Landed Estates
University of Galway

Vandeleur (Kilrush)

The Vandeleur family are descended from Maxmilian Van Der Leur, a Dutch merchant, who had settled in Ireland by the early 17th century. His son established himself in county Clare at Sixmilebridge. His grandson, the Reverend John Vandeleur, was rector of Kilrush, barony of Moyarta, county Clare in the 1680s. In 1712 the Earl of Thomond leased the Kilrush estate to Boyle Vandeleur in trust for his brother the Reverend John, who married Elizabeth Crofton, an heiress from county Limerick. From their eldest son John, who purchased the estate in 1749, descends the Vandeleurs of Kilrush. By the mid 19th century the Vandeleur estate amounted to almost 20,000 acres in county Clare. A large portion of their estate was in the barony of Moyarta, where they held at least 17 townlands in the parish of Kilrush at the time of Griffith’s Valuation, with additional lands in the parishes of Kilmacduane and Kilfearagh and in the neighbouring barony of Clonderalaw, parishes of Kilfiddane, Killofin, Killimer, Kilmihil and Kilmurry. They also held six townlands in the parish of Clooney, barony of Corcomroe, and some land in the baronies of Bunratty Lower and Ibrickane. Over 400 acres in the parish of Mungret, barony of Pubblebrien, and land in the parish of Monasteranenagh, county Limerick, also belonged to the Vandeleurs of Kilrush. John Ormsby Vandeleur played a major role in the development of the town of Kilrush in the early 19th century and built Kilrush House in 1808. He died in 1828. His son Colonel Crofton Moore Vandeleur gave land for the building of the Catholic Church, convent, a fever hospital and the workhouse but he is principally associated with the large number of evictions that took place in the Kilrush Union during the Famine years. Hector Steward Vandeleur inherited the estate in 1881 but spent very little time in county Clare and large scale evictions again took place under his ownership in the late 1880s. Kilrush House was burned down accidentally in 1897 and the estate was taken over by the Land Commission in the 1910s.

Associated Families

Houses

Name Townland Civil Parish PLU DED Barony County Map Ref  
Broomhill House Ballyurra Kilrush Kilrush Kilrush Rural 102 Moyarta Clare OSI Ref: Q994 558
OS Sheet: 67
Discovery map: 63
Kilrush House Feagarroge Kilrush Kilrush Kilmore Rural 102 Moyarta Clare OSI Ref: R007 548
OS Sheet: 67
Discovery map: 64 		Photo of Kilrush House
Shannon View Garraun Kilfearagh Kilrush Einagh 88 Moyarta Clare OSI Ref: Q931 587
OS Sheet: 56
Discovery map: 63
Pella House Leadmore East Kilrush Kilrush Kilrush Rural 102 Moyarta Clare OSI Ref: Q984 552
OS Sheet: 67
Discovery map: 63 		Photo of Pella House
Ballysheen Ballysheen Beg Kilfinaghta Tulla Rosroe 141 Bunratty Lower Clare OSI Ref: R462 678
OS Sheet: 52
Discovery map: 58 		Photo of Ballysheen
Cloonkerry House Cloonkerry West Killofin Killadysert Killofin 73 Clonderalaw Clare OSI Ref: R157 532
OS Sheet: 69
Discovery map: 64
Carrowdotia House Carrowdotia South Killimer Kilrush Kilrush Rural 102 Clonderalaw Clare OSI Ref: R038 522
OS Sheet: 67
Discovery map: 64 		Photo of Carrowdotia House
Cahercon/Cahiracon Cahiracon Kilfiddane Killadysert Rinealon 75 Clonderalaw Clare OSI Ref: R232 549
OS Sheet: 69
Discovery map: 64 		Photo of Cahercon/Cahiracon

Archival sources

  • Passport of Capt Vandeleur issued London 1 Oct 1839 & letter from Violet Vandeleur of Cahircon, Ennis, concerning the sale of her Jersey herd, 24 Mar 1920. MS 4565; National Library of Ireland
  • Pedigree of Vandeleur of Kilrush, c 1700-1880. GO MS 180: 393-395; National Library of Ireland
  • Genealogical notes on Vandeleur of Kilrush by Charles French Blake Foster, c 1865. MS 13,560; National Library of Ireland
  • Map of Lismuse, pursuant to writ of partition, Marquess of Conyngham and John O. Vandeleur, 16 Apr 1816. 21 F. 75 (2); National Library of Ireland
  • Irish Tourist Association File, Parish of Kildysert, 1940s, Clare South East 4.; Clare County Library
  • Leconfield Estate Office, deeds, leases, correspondence and other documents relating to the Vandeleur estate, county Clare, 1816-1929. Acc 1074/2 ; National Archives of Ireland
  • Estate records especially for Cos Dublin & Clare including Vandeleur estate at Kilrush, Co Clare, 1749-1950. Acc 99/13 ; National Archives of Ireland
  • William B. Fitt & Co, auctioneers, 46 O'Connell St., Limerick, inventories & valuations of Cos Limerick & Clare properties, including Cahiracon, residence of the late Captain Hector Stuart Vandeleur, 1909. Ref. 1993.0166; Limerick City Museum

Contemporary printed sources

Modern printed sources