Landed Estates
University of Galway

Blake (Menlo)

The Blakes, raised to the peerage as baronets in 1622, were established at Menlough on the bank of the Corrib River close to the city of Galway from the early 17th century. Under the Acts of Settlement the Blakes of Menlough were granted 3,478 acres in the baronies of Tiaquin, Dunkellin, Moycullen and Kiltartan, county Galway and 2,803 acres in county Mayo, all except two quarters in the barony of Carra. Their county Mayo estate was sold to the Blakes of Towerhill in the early 18th century. In the 19th century they owned land in the parishes of Cong and Ross, barony of Ross, Oranmore, barony of Galway and Athenry, barony of Clare. Their estates became heavily encumbered during the 19th century mainly due to election expenses and legal cases however Sir Valentine Blake still owned over 3,400 acres in the county and town of Galway in the 1870s. The Blakes lived at Menlo Castle until the fire of 1910 and the estate was divided by the Land Commission in 1923. At the time of Griffith's Valuation John B. Blake held the townland of Drumsnauv on the shore of Lough Corrib, in the parish of Cong, barony of Ross, county Galway. John Brice Blake was a younger brother of Sir Valentine Blake, 12th baronet. By the 20th century Doon was part of the Guinness estate centred at Ashford.

Associated Families

Houses

Name Townland Civil Parish PLU DED Barony County Map Ref  
Menlo/Menlough Castle Menlough Oranmore Galway Galway Rural 41 Galway Galway OSI Ref: M285 278
OS Sheet: 82
Discovery map: 45 		Photo of Menlo/Menlough Castle
Blake Hill Breandrim Ross Oughterard Clonbur 157 Ross Galway OSI Ref: M127 561
OS Sheet: 27
Discovery map: 38 		Photo of Blake Hill
Doon Drumsnauv Cong Oughterard Cong 158 Ross Galway OSI Ref: M025 495
OS Sheet: 39
Discovery map: 45 		Photo of Doon
Benlevy Lodge Petersburg Ross Oughterard Cloonbur 157 Ross Galway OSI Ref: M078 569
OS Sheet: 27
Discovery map: 38 		Photo of Benlevy Lodge

Archival sources

  • Landed Estates’ Court Rentals (O’Brien), Mahon & Blake, 2 Feb 1860, Vol 58, MRGS 39/029, (microfilm copy in NUIG); National Archives of Ireland
  • Pedigree of Blake of Menlough (Barts), of Brendran, of Cloneen & Tower Hill, 1374-c 1817. GO MS 171: 1-4; National Library of Ireland
  • Depositions concerning the title of Sir V. Blake to estates in Cos Galway, Mayo & Clare c 1652 & 1750s. MS 10,804-10,805; National Library of Ireland
  • Pedigree of Blake of Menlough, Barts & of Meelick, Co Galway, c 1770-1912. GO MS 114: 145-148; National Library of Ireland
  • Copy of patent of baronetcy of Blake of Menlough, 1622. GO MS 94: 2-9; National Library of Ireland
  • John Kirwan v Sir Walter Blake re marriage articles re lands at Cloneen, barony of Carra, Kinlogh, barony of Kilmaine, Co Mayo and Ballidonough, barony of Ross, Co Galway, June 1721. House of Lords' Appeals, Vol 4; King's Inn Library
  • Legal paper High Court of Justice, Blake Trusts/Blake v Blake & abstract of title of Sir Thomas Blake to the Menlo estate, 1913. 999/390/20/1-2; National Archives of Ireland
  • Menlough Castle photos. 007/057; Irish Architectural Archive
  • Wills of Sir Thomas Blake, 1748 & 1771. D 17,050-17,051; National Library of Ireland
  • Killadoon Papers, Collection List 81, includes reference to building of a lodge (Doon Cottage) at Drumsnauv in a letter from James Fair to 2nd Earl of Leitrim, dated 10 June 1806. Ms 36,064/5; National Library of Ireland

Contemporary printed sources

Modern printed sources