Landed Estates
University of Galway

Delmege

The French "Palatine" family of Delmege or Dolmage were settled at Rathkeale in county Limerick in the early 18th century and acquired a considerable amount of property. By the end of the 18th century their main residence was at Castle Park near the city of Limerick. Tobias Delmege resided at Court Lodge in the parish of Rathkeale circa 1840. At the time of Griffith’s Valuation Christopher T. Delmege held three townlands in the parish of St Munchins, barony of Bunratty Lower, county Clare. At the same time his county Limerick estate was located in the parishes of Clonagh, Kilbradran and Nantinan, barony of Connello Lower, Rathronan, barony of Shanid, Mahoonagh, barony of Glenquin and St Munchins, barony of North Liberties of Limerick. In 1853 he bought the Yielding estate near Croom. He was married to Martha, daughter of John Yielding of Glenastar. In the early 1850s the Reverend John Delmege held lands in the parishes of Croom and Adare, barony of Coshma, county Limerick and in the 1870s his representatives owned 525 acres in the county. Lands in the barony of Coshma, amounting to 350 acres, were advertised for sale in November 1875. In the 1870s John Christopher Delmege owned 1,641 acres in county Clare, 3,066 acres in county Limerick and 77 acres in county Cork. His Glensharrold estate was the scene of large scale public attention during the tenant right agitation of the 1880s. Lands in the barony of Clare, county Galway, owned by Julius A. Delemge and Mary Agnes Kelly, were sold in the Landed Estates Court in January 1872. They were purchased in trust by W. Keating Clay, Charles O'Farrell, Thomas Kearney and John Blake. The head of the Delmege family was resident in Australia in the 1970s.

Associated Families

Houses

Name Townland Civil Parish PLU DED Barony County Map Ref  
White Hall Quinspool South St Patricks Limerick Ballyglass 113 Bunratty Lower Clare OSI Ref: R573 598
OS Sheet: 63
Discovery map: 65 		Photo of White Hall
Court Lodge Courtmatrix Rathkeale Rathkeale Ballyallinan 133 Connello Lower Limerick OSI Ref: R351 403
OS Sheet: 29
Discovery map: 64 		Photo of Court Lodge
Castlepark Ballygrennan St Munchins Limerick Limerick North Rural 58 North Liberties of Limerick Limerick OSI Ref: R560 596
OS Sheet: 5
Discovery map: 65 		Photo of Castlepark
Belview/Bellevue Ballyphilip Croom Croom Ballynabanoge 14 Coshma Limerick OSI Ref: R530 354
OS Sheet: 39
Discovery map: 65
Garryspillane House Raheennamadra Knocklong Kilmallock Knocklong 32 Coshlea Limerick OSI Ref: R741292
OS Sheet: 49
Discovery map: 73
Rockfield Tower Cloghatrida Rathkeale Rathkeale Rathkeale Rural 130 Connello Lower Limerick OSI Ref: R354 433
OS Sheet: 20
Discovery map: 64 		Photo of Rockfield Tower

Archival sources

  • Large collection of solicitors' records including documents re the Delemege family of Rathkeale, 18th-19th centuries. E.J.French solicitor's collection, Small Accessions Index 8; National Archives of Ireland
  • Pedigree of Delmege of Castlepark, Co Limerick. GO MS 171: 533-537; National Library of Ireland
  • Grant of arms. GO MS 107: 204-205; National Library of Ireland
  • Landed Estates’ Court Rentals (O’Brien), Delmege, 5 Nov 1875, Vol 121 (9), MRGS 39/055, (microfilm copy in NUIG); National Archives of Ireland
  • Pedigree of Delmege of Rathkeale & Castle Park, Co Limerick & Banagher, King’s Co (Offaly), c 1750-1850. GO MS 171:533-537; National Library of Ireland
  • Copy of confirmation of arms to descendants of Adam Delmege of Rathkeale & to his grandsons Julius Delmege of Rathkeale & John Christopher Delmege of Castle Park, 1840. GO MS 107:204-205; National Library of Ireland
  • Fred Sutton, solicitor's collection, includes will of Limerick families in the Rathkeale area, including Lloyd, Watkins, Evans, Bouchier, De La Hunt, Dolmage etc, 19th century. Small Accs. Index 1/698; National Archives of Ireland

Contemporary printed sources

Modern printed sources