O'Brien (Inchiquin Castle)
Murrough O'Brien, 6th Baron Inchiquin, was created 1st Earl of Inchiquin in 1654. An estate of almost 40,000 acres in county Clare, over 1000 acres in county Limerick and over 15,000 acres in county Cork, was granted to Morrough O'Brien, Earl of Inchiquin, in 1666 and 1667. In 1680 his son William received a further grant of 4,890 acres in county Clare. His great grandson, William O'Brien, 4th Earl married the 1st Countess of Orkney in 1720 and was succeeded by his son-in-law and nephew, Murrough O'Brien, who became Marquess of Thomond in 1800. The 1st Marquess married twice. His first wife was his first cousin, Mary 2nd Countess of Orkney, by whom he left a daughter, also Mary. His second wife was Mary Palmer, a niece of Sir Joshua Reynolds. He was succeeded by his nephew William, 2nd Marquess. The 2nd Marquess had no sons so the title devolved on his brother James, 3rd Marquess in 1846. Following the death of the 3rd Marquess in 1855 without male heirs the Marquessate of Thomond and the Earldom of Inchiquin became extinct and in 1862 the title Baron of Inchiquin passed to Sir Lucius O'Brien, 5th Baronet of Dromoland. In 1857 the trustees of the will of James, 3rd Marquess of Thomond, sold the Earl's estate consisting of over 40,000 acres in the baronies of Burren (mainly in the parish of Carran), Corcomroe (parish of Clooney) and Inchiquin (mainly in the parishes of Kilkeedy, Ruan and Killinaboy), county Clare. The barony of Inchiquin contained by far the largest portion. Houses on the estate in the first division including Rockvale and Rathorpe. Reid writes that Richard Darcy of New Forest, county Galway, purchased the largest acreage, some 2,782 acres in the parish of Kilkeedy, barony of Inchiquin. Other purchasers included the Right Honourable Francis Blackburn of Rathfarnham Castle, county Dublin, Thomas Crowe of Dromore and James O'Gorman of Buncraggy. In 1837 Inchiquin Castle and the mansion attached were described by Lewis as in a "greatly dilapidated condition". He writes that the Castle on the shore of Inchiquin Lake was for a long time the residence of the Marquess of Thomond. At the time of Griffith's Valuation the Marquis also held a large estate in county Cork. He was one of the principal lessors in the parishes of Kilmacdonogh, Aghada, Ballintemple, Cloyne, Corkbeg, Garranekinnefeake, Inch, Rostellan, barony of Imokilly, county Cork. His county Cork estate included the village of Ballymacooda. The county Cork estate, amounting to 8,833 acres, was advertised for sale by the trustees of his will in December 1857.
Associated Families
Houses
| Name | Townland | Civil Parish | PLU | DED | Barony | County | Map Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockvale | Rockvale | Kilkeedy | Corrofin | Boston 13 | Inchiquin | Clare |
OSI Ref: R385 985
OS Sheet: 11 Discovery map: 52 |
|
| Rathorp | Attyslany North | Kilkeedy | Corrofin | Boston 13 | Inchiquin | Clare |
OSI Ref: R402 972
OS Sheet: 11 Discovery map: 52 |
|
| Ring Cottage | Glenawilling | Kilmacdonogh | Youghal | Kilmacdonogh 338 | Imokilly | Cork |
OSI Ref: X068 705
OS Sheet: 78 Discovery map: 81 |
|
| Ring House | Ring | Kilmacdonogh | Youghal | Kimacdonogh 338 | Imokilly | Cork |
OSI Ref: X065 711
OS Sheet: 78 Discovery map: 81 |
|
| Greenlands | Ring | Kilmacdonogh | Youghal | Kilmacdonogh 338 | Imokilly | Cork |
OSI Ref: X077 711
OS Sheet: 78 Discovery map: 81 |
|
| Maryland House | Ballynafarsid | Aghada | Middleton | Rostellan 259 | Imokilly | Cork |
OSI Ref: W865 656
OS Sheet: 88 Discovery map: 81 |
|
| Rose Hill | Knockanemorney | Aghada | Middleton | Rostellan 259 | Imokilly | Cork |
OSI Ref: W871 658
OS Sheet: 88 Discovery map: 81 |
|
| Jamesbrook Hall | Jamesbrook | Garranekinnefeake | Middleton | Rostellan 259 | Imokilly | Cork |
OSI Ref: W877 676
OS Sheet: 88 Discovery map: 81 |
|
| Rostellan | Rostellan | Rostellan | Middleton | Rostellan 259 | Imokilly | Cork |
OSI Ref: W870 663
OS Sheet: 88 Discovery map: 81 |
|
| Barnabrow | Barnabrow | Cloyne | Middleton | Cloyne 265 | Imokilly | Cork |
OSI Ref: W939 685
OS Sheet: 77 Discovery map: 81 |
|
| Rathcoursey House (West) | Rathcoursey West | Garranekinnefeake | Middleton | Rostellan 259 | Imokilly | Cork |
OSI Ref: W865 690
OS Sheet: 76 Discovery map: 81 |
|
Archival sources
- Encumbered Estates’ Court Rentals (Dunboyne), trustees of the estate of James Marquess of Thomond, 5 May 1857, Vol 12, 1-605; James Hardiman Library, University of Galway
- Encumbered Estates’ Court Rentals (O’Brien), trustees of the estate of James Marquess of Thomond, 5 May 1857, (sale of advowsons), Vol 45 (8), MRGS 39/022, (microfilm copy in NUIG) ; National Archives of Ireland
