Landed Estates
University of Galway

Boyle (Earl of Cork and Orrery)

Richard Boyle was created 1st Earl of Cork in the 1620s. The Earl of Cork’s main estates were in counties Cork and Waterford but the estate also owned significant property in county Kerry, including lands in the baronies of Corkaguiny and Dunkerron South. Smith indicates that these were purchased from John Chapman and John Stone, the original grantees after the Desmond rebellion. Roger Boyle, a younger son of the 1st Earl of Cork, was created Earl of Orrery in 1660 and was granted lands in counties Cork, Kerry, Limerick and Kilkenny in 1666 amounting to almost 14,000 acres. Roger's great grandson, John Boyle, 5th Earl of Orrery, succeeded as 5th Earl of Cork in 1753. At this time the Lismore estate and estates in England, previously part of the Boyle estate, passed to the Cavendish family. In 1748 William Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington and later 4th Duke of Devonshire, married Charlotte Boyle, only surviving child of the 3rd Earl of Burlington and 4th Earl of Cork. The Earls of Shannon descend from a younger brother of Roger, 2nd Earl of Orrery. Richard Boyle 1st Earl of Cork had been succeeded by his son Richard [who was the 2nd Earl of Cork and 1st Earl of Burlington]. It was his grandson Richard, 4th Earl, who died without male heirs in 1753. The Lismore Castle Papers now in the National Library contain extensive documentation relating to the Earl of Cork's Irish estates in the first half of the 18th century. In 1840, the Ordnance Survey Name Books indicate that some of the Boyle estate in the barony of Corkaguiny, county Kerry, was leased to Clara Hussey and that Daniel Leahy acted as agent. At the time of Griffith’s Valuation, the O’Connell property at Derrynane was being leased from this estate by Maurice O’Connell. In the mid 19th century the Earl of Cork's county Cork estate was in the parishes of Kilbrin, Knocktemple, Tullylease and Clonmeen, barony of Duhallow, Ballyhay, Rathgoggan and Shandrum, barony of Orrery and Kilmore, St Marys Shandon, barony of Cork. In the 1870s, when the Earl’s main address was at Frome in Somerset, England, his property in Kerry amounted to over 11,500 acres as well as over 20,000 acres in county Cork and 3,000 acres in county Limerick. His county Limerick estate was in the parishes of Askeaton, barony of Connello Lower, Cloncagh, barony of Connello Upper, Kilmoylan and Robertstown, barony of Shanid and Hacymys, barony of Coshma. Over 1100 acres of the Earl's estate in Kerry, including the Blasket Islands, was acquired by the Congested Districts Board in 1907. The Boyle family, Earls of Cork, acquired some of the O'Hara lands in county Sligo in the 17th century. Some of these were later sold in the early 18th century to pay the debts of Charles Boyle, 3rd Earl of Cork.

Associated Families

Houses

Name Townland Civil Parish PLU DED Barony County Map Ref  
Ballintermon House Ballintermon Ballynacourty Dingle Ballinvoher 23 Corkaguiny Kerry OSI Ref: Q605029
OS Sheet: 45
Discovery map: 71
Fermoyle House Fermoyle Cloghane Dingle Stradbally 33 Corkaguiny Kerry OSI Ref: Q546119
OS Sheet: 35
Discovery map: 70 		Photo of Fermoyle House
Derrynane Abbey Darrynane More Kilcrohane Caherciveen Darrynane 7 Dunkerron South Kerry OSI Ref: V529587
OS Sheet: 106
Discovery map: 84 		Photo of Derrynane Abbey
Old Abbey Oldabbey Robertstown Rathkeale Shanid 143 Shanid Limerick OSI Ref: R279 473
OS Sheet: 19
Discovery map: 64 		Photo of Old Abbey
Shanakiel Shanakiel St Marys Shandon Cork St Marys Cork and Municipal Borough Cork OSI Ref: W654 717
OS Sheet: 74
Discovery map: 87

