Landed Estates
University of Galway

FitzGibbon

The FitzGibbon family were established at Ballysheedy, county Limerick, from the mid 18th century. In 1795 John FitzGibbon, 1st Viscount FitzGibbon, Lord Chancellor of Ireland, was created Earl of Clare. He was succeeded by two of his sons as 2nd and 3rd Earls. In 1826 the 2nd Earl married Elizabeth Burrell, daughter of Peter, 1st Lord Gwydyr. The title 'Earl of Clare' became extinct in 1864 following the death of the 3rd Earl. Mount Shannon was inherited by his daughter, Lady Louisa, who owned an estate of over 10,000 acres in county Limerick and over 3,000 acres in county Tipperary in the 1870s. Lady Louisa married twice. Her husbands were Gerald N. Dillon, sixth son of Viscount Dillon, and the Marchese della Rocella. Griffith's Valuation records the Earl of Clare holding lands in the parishes of Dunmoylan Kilbradran, Kilcolman, Kilfergus, Kilmoylan, Rathronan and Shanagolden, barony of Shanid, Clonagh, barony of Connelloe Lower, Abington, Killeenagarriff and Stradbally, barony of Clanwilliam and Ballingarry and Cloncagh, barony of Connello Upper, county Limerick and Cloneen, barony of Middlethird, county Tipperary. Thomas Davenport was his agent in the 1840s. In June 1867 the estate of the trustees of the Earl's will, at Dromtrasna Harnett and Ballaghbehy North and South, parish of Abbeyfeale, barony of Glenquin, was advertised for sale. This property, amounting to 2,546 acres, was in the possession of Colonel Fitzgibbon of Ballysheedy at the time of Griffith's Valuation. Included in the sale were 91 acres in county Dublin. Members of the Harnett family were tenants on the Fitzgibbon estate in the parish of Abbeyfeale and were also among the purchasers of the Abbeyfeale lands. Other purchasers included Messers. Curtin, Sandes, Sheehy and Vereker. At the time of Griffith's Valuation the Earl of Clare held at least four townlands in the parish of Cloneen, barony of Middlethird, county Tipperary.

Associated Families

Houses

Name Townland Civil Parish PLU DED Barony County Map Ref  
Ballysteen Ballysteen Kilbradran Rathkeale Dunmoylan East 138 Shanid Limerick OSI Ref: R283 445
OS Sheet: 19
Discovery map: 64 		Photo of Ballysteen
Mount Shannon Mountshannon Stradbally Limerick Ballyvarra 46 Clanwilliam Limerick OSI Ref: R652 592
OS Sheet: 6
Discovery map: 65 		Photo of Mount Shannon
Rock Lodge Kilteery Kilmoylan Glin Fleanmore 77 Shanid Limerick OSI Ref: R166 497
OS Sheet: 17
Discovery map: 64
Cloneen House Ballyhomuck Cloneen Cashel Cloneen 41 Middlethird Tipperary OSI Ref: S272 361
OS Sheet: 71
Discovery map: 67 		Photo of Cloneen House
Cloran Cloran Old Cloneen Cashel Cloneen 41 Middlethird Tipperary OSI Ref: S265 348
OS Sheet: 71
Discovery map: 67

Archival sources

  • Land Judges' Court rental of the Mount Shannon estate, property of Lady Louisa Fitzgibbon (La Marchesa della Rochella), 27 May 1890. P23/13; Limerick City Archives
  • 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
  • Commission of the Peace for Co Limerick, John Earl of Clare, 1815. Misc. Off. Docs. No 58; National Archives of Ireland
  • 16 deeds re Fitzgibbon, Monsell, Lyons, Cudmore & Massy families, including will of R. Chappell Whaley, 1768, 1742-1854. D 6597-6612; National Library of Ireland
  • Fitzgibbon Papers: includes an estimate of the cost of an extension to Lord Clare’s house at Mount Shannon, Co Limerick. MS 8343 ; National Library of Ireland
  • Wodehouse Family of Kimberley Collection, includes records relating to the estate of the Earls of Clare & to family affairs, mid 19th century. KIM 4/3/20-27; Norfolk Record Office
  • Burrell Manuscripts include bundle of draft deeds, correspondence containing instructions for marriage settlement of 2nd Earl of Clare & Miss Burrell, with rental of Irish estates, c 1818-1860. Burrell/XIV/D/1 ; West Sussex Record Office
  • Copies of Papers re John Fitzgibbon 1st Earl of Clare, include copy of his will, 11 Dec 1800. T3244/11/1; Public Record Office, Northern Ireland
  • Irish Tourist Association Survey file for parish of Castleconnell, barony of Clanwilliam, 1942. Limerick North East 10 ; Limerick Studies Department, Dooradoyle

Contemporary printed sources

Modern printed sources