Massy (Riversdale & Ballinacurra)

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Estate(s)

Name	Description
Massy (Riversdale & Ballinacurra)	Many townlands in the parish of Galbally, barony of Coshlea, county Limerick, were part of the estate of the Barons Massy. The 1st Baron died at Stagdale Lodge in 1788. In the 19th century Hugh Massy of Riversdale, a grandson of the 2nd Baron Massy, held an estate in the parish of Galbally. He married Mary Anne only daughter of Robert Harding of Cherry Grove, county Limerick. In the 1870s Hugh Massy with an address at Ballinacurra House owned 2,309 acres in county Limerick. He died in 1881.
Harding (Co Limerick)	Samuel Harding, son of Brigadier Major Henry Harding of Harding Grove, held land in county Limerick in the mid 19th century. He and his brother Henry were made freemen of the city of Limerick in June 1813. Seoighe writes that Samuel Harding of Stoyle, born 1758, had four sons Henry, William, Joseph and Robert. In July 1850 the estate of Henry Joseph Harding at Steyle and Gurtnesudane, called Harding's Grove, was advertised for sale. Griffith's Valuation records Samuel Harding in the parish of Loghill, barony of Shanid. He married a [Letitia] Blennerhassett and they had at least two sons Henry and Joseph who died in Chicago in 1885 and 1886. Robert Harding of Cherrygrove had a daughter Mary Anne who married Hugh son of the Honourable George Eyre Massy in 1821.
Massy	The Massy family are descended from a Cromwellian soldier Captain Hugh Massy who was granted 3,055 acres in the barony of Coshlea, county Limerick, for his military services. His grant included the lands of Duntrileague. Two of his great grandsons became the 1st Baron Massy of Duntrileague and the 1st Baron Clarina of Elm Park. During the 18th century Duntrileague was the family seat but in the 19th century their main residence was Hermitage, close to Limerick city. In 1760 Hugh 2nd Baron Massy married Catherine eldest daughter and co heiress with her sister Lady Carrick of Edward Taylor of Ballynort. Ballynort and the Massy interest in the Taylor estate passed to their second son Edward. At the time of Griffith's Valuation Lord Massy is recorded as the immediate lessor of lands principally in the parish of Galbally but also in the parishes of Kilbeheny and Kilbreedy Major, barony of Coshlea and Stradbally, barony of Clanwilliam. In the 1870s Lord Massy owned 8,568 acres in county Limerick and 1,120 acres in county Tipperary however his largest estate was in county Leitrim, amounting to over 24,000 acres in 1878. The Massy family had property in north county Leitrim with the bequest of the White estate at Lareen to John Massy, afterwards 6th Lord Massy. See http://homepage.eircom.net/~fmasters/landlords.html#Massy for more information. In the 1830s the Massy estate also owned property in the parish of Killora, county Galway where the agent was George Falkner of Tipperary. This property seems to have been leased by Richard Rathbourne of Ballymore. It was offered for sale in the Encumbered Estates court in May 1852. Most of the Massy lands were sold in the last two decades of the 19th century and the family residences in the early years of the 20th century.