Landed Estates
University of Galway

Fitzgibbon (Ballysheedy)

The Fitzgibbon family were living at Ballysheedy/Ballyseeda, county Limerick, by the mid 18th century. John Thomas Fitzgibbon married Elinor Grove of Ballyhemock, county Cork and had four sons. The eldest son, John, purchased Mount Shannon from the White family and was father of the 1st Earl of Clare. The fourth son, Gibbon Fitzgibbon of Ballysheedy, married Barbara Lynch of Rafiladown, county Galway, and had a son, Gibbon Thomas Fitzgibbon, also known as Thomas Gibbon Fitzgibbon. In 1804 he married Eliza, daughter of Sir Henry Osborne. At the time of Griffith's Valuation Colonel Gibbon T. Fitzgibbon had an estate in the parishes of Abbeyfeale, barony of Glenquin and St Nicholas Parish, barony of Clanwilliam. In November 1854 over 700 acres at Ardatagle and Cappaghkeigh, barony of Tulla, county Clare and 24 acres at Ballysheeda, barony of Clanwilliam, county Limerick, belonging to Gibbon Thomas Fitzgibbon of Ballysheeda, were advertised for sale. Islandmore in the barony of Leitrim, county Galway was also advertised for sale on the same date. In June 1867 the trustees of the will of the last Earl of Clare advertised for sale the Fitzgibbon land in the barony of Glenquin. In the 1870s John Fitzgibbon of Ballysheedy owned 140 acres in county Limerick. These remaining 140 acres which included Ballysheedy House were advertised for sale in April 1883. The Irish Times reported that the sale was adjourned and that one of the observers was Mr. Thomas T. Macready, solicitor to the Irish Land Corporation, who "attended with a view to making a purchase on their behalf".

Associated Families

Houses

Name Townland Civil Parish PLU DED Barony County Map Ref  
Ardataggle House Ardataggle O'Brienbridge Limerick O'Brien's Bridge 111 Tulla Lower Clare OSI Ref: R653 666
OS Sheet: 54
Discovery map: 58
Ballysheedy Ballysheedy East St Nicholas Limerick Limerick South Rural 69 Clanwilliam Limerick OSI Ref: R586 537
OS Sheet: 13
Discovery map: 65
Mertonhall Mertonhall Modreeny Borrisokane Mertonhall 15 Lower Ormond Tipperary OSI Ref: R931 898
OS Sheet: 10
Discovery map: 59

Archival sources

  • Encumbered Estates’ Court Rentals (Dunboyne), Fitzgibbon, 21 Nov 1854, Vol 13, 21-50; James Hardiman Library, University of Galway
  • Encumbered Estates’ Court Rentals (O’Brien), Fitzgibbon, 21 Nov 1854, Vol 32 (5), MRGS 39/014, (microfilm copy in NUIG); National Archives of Ireland
  • Encumbered Estates’ Court Rentals (Dunboyne), Fitzgibbon, 21 Nov 1854, Vol 6, 89-118; James Hardiman Library, University of Galway
  • Land Judges’ Court Rentals (O’Brien), Linane & Fitzgibbon, 20 Apr 1883, Vol 144 (55), MRGS 39/064, (microfilm copy in NUIG); National Archives of Ireland
  • Landed Estates’ Court Rentals (O’Brien), Earl of Kimberley, Hely Hutchinson, Earl of Clare, 4 June 1867, Vol 85 (57), MRGS 39/041, (microfilm copy in NUIG); National Archives of Ireland
  • Statement of ascendants of Humphrey Brooke Firman, grandson of Thomas Gibbon Fitzgibbon of Ballyseda, Co Limerick & great grandson of Wiliam Biggs of Castle Biggs, Co Tipperary, 15 June 1876. GO MS 109:353-354; National Library of Ireland
  • Deeds, testamentary, legal & miscellaneous records including documents re Thomas Fitzgibbon, mainly 19th century. A.Lane Joynt solicitor's collection, Small Accessions Index 51, Co.965-990, M.353-363, D.5534-5753, T.1176-1198; National Archives of Ireland

Contemporary printed sources

Modern printed sources