Armstrong/Armstrong MacDonnell (Newhall)
The Armstrongs of Mount Heaton share a common ancestry with the Armstrongs of Moyaliff, county Tipperary. By the beginning of the 18th century they were resident at Farney Castle, county Tipperary. Mount Heaton, county Offaly, came into the family's possession through the marriage of Colonel William Armstrong with a Heaton heiress in 1731. Mount Heaton (now known as Mount St Josephs) then became the main family residence and Farney Castle was given to William's younger brother, John Armstrong. In 1809 William Henry Armstrong married Bridget MacDonnell of Newhall, county Clare. Burke's Landed Gentry (1904) records that he sold Mount Heaton in 1817 and went to live on the Continent. In 1834 he sold his estate in Fermanagh and much of his estates in Limerick, Tipperary and England. The second son of this marriage, William Edward Armstrong, succeeded his uncle, John MacDonnell in 1850, adopting the name MacDonnell in 1858. He married Juliana, daughter of Sir Lucius O’Brien, Baron of Inchiquin. At the time of Griffith’s Valuation William E. Armstrong’s county Clare estate was concentrated in the parish of Doora, barony of Bunratty Upper and in the parishes of Kilballyowen, Kilmacduane, Moyarta and Kilfearagh, barony of Moyarta. Besides valuable MacDonnell properties in counties Clare and Limerick he also inherited large debts and advertised for sale over 5,600 acres including the Kilbreckan estate in December 1856 and also 139 acres in county Galway. Following the 1856 sale his county Clare estate was mainly located in West Clare near Kilkee. Despite the sale Colonel William E. Armstrong MacDonnell still owned 6,670 acres in county Clare in the 1870s. He died in 1883 and his son, Charles Randal MacDonnell, owned the house and over 500 acres of untenanted land in 1906. The estate was later sold to the tenants and Newhall house to the Joyce family of county Galway. The eldest son of Willilam H. Armstrong and Bridget MacDonnell was John Armstrong. Major William Armstrong of Farney Castle held land in the parishes of Holycross and Inch, barony of Eliogarty and Ballycahill, barony of Kilnamanagh Upper, at the time of Griffith's Valuation. In the 1870s Mrs L. Armstrong of Farney Castle owned 896 acres in county Tipperary. Farney Castle and other lands in the baronies of Eliogarty and Kilnamanagh, the estate of William Armstrong were advertised for sale in July 1884.
Houses
| Name | Townland | Civil Parish | PLU | DED | Barony | County | Map Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newhall | Newhall | Killone | Ennis | Clareabbey 31 | Islands | Clare |
OSI Ref: R318 735
OS Sheet: 41 Discovery map: 57 |
|
| Larch Hill | Reaskaun | Templemaley | Ennis | Templemaley 25 | Bunratty Upper | Clare |
OSI Ref: R329 816
OS Sheet: 25 Discovery map: 58 |
|
| Liscrona House | Lisheencrony | Moyarta | Kilrush | Moyarta 78 | Moyarta | Clare |
OSI Ref: Q877529
OS Sheet: 65, 66 Discovery map: 63 |
|
| Farney Castle | Farneybridge | Holycross | Thurles | Holycross 128 | Eliogarty | Tipperary |
OSI Ref: S067 578
OS Sheet: 40 Discovery map: 66 |
|
| Raheen Park | Raheen | Holycross | Thurles | Holycross 128 | Eliogarty | Tipperary |
OSI Ref: S075 566
OS Sheet: 41 Discovery map: 66 |
|
| Buncraggy | Buncraggy | Clareabbey | Ennis | Clareabbey 31 | Islands | Clare |
OSI Ref: R328 713
OS Sheet: 41 Discovery map: 58 |
|
Archival sources
- Copy of confirmation of arms to the descendants of the Rt Hon John Armstrong of Farney Castle, Co Tipperary & of Mount Heaton, MP & to his grandson William Edward Armstrong of New Hall & Kilkee, 10 Mar 1857. GO MS 108: 167-168 ; National Library of Ireland
- Copy of royal licence to William Edward Armstrong of New Hall & Kilkee to take name MacDonnell in addition to Armstrong & bear the arms of MacDonnell quarterly. Copy of grant of arms being MacDonnell quartering Armstrong to William Edward Armstrong of New Hall & Kilkee, on his assuming name & arms of Armstrong MacDonnell, 5 June 1858. GO MS 108: 219-220 ; National Library of Ireland
- Pedigree of Armstrong of Farney Castle & Mount Heaton, later Armstrong MacDonnell of New Hall, c 1640-1862. GO MS 179: 149; National Library of Ireland
- Genealogical notes on Armstrong of Larch Hill by Charles French Blake Foster, c 1865. MS 13,560; National Library of Ireland
- Encumbered Estates’ Court Rentals (O’Brien), Armstrong, 12 Dec 1856, Vol 43 (23), MRGS 39/021, (microfilm copy in NUIG); National Archives of Ireland
- Encumbered Estates’ Court Rentals (Dunboyne), Armstrong, 12 Dec 1856, Vol 9, 177-; James Hardiman Library, University of Galway
