FitzGibbon

Family title

Earl of Clare

Estate(s)

Name	Description
FitzGibbon	The FitzGibbon family were established at Ballysheedy, county Limerick, from the mid 18th century. In 1795 John FitzGibbon, 1st Viscount FitzGibbon, Lord Chancellor of Ireland, was created Earl of Clare. He was succeeded by two of his sons as 2nd and 3rd Earls. In 1826 the 2nd Earl married Elizabeth Burrell, daughter of Peter, 1st Lord Gwydyr. The title 'Earl of Clare' became extinct in 1864 following the death of the 3rd Earl. Mount Shannon was inherited by his daughter, Lady Louisa, who owned an estate of over 10,000 acres in county Limerick and over 3,000 acres in county Tipperary in the 1870s. Lady Louisa married twice. Her husbands were Gerald N. Dillon, sixth son of Viscount Dillon, and the Marchese della Rocella. Griffith's Valuation records the Earl of Clare holding lands in the parishes of Dunmoylan Kilbradran, Kilcolman, Kilfergus, Kilmoylan, Rathronan and Shanagolden, barony of Shanid, Clonagh, barony of Connelloe Lower, Abington, Killeenagarriff and Stradbally, barony of Clanwilliam and Ballingarry and Cloncagh, barony of Connello Upper, county Limerick and Cloneen, barony of Middlethird, county Tipperary. Thomas Davenport was his agent in the 1840s. In June 1867 the estate of the trustees of the Earl's will, at Dromtrasna Harnett and Ballaghbehy North and South, parish of Abbeyfeale, barony of Glenquin, was advertised for sale. This property, amounting to 2,546 acres, was in the possession of Colonel Fitzgibbon of Ballysheedy at the time of Griffith's Valuation. Included in the sale were 91 acres in county Dublin. Members of the Harnett family were tenants on the Fitzgibbon estate in the parish of Abbeyfeale and were also among the purchasers of the Abbeyfeale lands. Other purchasers included Messers. Curtin, Sandes, Sheehy and Vereker. At the time of Griffith's Valuation the Earl of Clare held at least four townlands in the parish of Cloneen, barony of Middlethird, county Tipperary.
Davenport	Thomas Evans Davenport is recorded as holding lands in both counties Clare and Limerick in the mid 19th century. These lands were in the parish of Kilchreest, barony of Burren, county Clare and in the parish of Iveruss, barony of Kenry, county Limerick. The Ordnance Survey Name Books record Thomas Davenport of Ballynacourty as agent to the Earl of Clare. In 1820 he married Jane Nihill and they had a son, Dixon Davenport. Their daughter, Prudence, married Dudley O'Grady of Ballynort, county Limerick. In the 1870s Dixon Davenport of Ballynacourty or his representatives of Prospect Lodge, Tralee, county Kerry owned 663 acres in county Clare and 269 in county Limerick. In the early 20th century Rowland B. Davenport owned Burren House, a late 19th century house built on Davenport land in county Clare. The estate of the trustees of the will of Tyrrell Evans Davenport at Cappanageragh (310 acres), barony of Islands, county Clare, was advertised for sale in June 1872. The Irish Times reported that it was purchased by the tenants. Part of the lands of Ballynacourty and an interest in lands in the barony of Coonagh, the estate of Rowland Bateman Davenport and Elizabeth Agnes Davenport, minors, was advertised for sale in November 1878.
Fitzgibbon (Ballysheedy)	The Fitzgibbon family were living at Ballysheedy/Ballyseeda, county Limerick, by the mid 18th century. John Thomas Fitzgibbon married Elinor Grove of Ballyhemock, county Cork and had four sons. The eldest son, John, purchased Mount Shannon from the White family and was father of the 1st Earl of Clare. The fourth son, Gibbon Fitzgibbon of Ballysheedy, married Barbara Lynch of Rafiladown, county Galway, and had a son, Gibbon Thomas Fitzgibbon, also known as Thomas Gibbon Fitzgibbon. In 1804 he married Eliza, daughter of Sir Henry Osborne. At the time of Griffith's Valuation Colonel Gibbon T. Fitzgibbon had an estate in the parishes of Abbeyfeale, barony of Glenquin and St Nicholas Parish, barony of Clanwilliam. In November 1854 over 700 acres at Ardatagle and Cappaghkeigh, barony of Tulla, county Clare and 24 acres at Ballysheeda, barony of Clanwilliam, county Limerick, belonging to Gibbon Thomas Fitzgibbon of Ballysheeda, were advertised for sale. Islandmore in the barony of Leitrim, county Galway was also advertised for sale on the same date. In June 1867 the trustees of the will of the last Earl of Clare advertised for sale the Fitzgibbon land in the barony of Glenquin. In the 1870s John Fitzgibbon of Ballysheedy owned 140 acres in county Limerick. These remaining 140 acres which included Ballysheedy House were advertised for sale in April 1883. The Irish Times reported that the sale was adjourned and that one of the observers was Mr. Thomas T. Macready, solicitor to the Irish Land Corporation, who "attended with a view to making a purchase on their behalf".
