Adair (Kilmacrenan)
In the 1870s John George Adair was the owner of over 16,000 acres in County Donegal, as well as property in Queen's County (Laois) and Kilkenny. He had acquired an estate of over 28,000 acres in County Donegal in the late 1850s. His relationship with his tenants on the Derryveagh estate in Donegal was controversial due to violence and evictions. He married Cornelia Wadsworth from Texas and together they became involved in land speculation in the United States. Adair died in 1885 and the estate continued to be administered by his wife, whom Maume indicates had acquired a more benevolent reputation.
Associated Families
Houses
| Name | Townland | Civil Parish | PLU | DED | Barony | County | Map Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glenveagh Castle | Gartan Mountain | Gartan | Letterkenny | Gartan | Kilmacrenan | Donegal |
OSI Ref: C021209
OS Sheet: 43 Discovery map: 6 |
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Archival sources
- Coke and Coke solicitors records of the Cornelia Adair estate, including material relating to Irish estates, 1917-1950. LMC 25. ; Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum
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] : p.2.
- PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. ''Return of owners of land of one acre and upwards, in the several counties .... in Ireland''. HC 1876, LXXX: p.223.
- BATEMAN, John. ''The great landowners of Great Britain and Ireland''. London: Harrison, 1883. : p.4
Modern printed sources
- Vaughan, W.E. Sin, sheep and Scotsmen: ''John George Adair and the Derryveagh evictions''. Belfast: Appletree Press, 1983. : All
- ''Donegal Annual'': Blair, Raymond A. The entrepreneurial flair of George Adair. 66 (2014), pp.112-115.
- ''Laois Heritage Society Journal'': Matthews, Ronnie. Jack Adair - 'No ordinary man' (1823-1885). 4 (2008), pp.95-124.
- ''Donegal Annual'': Spiegelman, Robert. The Adairs of Donegal: towards a transatlantic game plan. Parts I-II. 1-259 (2007), pp.102-118, 60 (2008), pp.290-305.
- MCGUIRE, James & QUINN, James (eds.) ''Dictionary of Irish Biography''. Cambridge University Press, 2009: Maume, Patrick. John George Adair. https://www.dib.ie/biography/adair-john-george-a0019