The FitzGeralds are the most prominent and ancient of the Norman families who came into Ireland in the 1169 conquest. They derive their name from Gerald de Windsor, father of the Maurice FitzGerald who was among the leaders of the invasion. Over the years, they settled into Irish life, intermarried with the natives, and were involved in the revolutions, feuds and skirmishes that typified pre-Cromwellian Ireland. The senior branch of the family now have the rank of Dukes in the peerage of Ireland, although they possess little more than their pride.