Landed Estates
University of Galway

Keane (Beech Park)

The Keanes were established in county Clare from at least the mid 17th century and were residing at Beech Park in the parish of Drumcliff, barony of Islands by the beginning of the 19th century. In 1799 Robert Keane (1774-1839) married Jane Delahunty, whose mother Susan was the only daughter and heiress of James Colpoys of Crusheen, and they had a family of eight sons and five daughters. Robert Keane built Beech Park circa 1800 and established a land agency. The Keanes of Hermitage, near Ennis, descend from his second son Francis. His sixth son Marcus of Beech Park married Louisa daughter of Nicholas Westby of Kilballyowen and took over his father’s land agency. His main clients were the Westby, Conyngham and Henn estates. On these estates he carried out many evictions and so became very unpopular. His younger brother Henry Keane and Basil Lukey Davoren were two of his underagents. In the early 1850s he bought 1,000 acres at Enogh, barony of Moyarta, from the sale of the Hickman of Kilmore estate. In the mid 19th century Marcus Keane held land in the parishes of Kilmaley and Drumcliff, barony of Islands, Inchicronan, barony of Bunratty Upper, Kilchreest, barony of Clonderalaw. Some of his brothers also held land in the parish of Kilmaley and in the parish of Kilballyowen, barony of Moyarta where the Keanes had a summer residence at Doondahlin, Kilbaha. By the 1870s Marcus Keane’s estate had grown to 4,784 acres in county Clare. 168 acres was vested in the Congested Districts' Board in November 1915.

Associated Families

Houses

Name Townland Civil Parish PLU DED Barony County Map Ref  
Doondalhen Kilbaha South Kilballyowen Kilrush Kilballyowen 76 Moyarta Clare OSI Ref: Q736 476
OS Sheet: 71
Discovery map: 63
Kilballyowen Lodge Kilballyowen Kilballyowen Kilrush Kilballyowen 76 Moyarta Clare OSI Ref: Q801 502
OS Sheet: 65
Discovery map: 63
Beech Park Ballymacaula Drumcliffe Ennis Killaniv 36 Islands Clare OSI Ref: R312 763
OS Sheet: 33
Discovery map: 57
Hermitage Cloghleagh Drumcliff Ennis Ennis Rural 26 Islands Clare OSI Ref: R327 775
OS Sheet: 33
Discovery map: 57
Mobarnan Mobarnan Magorban Cashel Ardsallagh 40 Middlethird Tipperary OSI Ref: S168 399
OS Sheet: 62
Discovery map: 66 		Photo of Mobarnan

Archival sources

  • Copy of confirmation of arms to descendants of Charles Keane of Corbally, & to his grandson Francis Nicholas Keane of Hermitage, 25 Apr 1857. GO MS 108: 171-172; National Library of Ireland
  • Copy of grant of arms to descendants of John Henry Keane of Kilrush, son of Patrick Keane & to second son of said John Henry being Major Gerald Joseph Keane MD, 18 July 1929. GO MS 111c: 119; National Library of Ireland
  • Genealogical notes on Kiane of Beech Park by Charles French Blake Foster, c 1865. MS 13,560; National Library of Ireland
  • Encumbered Estates’ Court Rentals (Dunboyne), Gregg, 4 July 1857, Vol 10, 81-89; James Hardiman Library, University of Galway
  • Encumbered Estates’ Court Rentals (O’Brien), Gregg, 4 July 1857, Vol 47 (13), MRGS 39/0, (microfilm copy in NUIG); National Archives of Ireland
  • Landed Estates’ Court Rentals (Dunboyne), Plunkett, 15 Oct 1860, Vol 29, 203-242; James Hardiman Library, University of Galway
  • Landed Estates’ Court Rentals (O’Brien), Plunkett, 15 Oct 1860, Vol 60 (9), MRGS 39/030, (microfilm copy in NUIG); National Archives of Ireland
  • Landed Estates’ Court Rentals (Dunboyne), Pilkington & Keane, 2 Mar 1866, Vol 24, 15-24; James Hardiman Library, University of Galway
  • Landed Estates’ Court Rentals (O’Brien), Pilkington & Keane, 2 Mar 1866, Vol 80 (51), MRGS 39/039, (microfilm copy in NUIG); National Archives of Ireland
  • Conyngham Estate Papers, Collection List 53, MSS 35,339-35,434; National Library of Ireland
  • Catalogue of sale of contents of Beechmount, on the directions of Marcus Keane, 30 June 1925. LM1994.0022; Limerick City Museum
  • Wardenstown Papers, includes an assignment of Mogowna, Co Clare, Robert Kean the younger, Kildeema, Co Clare to William Stacpoole, Edenvale, 1783, formerly leased by Francis Pierpoint Burton to R. Kean. D.3549 ; Public Record Office, Northern Ireland

Contemporary printed sources

Modern printed sources