Richard was the eldest son of Sir William Burke and Joan O'Shaughnessy. He was a first cousin to the previous Earl and had served under him in the royalist forces during the Irish Confederate Wars. When restored, the Clanricarde estates were heavily in debt and a great deal of litigation was ongoing between the interested parties.[1]
Family
Richard married Elizabeth Butler, one of the many daughters of Walter Butler, 11th Earl of Ormond. It was the second marriage for Elizabeth, who was the widow of Sir Edmond Blanchville of County Kilkenny. They had two daughters:
Lady Margaret Bourke, who married Col. Garret Moore (d.1706)
Lady Mary Bourke (d.1685), who married (1) Sir John Burke; and (2) Edward de Bermingham (d.1709).
Richard was succeeded, as Earl, by his brother, William.
Arms
Coat of arms of Richard Burke, 6th Earl of Clanricarde
Crest
A Cat-a-Mountain sejant guardant proper, collared and chained Or.
Escutcheon
Or, a cross gules in the first quarter a lion rampant sable.
Supporters
Two Cats-a-Mountain sejant guardant proper, collared and chained Or.[2][3]
Motto
UNG ROY, UNG FOY, UNG LOY(One king, one faith, one law)
Ancestry
Ancestors of Richard Burke, 6th Earl of Clanricarde
Cunningham, Bernardette (1996), "From Warlords to Landlords: Political and Social Change in Galway, 1540–1640", in Moran, Gerard; Gillespie, Raymond (eds.), Galway History and Society: Interdisciplinary Essays on the History of an Irish County, The Irish County History & Society Series, Dublin: Geography Publications, pp. 97–130
MacMahon, Michael (1983). Portumna Castle and its Lords. Portumna: Shannon Books. ISBN0-9538667-0-X.