Landed Estates
University of Galway

Bodkin (Castletown & Mountsilk)

From the 17th century the Bodkins were established in the parish of Moylough, barony of Tiaquin, county Galway. John Bodkin leased the Castletown estate in the parish of Kilkerrin, barony of Tiaquin, from the Echlin family in 1776 and the Bingarra estate from the Bodkins of Thomastown in 1789. He also purchased land from Denis Bowes Daly in the barony of Kilconnell in 1794. He became a very extensive stock breeder and land holder. He left his property to his two sons Dominick and John Bodkin. They both were indebted to their brother-in-law, Anthony Clarke and the Bodkin estates were entangled in protracted litigation for a long period of time, resulting in their sale in the Encumbered and Landed Estates' Courts. Bingarra, barony of Tiaquin (bought by Henry Hall) and Ballybogan, barony of Kilconnell (bought by Lord Dunsandle), were advertised for sale in November 1855 and Laughill, barony of Tiaquin in November 1858. At the time of Griffith's Valuation John Bodkin owned three townlands in the parish of Dunmore, barony of Ballymoe, which were advertised for sale by Thomas James Bodkin in 1864, with Ballydoogan and the islands in the barony of Kilconnell. John Samuel Barrett of Greenhills, was the purchaser of some of these lots. The representatives of Thomas J. Bodkin are recorded as holding over 350 acres in county Galway in the 1870s. In 1808 John Bodkin of Bingarra married Margaret Bodkin of Annagh and their grandson Martin Bodkin inherited the Annagh estate, barony of Clare, following the death of his cousin Robert Bodkin of Annagh in 1881.

Associated Families

Houses

Name Townland Civil Parish PLU DED Barony County Map Ref  
Mountsilk Mountsilk Moylough Mountbellew Cooloo 153 Tiaquin Galway OSI Ref: M596499
OS Sheet: 45
Discovery map: 46 		Photo of Mountsilk
Castletown Castletown Kilkerrin Glennamaddy Kiltullagh 77 Tiaquin Galway OSI Ref: M625 571
OS Sheet: 31
Discovery map: 39
Bingarra Bingarra Monivea Loughrea Graigabbey 113 Tiaquin Galway OSI Ref: M536311
OS Sheet: 84
Discovery map: 46

Archival sources

  • Encumbered Estates’ Court Rentals (O’Brien), Bodkin, 22 Nov 1855, Vol 37, MRGS 39/017, (microfilm copy in NUIG); National Archives of Ireland
  • Encumbered Estates’ Court Rentals (O’Brien), Bodkin, 25 Nov 1858, Vol 54, MRGS 39/027, (microfilm copy in NUIG); National Archives of Ireland
  • Landed Estates’ Court Rentals (O’Brien), Bodkin, 10 Nov 1864, Vol 74, MRGS 39/037, (microfilm copy in NUIG); National Archives of Ireland

Contemporary printed sources

Modern printed sources