- Encumbered Estates' Court rental of 5,000 acres at Kilbreckan, including lead mines, the property of William Armstrong, [12 Dec] 1856. P23/7; Limerick City Archives
- Maurice Lenihan Papers include printed family trees of W.E. Armstrong MacDonnell of New Hall & Kilkee, Mac Donnell of New Hall, Armstrong of Mount Heaton, Mealiffe & Farney Castle, Co Tipperary and Carleton of Darlinghill & Knockananama, Co Tipperary, 19th century. MS 133; National Library of Ireland
- Land Judges’ Court Rentals (O’Brien), Armstrong, 25 July 1884, Vol 147 (37), MRGS 39/065, (microfilm copy in NUIG); National Archives of Ireland
- BRA collection, deed of renewal re lands of Farneybridge & William Armstrong of Ballycahill, 1832. Private Accessions Index 61. D.6354; National Archives of Ireland
- Cathcart & Hemphill, solicitors' collection (1960), includes maps, plans, rentals, title & other documents re Armstrong (later Wall) estate county Tipperary including Farney Bridge, Garrynamona, Holycross etc. 18th & 19th centuries. M.5256- 5264; National Archives of Ireland
- Cathcart & Hemphill, solicitors' collection (1960), includes documents re Holycross, Ballycahill & Farney Bridge c 1830s. M.5583(1-2); National Archives of Ireland
- Landed Estates’ Court Rentals (O’Brien), Armstrong, (Monroe), 7 July 1876, Vol 125 (11), MRGS 39/057, (microfilm copy in NUIG); National Archives of Ireland
- Deeds and papers relating to lands in Holycross, Ballycahill, Farneybridge, Garrynamona and elsewhere in Co. Tipperary belonging to the Armstrong (and afterwards to the Wall) family, 1677-1866. D.23,426-31, 23,375-23,409; M.5256-64, 5583 ; National Archives of Ireland
- Baker, Ringwood & Gordon, solicitors' collection, includes assignment of Raheen Park, Mary Wilson & her husband Thomas G. Wilson to Maurice S. Wilson & Thomas G. Wilson, their children, 21 Mar 18[8]3. Small Accs. Index 105, D.23,260; National Archives of Ireland
Contemporary printed sources
- HUSSEY DE BURGH, U. H. ''The Landowners of Ireland. An alphabetical list of the owners of estates of 500 acres or £500 valuation and upwards in Ireland''. Dublin: Hodges, Foster and Figgis, 1878. [available online at www.askaboutireland.ie] : 11, 293
- PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. ''Return of owners of land of one acre and upwards, in the several counties .... in Ireland''. HC 1876, LXXX: 111, 158
- ''GRIFFITH'S VALUATION OF IRELAND'[Primary Valuation of Tenements]', 1850-1858. : Ennis Union, 112 (Newhall)
- PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. ''Return of Untenanted Lands in Rural Districts, Distinguishing Demesnes on Which There is a Mansion...'', HC 1906, c, 177: 216 (New Hall), 221 (Lisheencrony)
- ''GRIFFITH'S VALUATION OF IRELAND'[Primary Valuation of Tenements]', 1850-1858. : Barony of Eliogarty, 21 (Farneybridge), 25 (Raheen)
- LEET, Ambrose. ''A directory to the market towns, villages, gentlemen's seats, and other noted places in Ireland''. Dublin: Printed by B. Smith, 1814 : 182 (Farney Castle)
- LEWIS, Samuel. ''A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland''. London: S. Lewis & Co., 1837: II, 8 (Bresfort - Wilson), 400 (Farney Castle)
- WILSON, William. ''The Post-Chaise Companion or Travellers Directory Through Ireland''. The author: Dublin, 1786 : 177 (Buncraggy), 368 (Farney Bridge)
- ORDNANCE SURVEY NAME BOOKS, County Tipperary: Vol.IV, Parish of Holycross, p.106 & 107.
- BATEMAN, John. ''The great landowners of Great Britain and Ireland''. London: Harrison, 1883. : p.287.
Modern printed sources
- WEIR, Hugh W. L. ''Historical, Genealogical and Architectural notes on some Houses of Clare''. Whitegate, county Clare: Ballinakella Press, 1999. : 176, 206-207
- POWER, Joseph. ''A history of Clare Castle and its environs''. Ennis: the author, 2004: 350-355
- BENCE-JONES, Mark. ''A Guide to Irish Country Houses''. Revised ed. London: Constable, 1988. : 123, 224-225
- BURKE, Sir Bernard. ''A genealogical and heraldic history of the Landed Gentry of Ireland''. London: Harrison & Sons, 1904: 369-370 (Armstrong MacDonnell)
- BURKE, Sir Bernard. ''A genealogical and heraldic history of the Landed Gentry of Ireland''. London: Harrison & Sons, 1904: 10-11 (Heaton Armstrong)
- HOWARD, Joseph Jackson and CRISP, Frederick Arthur (eds). ''Visitation of Ireland''. Baltimore: reprint by Genealogical Publishing Co. Inc., 1973: IV, 1-5
- HAYES, William and KAVANAGH, Art. ''The Tipperary Gentry''. Dublin: Irish Family Names, 2003 : 1-15
- MONTGOMERY-MASSINGBERD, Hugh (ed). ''Burke's Irish Family Records''. London: Burke's Peerage, 1976: 36-38
- WALFORD, Edward. 'The County families of the United Kingdom''. London: Chatto and Windus, 1885): 27-28 (Armstrong, Charles, of Larch Hill), 28 (Armstrong, William, Farney Castle)