Hartnett/Harnett (Abbeyfeale)	At the time of Griffith's Valuation Daniel Hartnett held land in the parishes of Abbeyfeale and Killeedy, barony of Glenquin, county Limerick. Mary Hartnett also held land in the parish of Abbeyfeale and Tim Hartnett in the parish of Ballingarry, barony of Connello Upper. In November 1866 the estate of Daniel Harnett, an insolvent, amounting to 304 acres at Loghill and Islandboy, barony of Connello Lower, was advertised for sale. In the 1870s Daniel W. Harnett of Inch, Abbeyfeale owned 266 acres and John C. Harnett of Abbeyfeale owned 1,796 acres in county Limerick. Two other Daniel Harnetts of Ballyduhig and Glin owned 36 and 480 acres respectively.
Nevins (Mount Shannon)	Various newspaper reports of the death of Thomas Nevins record that he was the purchaser of Mount Shannon. This transaction took place in the 1890s. Thomas Nevins was born in county Mayo in 1844, emigrated to East Orange, New Jersey in the United States of America and made a fortune as a railway and tram contractor and from other enterprises. He was survived by his wife, his son Thomas A. Nevins and two daughters (''New York Times'' 22 Aug 1902, ''Limerick Chronicle'' 21 Aug 1902). The Nevins are recorded as owning 867 acres in county Limerick in 1905 see http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1905/aug/08/nevin-estate-county-limerick . In 1906 Esther Nevins was occupying the mansion house at Mountshannon which was valued at £170. She also held untenanted land at Ballyvollane, Carrowkeel and Lisnagry. The Irish Tourist Association survey of 1942 records the burial of Thomas Nevins, his wife and daughter in three massive coffins in the former ice house.
Woodcock (Rathkeale)	In July 1853 the estate of James Condon continued in the name of his devisee Isabella O'Dell at Scart and Ardgoulmore, barony of Connello Lower, county Limerick, was advertised for sale. It was held on a lease for ever from Charles Bridges Woodcock to James Condon dated 1792. In 1825 Diana daughter of Charles Bridges Woodcock married Richard Hobart Fitzgibbon 3rd Earl of Clare. She had previously been married to Maurice Crosby Moore from whom she was divorced by Act of Parliament.
Moore/Crosbie Moore (Mooresfort)	At the time of Griffith's Valuation Maurice Crosbie Moore held an estate in the parish of Grean, barony of Coonagh, county Limerick, and Edward Crosbie Moore held land in the parishes of Ballynaclogh and Kilteely, barony of Coonagh, county Limerick and Lattin, barony of Clanwilliam, county Tipperary. Maurice C. Moore was the son of Edward Moore of Mooresfort, county Tipperary and his wife Elizabeth Crosbie. In 1814 Maurice Crosbie Moore married Diana, daughter of Charles Brydges Woodcock. They were divorced in 1825 by an Act of Parliament and Diana married Richard Hobart Fitzgibbon a few months later. He became 3rd Earl of Clare in 1851. Maurice and Diana Moore had a daughter, Emily, who married Lord Cecil James Gordon, son of the 9th Marquess of Huntly in 1841. The Gordons assumed the additional name of Moore in 1850 and Lord Cecil is recorded in Griffith's Valuation as holding one townland of 48 acres in the parish of Grean. In June 1851 their estate of 1,887 acres in the barony of Coonagh, county Limerick was advertised for sale. The Freeman's Journal gives details of the purchasers. The Mooresfort estate of Henry Moore was advertised for sale in May 1852. It was bought by Charles Moore of Crookedstone, county Antrim.
Shee/O'Shee	This family descend from Sir Richard Shee of Uppercourt, county Kilkenny and Cloran, county Tipperary, agent to the Earl of Ormonde. Sir Richard died in 1608. Richard Shee of Cloran married Elizabeth Grace of Gracefield, county Tipperary and died in 1743. His son Edmond sold Cloran and died in 1785. Edmond's sister Catherine married John Wright and it was their children who became the representatives of the Shees of Cloran in the 19th century. The townlands of Cloran Old and New, parish of Cloneen, barony of Middlethird, were in the possession of the Earl of Clare at the time of Griffith's Valuation.