McDonnell (Roscommon)

Description

Martin McDonnell and Farrell McDonnell may have been related. They both acquired estates in counties Galway and Roscommon in the latter part of the 19th century.

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Estate(s)

Name	Description
McDonnell (Roscommon)	Griffith's Valuation shows that Farrell McDonnell was in possession of a townland in the parish of Abbeyknockmoy, barony of Tiaquin, county Galway in the mid 1850s. In the 1870s Farrell McDonnell owned 149 acres in county Galway and 1,034 acres in county Roscommon. 578 acres belonging to him was vested in the Congested Districts' Board on 16 Feb 1911. By March 1916 he had received a final offer of over £18,000 from the Congested Districts' Board for his 4,500+ acres in county Galway. In March 1912 over 2,000 acres in county Roscommon belonging to him were vested in the Congested Districts' Board. He was related to Martin McDonnell as there is reference to his estate at Meelick, just south of Williamstown, [parish of Boyounagh, barony of Tiaquin] in a Dail debate. This townland belonged to Martin McDonnell at the time of Griffith's Valuation. see http://historical-debates.oireachtas.ie/D/0347/D.0347.198402150037.html Farrell McDonnell, Sweeney and Company are a firm of solicitors in Abbey Street, Roscommon. Information in the Farrell McDonnell file in Roscommon County Library records Farrell McDonnell (1845-1904) as a solicitor and the first Chairman of Roscommon County Council. He was a son of Mark McDonnell of Roscommon and Ballaghderreen and a nephew of Martin McDonnell of Roscommon and of Farrell McDonnell Senior, who had extensive business interests in Roscommon town. Possibly there were 2 Farrell McDonnells as Sister Delaney writes that Martin McDonnell of Dunmore had 2 sons James who lived at Waterslade, Tuam and Farrell, who married a daughter of Frank McDonagh of Wilmount, Portumna.
McDonnell (Dunmore)	Martin McDonnell was a merchant from Roscommon who prospered significantly in the mid 19th century. He held eight townlands in the parish of Boyounagh, barony of Tiaquin, one townland in the parish of Tuam, barony of Clare and one townland in the parish of Dunmore, barony of Ballymoe, county Galway at time of Griffith's Valuation. P. Lane writes that McDonnell bought almost 6,000 acres of Lord Fitzgerald's estate in the vicinity of Dunmore in the early 1850s. By the 1870s he owned over 9,000 acres in county Galway, 2,940 acres in county Roscommon and three acres in county Mayo. The lands in Roscommon included property in the parish of Kiltullagh, barony of Castlereagh. Sister T.Delaney writes that in 1893 he bought Headford Castle and much of the town. Over 3,000 acres of the estate of his son, James McDonnell, in county Galway was vested in the Congested Districts' Board on 24 Mar 1911 and a further 1,000 acres in February 1912. The Congested Districts' Board was negotiating the purchase of some of McDonnell's county Roscommon estate in 1916. Martin McDonnell also had a son named Farrell. Sister Delaney writes that Farrell went to Clongowes and married the daughter of Frank McDonagh of Wilmount, Portumna. She also records James McDonnell residing at Waterslade, Tuam and at Castle Ellen, Athenry.