[caption id="attachment_66960" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="The Knight of Glin"]
The death has taken place of Desmond Fitzgerald, the Knight of Glin, holder and the last heir to one of Ireland's oldest hereditary titles and a leading figure in the preservation of Ireland's architectural heritage.
FitzGerald, the 29th knight, died in Limerick last week after a long illness. He is survived by his wife Olda and daughters Catherine, Nesta and Honor.
Fitzgerald was the 29th Knight of Glin and was a pioneer in the field of preserving Ireland's oft neglected architectural heritage.
He joined with Desmond Guinness, founder of the Irish Georgian Society. Together the "Two Desmonds" as they were known became a formidable force in the effort to retain the legacy of a period in history when Ireland was world renowned for its architecture and art.
Fitzgerald's funeral will take place this weekend. He will lie in repose at his ancestral home of Glin Castle, on Saturday September 24. His funeral service will take place at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Glin, on Sunday.
