Landed Estates
University of Galway

Shee

Charles ffrench Blake Forster traces this family's lineage from O'Shee of county Tipperary, who later moved to county Kilkenny. George Shee, son of George Shee, married Mary Kirwan of Blindwell, county Galway and died in 1706. They were the parents of Anthony Shee of Castlebar, county Mayo, who married Margery Bourke of the Curry and Oory family. They were the parents of George Shee, created a baronet in 1794. George Shee had a successful career in India and purchased the Dunmore estate of Ralph Gore, Earl of Ross, in 1791. He was succeeded by his eldest son George in 1825. Sir George Shee 2nd baronet was a British diplomat who served in the Foreign Office and as an Envoy Extraordinary in Stuggart in 1830s and 1840s. In the mid 19th century Sir George Shee owned a large estate centred on the parish of Dunmore in the barony of Dunmore but also including much of the parishes of Clonbern and Boyounagh in the barony of Ballymoe and some of the parish of Kilkerrin, barony of Tiaquin. The Shees also had an English residence at Mudeford House, near Christchurch, Dorset. William Downes Griffiths was agent to the Shee estate for many years. The Shee barontecy became extinct in 1870 following the death of Sir George Shee 2nd baronet and the Dunmore estate passed to his nephew George Edward Dering of Lockleys, Hertfordshire. George E. Dering owned 11,206 acres in county Galway in the 1870s. http://www.osheaclan.org/Hayes.pdf

Houses

Name Townland Civil Parish PLU DED Barony County Map Ref  
Dunmore House Dunmore Demesne Dunmore Tuam Dunmore 197 Dunmore Galway OSI Ref: M507 632
OS Sheet: 17
Discovery map: 39
Photo of Dunmore House

Archival sources

  • Rent Books of the estate of Sir George Shee, 1831-1859. M3105-M3130; National Archives of Ireland
  • Rent Books of the estate of George E. Dering, 1869-1910. M4982-M5029; National Archives of Ireland
  • Correspondence of Sir George Shee 1st Bt and Sir George Shee 2nd Bt, Add MSS 47883-47892; British Library
  • Copy of confirmation of arms to George Shee of Dunmore, Co Galway, 20 Jan 1794. GO MS 103: 136; National Library of Ireland
  • Charles ffrench Blake Forster's genealogies include Shee of Dunmore. MS 13,560; National Library of Ireland
  • Dunmore House photos. 022/041; Irish Architectural Archive

Contemporary printed sources

Modern printed sources