Taaffe (Foxborough)
A family of Taaffe were established as landowners in the Strokestown area from the 18th century. Gerald Dillon writes that they were apparently a junior branch of the Taaffes of Smarmore Castle, county Louth. In the mid 19th century Patrick Taaffe held lands in the parishes of Elphin, Killukin and Kiltrustan, barony of Roscommon, from a number of land owners but mainly from Christopher French of Cloonyquin and James Dillon. Joanna and Julia Taaffe offered over 600 acres in county Mayo and over 1000 acres in county Roscommon for sale in the Encumbered Estates' Court in June 1856. The Mayo estates were in the barony of Costello while the Roscommon lands were in the barony of Frenchpark and were formerly the estate of Christopher Taaffe, deceased. The Mayo lands were purchased by Mr.O'Hagan in trust while the Roscommon lands were purchased by Mr. O'Grady. In the 1870s Patrick Taaffe of Foxboro, Tulsk, owned 171 acres in county Roscommon. The estate of Joseph Plunkett Taaffe in the parishes of Killukin and Kiltrustan was advertised for sale in June 1883. The Irish Times reported that this property had been purchased in trust on behalf of Dr. Scallan for £2000. Gormley states that the Taaffes had formerly been an influential family in the area but had lost their inheritence thorough maintaining a lavish lifestyle. Members of this family are buried in the graveyard of Tulsk Abbey.
Associated Families
Houses
| Name | Townland | Civil Parish | PLU | DED | Barony | County | Map Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foxborough | Foxborough | Elphin | Strokestown | Cloonyquin 93 | Roscommon | Roscommon |
OSI Ref: M852826
OS Sheet: 22 Discovery map: 33 |
Archival sources
- Encumbered Estates' Court Rentals (O'Brien), Taaffe, 12 June 1856, Vol 40, MRGS 39/019, (microfilm copy in NUIG); National Archives of Ireland
- Land Judges’ Court Rentals (O’Brien), Taaffe, 1 June 1883, Vol 145, MRGS 39/064, (microfilm copy in NUIG); National Archives of Ireland
Contemporary printed sources
- PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. ''Return of owners of land of one acre and upwards, in the several counties .... in Ireland''. HC 1876, LXXX: 319
- ''GRIFFITH'S VALUATION OF IRELAND'[Primary Valuation of Tenements]', 1850-1858. : Strokestown Union, 94
- LEET, Ambrose. ''A directory to the market towns, villages, gentlemen's seats, and other noted places in Ireland''. Dublin: Printed by B. Smith, 1814 : 189
- ORDNANCE SURVEY NAME BOOKS, County Roscommon: 14 & 31
- LEWIS, Samuel. ''A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland''. London: S. Lewis & Co., 1837: Vol I, 597
Modern printed sources
- GORMLEY, Mary (ed). ''Tulsk parish in historic Maígh Aí''. Tulsk, county Roscommon: [the author], 1989. : 150-151
- ''The Irish Genealogist'': DILLON, Gerald. Cnoc Diolun. A genealogical survey of the Dillon family in Ireland. II No.12 (July 1955), 363-367
- CRAIG, Maurice & Craig, Michael. ''Mausolea Hibernica''. Dublin: The Lilliput Press, 1999. : 110-111.
- ''Irish Times'': Land Judges Court sale reports, 2 June 1883, p.3
- ''Freeman's Journal'': Encumbered Estates Court sale reports, 13 June 1856, p.4.