Landed Estates
University of Galway

De Burgh (Dromkeen)


Estate(s)

Name Description
De Burgh (Dromkeen) This family of Bourke originally from county Mayo settled at Dromkeen in county Limerick in the 15th century. In 1726 Thomas Burgh of Dromkeen, son of the Reverend Richard Burgh, married his cousin Mary Burgh of Oldtown, county Kildare and they had a son Richard who died in 1762 and left his estate to his cousin Walter Hussey later Lord Chief Baron of the Court of Exchequer in Ireland. Richard's sister Mary married Philpot Wolfe of Forenaghts, county Kildare, and appears to have inherited land in county Limerick. Walter Hussey de Burgh held land in the parish of Dromkeen, barony of Clanwilliam, county Limerick, at the time of Griffith's Valuation. His estate appears to be connected to that of the Balfes. His son, John Hamilton Hussey de Burgh, married Louisa Townsend, of Shepperton, county Cork and is associated with property in that county. Members of this family were still residing at Dromkeen in the 1970s.
Balfe The Balfe family were settled at Heathfield in county Roscommon in the 18th century but had moved to South Park by the 19th century. Walter Balfe and his wife, Jane French of Frenchlawn, had ten sons, some of whom owned property in county Roscommon in the 19th century. In 1828 Michael Balfe of South Park was a member of the Grand Panel of county Roscommon. James Balfe of Southpark, county Roscommon, was advertising for sale 236 acres of Kinlough, parish of Shrule, county Mayo, in February 1850. At the time of Griffith's Valuation Thomas Balfe held the townland of Rooaunalaghta in the same parish and Nicholas Balfe held a number of townlands in the parishes of Kilglass, barony of Ballintober North and Cloontuskert, barony of Ballintober South, county Roscommon. The representatives of James Balfe also had land in the parish of Ogulla, barony of Roscommon. In the 1870s Nicholas J. Balfe of Dublin owned 110 acres in county Galway , 47 acres in county Roscommon, 433 acres in county Sligo and 412 acres in county Westmeath. Patrick Balfe of South Park owned over 6000 acres in county Roscommon in the 1870s. Some of his lands in the barony of Castlereagh were offered for sale in the Landed Estates' Court in June 1858, November 1874 and again in February 1875. Some of these lands were held on leases from the Lyster and Murphy families. The Irish Times reported that Thomas Higgins purchased 129 acres of Balfe land at the sale in February 1875. Over 900 acres of Patrick Balfe's estate in the barony of Frenchpark had been offered for sale in the Landed Estates' Court in November 1860. James Balfe of Runnemead, tenth son of Walter Balfe of Heathfield, county Roscommon, died leaving four daughters and co heiresses. His daughters married into the Chichester, Berington and De Morelle families. The Chichester's eldest son, Walter George Raleigh Chichester, succeeded to the Irish estates of his mother and also to the Burton Constable estate, Yorkshire. In 1894 he took the name Constable by royal licence. 375 acres of the estate of Michael Joseph Balfe in county Galway were vested in the Congested Districts' Board on 26 Apr 1905 and a further 740 acres in county Roscommon on 4 Feb 1909. At the time of Griffith's Valuation Bernard Balfe held land in the parish of Cloonfinlough, barony of Roscommon. The estate of John Balfe in the parishes of Cloonfinlough, barony of Roscommon and Creeve, barony of Frenchpark, was advertised for sale in May 1851. It was sold in the court in June of that year when the purchasers included Mrs. Mary Carroll and Bernard Balfe. The senior branch of the Balfe family of South Park afterwards moved to Balinluska House, Myrtleville, county Cork. At the time of Griffith's Valuation Patrick Balfe owned an estate in the parishes of Aglishcormish, Dromkeen and Grean, barony of Clanwilliam, county Limerick. The interest of his niece Ellen McDermott in these lands was advertised for sale in June 1862. Captain Walter Balfe of South Park, Castlerea, owned 1,042 acres in county Limerick in the 1870s.
Wolfe The Wolfe family were settled at Forenaghts and Bishopsland, county Kildare, since the late 17th century. In 1753 Philpot Wolfe of Forenaghts married Mary daughter of Thomas de Burgh of Dromkeen, county Limerick. Although her brother left Dromkeen to his cousin Walter Hussey (Hussey de Burgh), Mary must have inherited some property in county Limerick, which became the Wolfe estate in that county. One of her grandsons was the Reverend Richard Wolfe who succeeded his brother John in 1816. In 1831 the Reverend Richard Wolfe married Lady Charlotte Sophia Hely-Hutchinson, sister of John 2nd Earl of Donoughmore and died without heirs in 1841. The Ordnance Survey Field Name Book shows that Thomas Disney was agent to the Wolfe estate in county Limerick. At the time of Griffith's Valuation Lady Charlotte Wolfe held an estate in the county Limerick parishes of Caherconlish, Dromkeen and Inch St Lawrence, barony of Clanwilliam. Richard Wolfe of Ferns, Naas, county Kildare, owned 1,365 acres in county Limerick in the 1870s and 1,397 acres in county Kildare.
De Burgh (Scarvy) In 1848, Thomas de Burgh of Oldtown, Naas, county Kildare, married Jane only child of Major Thomas Campbell-Graham of Scarva House, county Monaghan. Griffith’s Valuation records Thomas de Burgh as a land holder in the parish of Killeevan, barony of Dartree. In 1876, Thomas de Burgh owned 546 acres in county Monaghan. Thomas and Jane’s second son Ulick George Campbell de Burgh lived at Scarvy.