Landed Estates
University of Galway

D'Arcy (Newforest)

This branch of the D'Arcy family were descended from Martin D'Arcy, second son of James 'Riveagh' D'Arcy, and were settled at Rockvale on the northern border of county Clare from the late 17th century. The Newforest estate, parish of Kilkerrin, barony of Tiaquin, county Galway, was in the shared ownership of this branch of the D'Arcy family and the D'Arcys of Kiltullagh and Clifden from the 17th century. In 1754 the estate was officially divided between the two branches. The D'Arcys of Clifden sold their part of the estate in 1850 to Thomas Eyre. Richard D'Arcy built a house on the Newforest estate soon after the division of the land and the Newforest estate remained in the possession of the D'Arcy family into the 20th century. He also built a house at Rockvale on his county Clare estate in the parish of Kilkeedy, barony of Inchiquin. He purchased 2,782 acres in that parish from the sale of the estate of the Marquis of Thomond in 1857. The Newforest estate was expanded with the purchase of the Fiddane estate of the Kellys in the 19th century, which McCarthy writes amounted to over 7,000 acres. In 1844 the D'Arcys also inherited the Fisherhill estate of their cousins, the Blakes. At the time of Griffith's Valuation the D'Arcys had lands in county Mayo in the parishes of Kilconduff and Killasser, barony of Gallen, and in the parish of Breaghwy, barony of Carra. Over 1100 acres of the D'Arcy estate in county Mayo was sold to the Congested Districts' Board on 28 July 1903 and 4395 acres was vested in the Board in March 1915. In the mid 19th century the Newforest estate was divided between two brothers James and Martin D'Arcy. Martin D'Arcy and his descendants lived at Wellfort, previously part of the Kelly estate. In the 1870s Hyacinth D'Arcy of Newforest owned 4,434 acres in county Galway, 3,871 acres in county Mayo and 3,129 acres in county Clare. The Newforest estate was divided among the tenants in the early 20th century but the D'Arcy family retained the home farm until the 1950s when it was bought by the Land Commission and the house demolished.

Associated Families

Houses

Name Townland Civil Parish PLU DED Barony County Map Ref  
Fisherhill Carrownurlaur Breaghwy Castlebar Breaghwy 63 Carra Mayo OSI Ref: M179 896
OS Sheet: 79
Discovery map: 31 		Photo of Fisherhill
Newforest Newforest Kilkerrin Glennamaddy Curraghmore 75 Tiaquin Galway OSI Ref: M681 548
OS Sheet: 32
Discovery map: 39 		Photo of Newforest
Rockvale Rockvale Kilkeedy Corrofin Boston 13 Inchiquin Clare OSI Ref: R385 985
OS Sheet: 11
Discovery map: 52 		Photo of Rockvale

Archival sources

  • Kelly and D'Arcy Papers. LE15 ; James Hardiman Library, University of Galway
  • Landed Estates' Court Rentals (O'Brien), Ireland, 21 June 1879, Vol 136, MRGS 39/060, (microfilm copy in NUIG); National Archives of Ireland
  • Estate rental, 1876. Acc. 4167; National Library of Ireland
  • Encumbered Estates' Court Rentals (O'Brien), D'Arcy, 20 Apr 1850, Vol 1, MRGS 39/001, (microfilm copy in NUIG); National Archives of Ireland
  • D'Arcy Papers, contact Gerard McCarthy, Kilkerrin; Private Possession
  • Estate records of Denis J. Kirwan and Sons, land agents, Tuam, mid 19th - mid 20th centuries, including account book of rents received, 1909-1921. Acc. No. 5124; National Library of Ireland

Contemporary printed sources

Modern printed sources