Landed Estates
University of Galway

Fitzgerald/Vesey Fitzgerald

Catherine Vesey Fitzgerald was elevated to the peerage of Ireland as Baroness Fitzgerald and Vesey in 1826. Her father, the Reverend Henry Vesey, was Warden of Galway and a great, great grandson of John Vesey, Archbishop of Tuam. She and her sister eventually succeeded to the estates of her father and uncles, John and Agmondisham Vesey. Her eldest son William succeeded her as Baron Fitzgerald and Vesey and died unmarried in 1843. In 1853 his executor advertised for sale lands in the baronies of Clare and Tiaquin, county Galway, amounting to almost 4,000 acres. The lands in the barony of Tiaquin were bought by the Reverend George Salmon and those in the barony of Clare by the Very Reverend Henry Vesey Fitzgerald, Dean of Kilmore, brother of Willliam and his successor as Baron Fitzgerald and Vesey. His county Galway estate was in the parishes of Belclare and Lackagh, barony of Clare and in the parish of Tuam, barony of Dunmore, while his county Clare estate was mainly in the parishes of Inchicronan, barony of Bunratty Upper and Kilkeedy, barony of Inchiquin. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Standish O'Grady of county Limerick and had 5 daughters. He died in 1860. His daughters appear to have succeeded to his county Galway estates while his sister Letitia Foster Vesey Fitzgerald's children succeeded to the county Clare estate. In the 1870s his representatives owned 1,437 acres in county Galway while Walter Trevor Stannus is recorded as owning 2976 acres. Two of the Baron's daughters married sons of the Very Reverend James Stannus, Dean of Ross, and the 5,678 acre estate of M.G. Stannus and others in county Galway was vested in the Congested Districts' Board on 5 March 1914. The sale of 1,567 acres belonging to Mary G. Fitzgerald and others to the Congested Districts' Board was proceeding in 1909. P. Lane writes that Martin McDonnell bought almost 6,000 acres of Lord Fitzgerald's property around the town of Dunmore in the early 1850s. Besides the estate in county Galway the representatives of Lord Fitzgerald and Vesey owned 628 acres in county Cavan. Griffith’s Valuation records lands in the parishes of Ballintemple, Denn, Kilmore, Crosserlough and Castlerahan belonging to Lord Fitzgerald and Vesey.

Associated Families

Houses

Name Townland Civil Parish PLU DED Barony County Map Ref  
Oranbeg Oranbeg Oranmore Galway Oranmore 56 Dunkellin Galway OSI Ref: M381246
OS Sheet: 95
Discovery map: 46
Cross House Cross Oughter Killoscobe Mountbellew Mounthazel 156 Tiaquin Galway OSI Ref: M618 399
OS Sheet: 59
Discovery map: 46 		Photo of Cross House
Danesfort Togher or Danesfort Demesne Kilmore Cavan Killykeen Upper Loughtee Cavan OSI Ref: H373046
OS Sheet: 20
Discovery map: 34 		Photo of Danesfort

Archival sources

  • Encumbered Estates' Court Rentals (O'Brien), Cane & Fitzgerald, 7 June 1853, Vol 21, MRGS 39/009, (microfilm copy in NUIG); National Archives of Ireland
  • de Vesci Papers, Collection List 89; National Library of Ireland
  • Cross House photos. 024/072; Irish Architectural Archive
  • Copy of grant of arms to the Rt Hon William Fitzgerald of Inchicreran, Co Clare and to his brother, the Reverend Henry Fitzgerald of Castle Rahan Co Cavan, on assuming under Royal Licence in conformity with the will of their maternal uncle John Vesey the name and arms of Vesey Fitzgerald, 25 Mar 1815. GO MS 106: 75.; National Library of Ireland
  • Survey of lands at Shannow, County Cavan, by John Piers. Octavo vellum sheet, late 18th c. 15 B. 8(8) ; National Library of Ireland

Contemporary printed sources

Modern printed sources