Archival sources

  • MARSTON BIGOT, ETC. deeds DD\BR\wj/16 1785-1890: Settlements relating to the Earl of Cork's Irish Estates. ; Somerset Archive and Record Service
  • Indenture between the Earl of Orrery and Charles Boyle on the one hand and Robert French on the other concerning lands in Dingle, 1751. RIA Ms.4 B 39. ; Royal Irish Academy Library
  • Orrery papers: Folder I: rentals & associated documents relating to the Irish estates of the Boyle family. [microfilm copy at National Library of Ireland, n.6268, p.7074.]; Petworth Papers
  • Deeds and conveyences of estates sold, 1705, 1713-16. Lismore Papers, Ms. 6146. ; National Library of Ireland
  • Lease book of Lionel, Earl of Orrery, re property in Cos Cork & Limerick, 1692-1693, letters & documents re John Honohane, steward of estate of Lord Orrery, 1703-1731, letters of Richard Purcell, agent, 1737-1738. (Originals in Harvard University Library, Ms. Eng. 218, 19, 24 & 25). Microfilm P.792 ; National Library of Ireland
  • Letters & papers, including documents re Boyle estates in Cos Cork & Limerick, 17th century. MSS 13,177-13,255; National Library of Ireland
  • 13 deeds re properties in Limerick city & Askeaton, Co Limerick of Boyle family, Earls of Orrery, 1670-1680. D 22,023-22,035; National Library of Ireland
  • Orrery Papers, folder 18, miscellaneous accounts mainly household but also re Orrery estates in Cos Cork & Limerick, 1680-1689 (originals at Petworth House). Microfilm P. 7075; National Library of Ireland
  • Letter of Thomas Gibbings re agency of the Earl of Cork’s estates in Co Limerick, 2 Dec 1826. MS 15,766; National Library of Ireland
  • Boyle Family, Earls of Burlington and Cork, Irish Estate Papers, 1632-1877. Q/CML; London Metropolitan Archives: city of London
  • Deeds re the Boyle estates in Cos Limerick & Kerry, 1753-1756. 1095/11; National Archives of Ireland
  • Volume of Orrery papers re property on Co Cork, 1641-1700. Small Accs Index 67 (Sotherbys), M.2449; National Archives of Ireland
  • Lismore Papers, Ms. 6256 Yearly tenancies granted by Richard Boyle, 4th Earl of Cork, in counties Waterford, Cork and Tipperary, 1720 - 1727; National Library of Ireland
  • Lismore Papers, Ms. 6359 Rental of the estates of Richard Boyle, 4th Earl of Cork, in the county of Cork, together with general disbursements, 1706; National Library of Ireland
  • Rentals of the estates of Richard Boyle, 4th Earl of Cork, in the county of Cork, 1712. Lismore Papers, Mss. 6346-6437 ; National Library of Ireland
  • Rental and survey of lands in cos. Cork, Waterford, Tipperary, etc., made over by Richard Boyle, Earl of Cork, to his son Richard, afterwards 2nd earl, c.1630; with index of lessees. Lismore Papers, Ms. 1640 ; National Library of Ireland
  • Account book of rents, crown-rents and current estate expenses of the Enniskean and Clonakilty, Co. Cork estates of Richard Boyle, 4th Earl of Cork, 1733 - 1735. Lismore Papers, Ms. 6152 ; National Library of Ireland
  • 17th Irish Estate Papers; Chatsworth House Archives
  • Sir William Heathcote Papers, 19 documents regarding estate business of Sir William Heathcote, consisting mostly of particulars of land/rents bought and rented by the Earl of Cork and Burlington and Jonathan Burnwood in Co. Cork, as well as a list of Lords and Gentlemen having estates in Ireland, 1737-1742. Also correspondence 1717-1823. T3091/A2/34-52 & T3091/A3; Public Record Office, Northern Ireland
  • Chatsworth Papers, photocopies of c.1,925 documents volumes, constituting four main blocks of correspondence relating to Ireland during the period 1693-1812: 11 letter-books relating to the Irish estates of the earls of Burlington, 1693-1758 (which passed into the possession of the future 5th Duke of Devonshire in the latter year); correspondence, on all subjects, of the 3rd Duke of Devonshire while Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, 1737-1745; correspondence of the 4th Duke while Lord Lieutenant, 1755-1757; & selected Irish estate & other Irish correspondence of the 3rd Earl of Burlington & his wife/widow, 1729-1758, of the 4th Duke of Devonshire, 1757-1763, & of the agents of the 5th and 6th Dukes, 1766-1812. T3158; Public Record Office, Northern Ireland
  • Lismore Castle Papers, large & important collection of records of estates of the Boyle family, Earls of Cork & Burlington & the Cavendish family, Dukes of Devonshire, situated at Lismore, Bandon, Dungarvan, Youghal, Tallow & other locations in Cos Cork, Waterford, Tipperary & Dublin, 1586 - 1885. Collection List 129, [MSS 6315-7220, 12,813, 13,226-13,256, 22,068, 41,981-41,985, 43,087-43,121, 43,140-43,226, 43,266-43,310, 43,346-43,553, 43,580-43,732, 43,733-43,815, 43,889-44,018, MS Maps 366-491, and Arch. Drawings AD 3594/ 1-13] ; National Library of Ireland
  • Particulars and valuation of the estate of Lord Broghill, part of the forfeited estates of Viscount Muskerry in Co. Cork, n.d. C. 2251 ; National Archives of Ireland
  • Inchiquin Papers, notes on deeds relating to Earl of Burlington's estate, barony of West Carbery, Co. Cork, 1714-1825. Ms. 16,525 ; National Library of Ireland
  • Papers of the Lucas Family, Co Offaly (including papers of the Drews of Drewscourt, Cos Waterford & Limerick, & the Ryans of Ballymackeogh, Co Tipperary), 17th-19th centuries. LE37; James Hardiman Library, University of Galway
  • BRA Deposit (1934), deeds, maps & miscellaneous documents re Burlington estates in Cos Cork & Waterford, 18th century. D.8197-8210, M.555-569, T.2617; National Archives of Ireland

Contemporary printed sources

Modern printed sources