Landed Estates
University of Galway

Wall (Holycross)


Estate(s)

Name Description
Wall (Holycross) This family were a branch of the Walls of Coolnamuck, county Waterford. The Reverend Garrett Wall was a son of William Wall of Coolnamuck and died in 1821. His son, also named the Reverend Garrrett Wall of Holycross, barony of Eliogarty, county Tipperary, held a number of townlands in the parish of Holycross in the mid 19th century and in the parish of Kilcornan, barony of Clanwilliam, while Dr Wall held land in the parish of Ballycahill. Garrett Wall and James W. Wall also held land in the parishes of Kilmurry and Newtownlennon, barony of Iffa and Offa East. In the 1870s the Reverend Garrett Wall of Ballingarry owned 2,437 acres in county Tipperary. The Walls purchased the Holycross estate from the Armstrongs in 1834.
Armstrong/Armstrong MacDonnell (Newhall) The Armstrongs of Mount Heaton share a common ancestry with the Armstrongs of Moyaliff, county Tipperary. By the beginning of the 18th century they were resident at Farney Castle, county Tipperary. Mount Heaton, county Offaly, came into the family's possession through the marriage of Colonel William Armstrong with a Heaton heiress in 1731. Mount Heaton (now known as Mount St Josephs) then became the main family residence and Farney Castle was given to William's younger brother, John Armstrong. In 1809 William Henry Armstrong married Bridget MacDonnell of Newhall, county Clare. Burke's Landed Gentry (1904) records that he sold Mount Heaton in 1817 and went to live on the Continent. In 1834 he sold his estate in Fermanagh and much of his estates in Limerick, Tipperary and England. The second son of this marriage, William Edward Armstrong, succeeded his uncle, John MacDonnell in 1850, adopting the name MacDonnell in 1858. He married Juliana, daughter of Sir Lucius O’Brien, Baron of Inchiquin. At the time of Griffith’s Valuation William E. Armstrong’s county Clare estate was concentrated in the parish of Doora, barony of Bunratty Upper and in the parishes of Kilballyowen, Kilmacduane, Moyarta and Kilfearagh, barony of Moyarta. Besides valuable MacDonnell properties in counties Clare and Limerick he also inherited large debts and advertised for sale over 5,600 acres including the Kilbreckan estate in December 1856 and also 139 acres in county Galway. Following the 1856 sale his county Clare estate was mainly located in West Clare near Kilkee. Despite the sale Colonel William E. Armstrong MacDonnell still owned 6,670 acres in county Clare in the 1870s. He died in 1883 and his son, Charles Randal MacDonnell, owned the house and over 500 acres of untenanted land in 1906. The estate was later sold to the tenants and Newhall house to the Joyce family of county Galway. The eldest son of Willilam H. Armstrong and Bridget MacDonnell was John Armstrong. Major William Armstrong of Farney Castle held land in the parishes of Holycross and Inch, barony of Eliogarty and Ballycahill, barony of Kilnamanagh Upper, at the time of Griffith's Valuation. In the 1870s Mrs L. Armstrong of Farney Castle owned 896 acres in county Tipperary. Farney Castle and other lands in the baronies of Eliogarty and Kilnamanagh, the estate of William Armstrong were advertised for sale in July 1884.