Naas and the Burgh family

Born in Drumkeen, Co. Limerick, Burgh was the third son of Ulysses Burgh, later bishop of Ardagh, and Mary de Burgh (née Kingsmill) of Ballibeg, Co. Cork. After schooling locally, he entered Trinity College Dublin in November 1685. He is thought to have served with the army of King William III, joining the Irish engineers in 1691 and rising to captain the following year. His continental service took him through the campaigns at Steenkerke, Landen and the siege of Namur in the 1690s, before he returned to Ireland around 1697 as third engineer on the Irish establishment.

He succeeded William Molyneux and William Robinson as Surveyor General on 10 July 1700, and the following year took on responsibility for Ireland’s barracks, a post renewed throughout his career. Made a freeman of Dublin in 1704 in recognition of his architectural work, he also served as lieutenant of the ordnance in Ireland from 1706 to 1714, reaching the rank of lieutenant-colonel. His standing was further marked by his appointment as a governor of the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, in 1707, and as a trustee of Dr Steevens’ Hospital in 1717. [HISTORICAL CONTENT TO BE EDITED] His later connection to Naas — as MP for the borough and through his marriage — follows in the next section.

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