Landed Estates
University of Galway

Browne (Castlemagarret)

The Brownes of Carrowbrowne, parish of Oranmore, county Galway, had estates in the counties Galway, Mayo and Roscommon (parish of Oran, barony of Ballymoe). By Royal grants dated 2 June 1670 and 23 July 1678 Dominick Browne received over 8,000 acres in the town of Galway and in the baronies of Clare, Moycullen, Athenry, Dunmore and Ross (the Ashford estate), county Galway and in the baronies of Clanmorris and Costello, county Mayo. Mid nineteenth century copy rentals of their county Galway estates are included in MS 40,966 of the Westport Papers. The Galway County Library holds a [pre 1849] summary of the Browne estates for sale in counties Galway and Roscommon. In July 1853 the fee simple of over a thousand acres in the barony of Clare, county Galway, was advertised for sale in the Encumbered Estates' Court. The Brownes county Mayo estate, mainly in the barony of Clanmorris, was established in the mid 17th century and the Brownes were resident in county Mayo by the end of that century. At the time of Griffith's Valuation this estate was comprised of more than 40 townlands in the parishes of Crossboyne and Kilcolman. Heavily encumbered by the mid ineteenthth century, Lord Oranmore and Browne's estates were put up for sale in the Encumbered Estates' Court between 1852 and 1854. Family members were able to buy back some of the property and the Brownes still held 4,243 acres in county Mayo in 1876 and a smaller property in county Westmeath. The Westmeath property, amounting to 1,818 acres, five townlands in the parish of St Feighin’s, appears to have come into the family’s possession through the marriage of the 1st Lord Oranmore and Browne and his wife Catherine Anne Isabella, eldest daughter and co-heir of Henry Monck, as she is recorded as the proprietor in Griffith’s Valuation (publ. 1854). She died in 1865. The Westport Estate Papers MS 40,966 documents much of the estate management of the Oranmore and Browne estates in counties Galway and Mayo in the 1840s and 1850s. Lord Oranmore and Browne sold 2228 acres in county Mayo to the Congested Districts' Board on 5 Feb 1914 and repurchased 655 acres. The fire of 1811 destroyed many of the family papers.

Associated Families

Houses

Name Townland Civil Parish PLU DED Barony County Map Ref  
Castlemagarret Castlemagarretpark New Crossboyne Claremorris Ballindine 75 Clanmorris Mayo OSI Ref: M354 718
OS Sheet: 111
Discovery map: 39 		Photo of Castlemagarret
Ashford Castle Ashford Cong Oughterard Cloonbur 157 Ross Galway OSI Ref: M148 546
OS Sheet: 27
Discovery map: 38 		Photo of Ashford Castle
Castlegar Castlegar Kilcolman Claremorris Claremorris 88 Clanmorris Mayo OSI Ref: M353 766
OS Sheet: 101
Discovery map: 39
Cuillaun Cuillaun Kilvine Claremorris Ballindine 75 Clanmorris Mayo OSI Ref: M401 711
OS Sheet: 112
Discovery map: 39 		Photo of Cuillaun
Millbrook House Millbrook Crossboyne Claremorris Crossboyne 77 Clanmorris Mayo OSI Ref: M338 733
OS Sheet: 101
Discovery map: 39
Rockfield Rockfield Kilcolman Claremorris Ballyhowly 87 Clanmorris Mayo OSI Ref: M378800
OS Sheet: 92
Discovery map: 39 		Photo of Rockfield
Ballyhowly Ballyhowly Knock Claremorris Ballyhowly 87 Clanmorris Mayo OSI Ref: M381 815
OS Sheet: 92
Discovery map: 32 		Photo of Ballyhowly
Castlecarra Castlecarra Burriscarra Ballinrobe Burriscarra 35 Carra Mayo OSI Ref: M172 754
OS Sheet: 100
Discovery map: 38
Carrowbrowne Castle Carrowbrowne Oranmore Galway Carrowbrowne Galway Galway OSI Ref: M316301
OS Sheet: 83
Discovery map: 46

Archival sources

  • Westport Estate Papers, Collection List 78; National Library of Ireland
  • Encumbered Estates' Court Rentals (O'Brien), Oranmore, 7 Nov 1854, Vol 31, MRGS 39/014, (microfilm copy in NUIG); National Archives of Ireland
  • Encumbered Estates' Court Rentals (O'Brien), Oranmore & Browne, 25 May 1852, Vol 15, MRGS 39/007, (microfilm copy in NUIG); National Archives of Ireland
  • Indexes to Minute Books of Alliance Assurance Company, London; Private Possession
  • Copy of patent creating Dominick Browne Lord Oranmore and Browne, 4 May 1836. GO MS 151, 304-307 ; National Library of Ireland
  • Pedigree of Browne of Carrowbrowne, Co Galway and of Castlemagarret, Co Mayo, c 1575-1821. GO MS 173, 232-233; National Library of Ireland
  • Agreement to bar entail Patrick Kirwan, R. A. H. Kirwan and Dominick Browne of Castlemagarret, Co Mayo, 14 Nov 1834. D/ 470 (23); Public Record Office, Northern Ireland
  • Encumbered Estates' Court rental, 7 Nov 1854.; Mayo County Library
  • Five rentals of the estate of the trustees of the Alliance Assurance Company, in the barony of Clare and parish of Rahoon in the county of the town of Galway, 1860s. M. 5375; National Archives of Ireland
  • Encumbered Estates' Court Rentals (O'Brien), Athenry estate, 6 July 1852, Vol 17, MRGS 39/007 (microfilm copy in NUIG) ; National Archives of Ireland
  • Map of property of Knocknacarragh, Galway, the property of Lord Oranmore and Browne, nd. M 5721; National Archives of Ireland
  • Summary of the Browne estates for sale in Cos Galway & Roscommon, circa 1840s.; Galway County Library
  • Encumbered Estates' Court Rentals (Barrymore); Public Record Office, Northern Ireland
  • Photos & Cuttings. 011/044 (Castlemagarrett) & 049/077 (Castlegar); Irish Architectural Archive
  • Encumbered Estates’ Court Rentals (Burke), Oranmore, 12 July 1853, Vol 17; National Library of Ireland
  • Crown and Peace Records, Register of Trees, Co Mayo 1775-1919. ID/51/62 (French of Rockfield, Cassidy of Bellfield); National Archives of Ireland

Contemporary printed sources

Modern printed sources