Nicholas Purcell of Loughmoe

Who was Nicholas Purcell of Loughmoe?

Nicholas Purcell, 13th Baron of Loughmoe was the son of James Purcell of Loughmoe and the maternal nephew of James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde.

A member of the King's Privy Council, Purcell was the right-hand man to Patrick Sarsfield, Earl of Lucan. In 1687 Nicholas Purcell raised a troop of horse to support King James II — they were called the "Yellow Horse," probably on account of the uniform of the men. Nicholas fought at the Battle of the Boyne and at the Battle of Aughrim, and was a signatory to the Treaty of Limerick. He did not flee to Europe after Limerick but remained in Ireland to fight for the rights of Roman Catholics.

The Marquis de Ruvigny notes that Nicholas Purcell of Loughmoe was made Baron Loughmore by King James II in 1690. While there is little other evidence to confirm the creation of this peerage, it would enter the ranks of those titles created by the King while in exile.