- Encumbered Estates’ Court Rentals (O’Brien), trustees of will of James Marquess of Thomond, 8 Dec 1857, (1st Division), Vol 49 (7), MRGS 39/024, (microfilm copy in NUIG); National Archives of Ireland
- Encumbered Estates’ Court Rentals (O’Brien), trustees of will of James Marquess of Thomond, 9 Dec 1857, (2nd Division), Vol 49 (8), MRGS 39/024, (microfilm copy in NUIG); National Archives of Ireland
- Encumbered Estates’ Court Rentals (O’Brien), trustees of will of James Marquess of Thomond, 2 Feb 1858, (lands of Killeen), Vol 50 (26), MRGS 39/024, (microfilm copy in NUIG); National Archives of Ireland
- Rental 1720. MS 2795; National Library of Ireland
- Inchiquin Papers, includes documents re the estates of the Earls of Inchiquin, later Marquesses of Thomond, 17th-20th centuries. Collection List 143, MSS 45,610-45,638; National Library of Ireland
- Inchiquin Papers: rentroll of estates of William O’Brien, 4th Earl of Inchiquin, in Cos Clare, Cork, Limerick & Tipperary, 1720. MS 14,371 ; National Library of Ireland
- Shannon Papers, include letters & related papers concerning the sale of parts of Lord Inchiquin's estate in Co. Clare, under the trusteeship of Lord Shannon & the Duke of Leinster, 1778-1783. D2707; Public Record Office, Northern Ireland
- Encumbered Estates’ Court Rentals (O’Brien), Taylor, Saurin, Dowding, O’Brien, 11 Dec 1857, Vol 49(9), MRGS 39/024, (microfilm copy in NUIG); National Archives of Ireland
- Bargain & sale by Edward W. Hoare & Henry W. Newenham, Cork & others to Marquess of Thomond, Rostellan, of the [cutter] Charlotte of Cork, consideration £300 to each, 10 May 1832 & resale to Penrose Fitzgeralds in 1838. 999/580/1/4 & 999/580/1/5; National Archives of Ireland
- Irish Tourist Association files, Parish of Aghada; Cork County Library
Contemporary printed sources
- LEWIS, Samuel. ''A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland''. London: S. Lewis & Co., 1837: I, 12 (Maryland - J. Haynes), 381 (Rostellan Castle & Barnabrow - J. R. Wilkinson), II, 162 (Ring - J. McCarthy, Greenland - G. Gaggin), 195 (Inchiquin Castle),
- PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. ''15th Annual Report of the Commissioners of Public Records Ireland,'' 1825. Vol XVI, Appendix I, Grants under Acts of Settlement: 98-99, 103, 264
- TAYLOR, George & SKINNER, Andrew. ''Maps of the Roads of Ireland, surveyed in 1777 and corrected down to 1783''. Facsimile of 2nd edition. Shannon: Irish University Press, 1969: 168 (Rostellan), 203 (Inchiquin Castle)
- ''GRIFFITH'S VALUATION OF IRELAND'[Primary Valuation of Tenements]', 1850-1858. : Imokilly Barony, 36 (Glenawilling), 40-41 (Ring), 89 (Ballynafarsid), 92 (Knockanemorney), 114 (Barnabrow), 140 (Jamesbrook), 141 (Rathcoursey West), 205 (Rostellan)
- LEET, Ambrose. ''A directory to the market towns, villages, gentlemen's seats, and other noted places in Ireland''. Dublin: Printed by B. Smith, 1814 : 61 (Barnabrow, Mr Timothy Lane), 342 (Rostellan-Castle)
- PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. ''Return of owners of land of one acre and upwards, in the several counties .... in Ireland''. HC 1876, LXXX: 123 (Gaggin), 135 (Taylor)
- TOWNSEND, Horatio. ''Statistical survey of the county of Cork...'' Dublin: Royal Dublin Society, 1810: 623 (Rostellan)
- PRIOR, Thomas. ''A list of the Absentees of Ireland, and the yearly value of their estates and incomes spent abroad''. 1730: 2
- WILSON, William. ''The Post-Chaise Companion or Travellers Directory Through Ireland''. The author: Dublin, 1786 : 251 (Rostellan)
- BATEMAN, John. ''The great landowners of Great Britain and Ireland''. London: Harrison, 1883. : p.236
Modern printed sources
- BURKE, Sir Bernard. ''A genealogical history of the Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited and Extinct Peerages of the British Empire''. London: Harrison, 1883: 407
- ''Analecta Hibernica'': MacLYSAGHT, Edward. Interim report on the Inchiquin manuscripts. XV (1944), 363-365.
- REID, Austin. ''The tenant farmer in the social and political life of Clare, 1849-1885''. Unpublished M.A. Thesis, Department of History, University College, Galway, 1976: 202-205
- COLBY, F.T. ''Pedigrees of five Devonshire families: Colby, Coplestone, Reynolds, Palmer and Johnson''. Exeter: W. Pollard (1884) : All
- BENCE-JONES, Mark. ''A Guide to Irish Country Houses''. Revised ed. London: Constable, 1988. : 248 (Rostellan)
- ''Jnl. of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society''.: Rostellan Castle and its Owners. XLI, 2nd Series (1936), 109-111
- ''The Irish Genealogist'': O’BRIEN, The Hon. Donough. The O’Brien Family. I (1937-1942), 164-170
- LYONS, Mary C. ''Illustrated Incumbered Estates, Ireland, 1850-1905.'' Whitegate, county Clare: Ballinakella Press, 1993. : 196-198 (Rostellan Castle & Barnabow House)