Dillon (Kilkenny West)

Family title

Earl of Roscommon

Description

Earls of Roscommon from 1622.

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Estate(s)

Name	Description
Dillon (Kilkenny West)	The Dillon family, Earls of Roscommon, held land in a number of counties including Galway, Roscommon and Westmeath. The Barony of Kilkenny West in county Westmeath was known as Dillon's Country. Colonel Cary Dillon, who succeeded his nephew the poet Wentworth Dillon, as 5th Earl of Roscommon in 1684 was granted land in counties Galway and Roscommon by patent dated 16 June 1669. The title became dormant in 1850. The Dillon family’s estate in the parish of Kilkenny West, county Westmeath, was in Chancery at the time of Griffith’s Valuation (publ.1854). Various family members held between 100 and 300 acres of land in the 1870s.
Dillon (Clonbrock)	The Dillons were a Norman family who initially received grants of land in Westmeath and who later acquired properties in neighbouring counties including Roscommon and Galway. Lord Clonbrock was listed as a resident proprietor in county Galway in 1824. At the time of Griffith's Valuation, Lord Clonbrock was one of the principal lessors in the parishes of Ahascragh, Fohanagh, Killalaghtan and Killosolan in the barony of Kilconnell and Killoran in the barony of Longford. In the 1870s the Clonbrock estate in county Galway amounted to over 28,000 acres. Lands, house and demesne at Cahir, barony of Clonmacnowen, owned by James Dillon, were offered for sale in the Encumbered Estates court in July 1854. In 1906 Lord Clonbrock held over 2000 acres of untenanted land and the mansion house at Clonbrock. The Dillon's county Limerick estate appears to have come into their possession through the marriage in 1776 of the first Baron with Letitia Greene of Old Abbey, county Limerick, the only child of John Greene. James Kelly was the agent for the county Limerick estate in the early 19th century. The county Limerick estate was situated in the baronies of Connello Lower and Shanid. The Clonbrock Papers contain a printed notice of the sale of lands held in fee by Lord Clonbrock amounting to about 2395 acres and the lands of Loughill and Coonagh held under the See of Limerick circa 600 acres, dated 19 Dec 1829 MS 35705 (5). Correspondence expressing interest in the purchase of the Dillon's county Limerick estate was received from David Roche of Carass, Robert Maunsell and Stephen Dickson who bought the property in 1831, see MS 35,727 (10).