laws of nature, he could have
been born. In other words, he was not born, if born at all, for
seven years after the battle of Largs, four years after the reputed
charter of 1266, and 40 years subsequent to 1230, the last year
in which either of the witnesses whose names are upon the alleged
charter itself was in life. (3) But take the genealogy as given by
the upholders of the Colin Fitzgerald origin themselves Maurice,
who died in 1257, had, according to it, two sons - Thomas and Gerald.
This Thomas, they say, succeeded his father as third Lord Offaly,