Landed Estates
University of Galway

Ponsonby (Imokilly)

Family title

Viscount Ponsonby

Estate(s)

Name Description
Ponsonby (Imokilly) This branch of the Ponsonby family was descended from the Right Honourable John Ponsonby, Speaker of the House of Commons in Ireland and second son of the 1st Earl of Bessborough. In 1743 John married Lady Elizabeth Cavendish daughter of the 3rd Duke of Devonshire. Their son William was created Baron Ponsonby of Imokilly in 1806 and his son John was promoted to the title Viscount Ponsonby in 1839, which became extinct following his death in 1855. The title of Baron continued with his nephew and successor but this title also died out in 1866 following the death of the 4th Baron. The estates were inherited by Charles William Talbot of Inchiquin, Youghal, a nephew of the 3rd Baron, who took the additional surname of Ponsonby. In the mid 19th century the Ponsonby estate was located in the parishes of Ardagh, Clonpriest, Killeagh, Kilmacdonogh and Youghal, barony of Imokilly, county Cork. In the 1870s C.W.T. Ponsonby of Park House, Youghal, owned 10,367 acres in county Cork. Some premises in the town of Carrick on Suir, county Tipperary, were leased by the Earl of Bessborough to Edmond Fitzgarrett Butler on a fee farm grant in 1855. These premises were advertised for sale with lands in county Laois in 1875 and 1877. Much of the sale was adjourned in 1875 though one lot was sold, in trust, to Mr. Cusack, solicitor.
O'Brien (Inchiquin Castle) Murrough O'Brien, 6th Baron Inchiquin, was created 1st Earl of Inchiquin in 1654. An estate of almost 40,000 acres in county Clare, over 1000 acres in county Limerick and over 15,000 acres in county Cork, was granted to Morrough O'Brien, Earl of Inchiquin, in 1666 and 1667. In 1680 his son William received a further grant of 4,890 acres in county Clare. His great grandson, William O'Brien, 4th Earl married the 1st Countess of Orkney in 1720 and was succeeded by his son-in-law and nephew, Murrough O'Brien, who became Marquess of Thomond in 1800. The 1st Marquess married twice. His first wife was his first cousin, Mary 2nd Countess of Orkney, by whom he left a daughter, also Mary. His second wife was Mary Palmer, a niece of Sir Joshua Reynolds. He was succeeded by his nephew William, 2nd Marquess. The 2nd Marquess had no sons so the title devolved on his brother James, 3rd Marquess in 1846. Following the death of the 3rd Marquess in 1855 without male heirs the Marquessate of Thomond and the Earldom of Inchiquin became extinct and in 1862 the title Baron of Inchiquin passed to Sir Lucius O'Brien, 5th Baronet of Dromoland. In 1857 the trustees of the will of James, 3rd Marquess of Thomond, sold the Earl's estate consisting of over 40,000 acres in the baronies of Burren (mainly in the parish of Carran), Corcomroe (parish of Clooney) and Inchiquin (mainly in the parishes of Kilkeedy, Ruan and Killinaboy), county Clare. The barony of Inchiquin contained by far the largest portion. Houses on the estate in the first division including Rockvale and Rathorpe. Reid writes that Richard Darcy of New Forest, county Galway, purchased the largest acreage, some 2,782 acres in the parish of Kilkeedy, barony of Inchiquin. Other purchasers included the Right Honourable Francis Blackburn of Rathfarnham Castle, county Dublin, Thomas Crowe of Dromore and James O'Gorman of Buncraggy. In 1837 Inchiquin Castle and the mansion attached were described by Lewis as in a "greatly dilapidated condition". He writes that the Castle on the shore of Inchiquin Lake was for a long time the residence of the Marquess of Thomond. At the time of Griffith's Valuation the Marquis also held a large estate in county Cork. He was one of the principal lessors in the parishes of Kilmacdonogh, Aghada, Ballintemple, Cloyne, Corkbeg, Garranekinnefeake, Inch, Rostellan, barony of Imokilly, county Cork. His county Cork estate included the village of Ballymacooda. The county Cork estate, amounting to 8,833 acres, was advertised for sale by the trustees of his will in December 1857.
Hudson (Glenville) Dr Edward Hudson, born at Castlemartyr, county Cork, was an early dental practitioner, who bought an estate at Glenville, near Cork, in the late 18th century. This was his country home as he lived at The Hermitage, later known as St Enda's (the Pearse Museum), Rathfarnham, county Dublin. Dr Hudson married Frances Barton and their eldest son was Reverend Edward Gustavus Hudson (1791-1851), Dean of Armagh from 1841. Another son, William Elliott Hudson (1796-1853), was a collector of Irish music and ancient literature and some of his manuscripts are in the Royal Irish Academy. At the time of Griffith's Valuation the Hudson estate was in the parishes of Ardnageehy and Dunbulloge, barony of Barrymore, county Cork. In the 1870s Henry Hudson of Glenville owned over 5,000 acres in county Cork. This estate came into the possession of the Kinahan family through the marriage of Charlotte, daughter of Edward Hudson of Rathfarnham and Robert Henry Kinahan of Dublin. Their son, Edward Hudson Kinahan (1828-1892) was created a baronet in 1887. The Hudsons who lived on the Ponsonby estate at Inchiquin near Youghal may have been relatives of this family.
Fitzgerald (Ballykinealy) The Fitzgeralds held the townland of Ballykinealy, parish of Kilmacdonogh, barony of Imokilly, county Cork, from Lord Ponsonby at the time of Griffith's Valuation. William Fitzgerald also held land in the nearby townland of Aghavine. The 329 acre estate of John Fitzgerald held under a lease for 5,000 years from the Earl of Cork to John Fitzredmond FitzGerald was advertised for sale. An affidavit of Michael Joseph Fitzgerald included in the rental traces the Fitzgeralds' possession of Ballykenelly for more than two centuries.