Bourke (Carrowkeel)
Description
Walter Kittagh Bourke, who was descended from the Bourkes of Rathroe Castle, Enniscoe and Carrowkeel, Co Mayo, was a Jacobite supporter residing at Carrowkeel at the end of the 17th century. The Bourke of Curraghleagh were a junior branch of this family.
Estate(s)
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Bourke (Carrowkeel) | The Bourkes were established at Carrowkeel in the parish of Addergoole, barony of Tirawley, Co Mayo, from at least the 17th century. At the time of Griffith's Valuation Walter Bourke held ten townlands in the parish of Addergoole and three townlands in the parish of Crossmolina. He died in 1871 leaving one daughter who was married to Francis Comyn of Woodstock, county Galway and his estate passed to the Comyns. His younger brother was Isidore Bourke of Curraghleagh. |
| Bourke (Curraghleagh & Rahasane) | Isidore Bourke, a younger son of Joseph Bourke of Carrowkeel, county Mayo, had an estate in the parish of Kilcolman, barony of Clanmorris, county Mayo, which he purchased from the Kirwans of Dalgan. He also held lands from the Moores, formerly of Brees, county Mayo and of Cloghan Castle, county Offaly. In 1876 his son, Captain Joseph Cormack Bourke of 29th Foot, held 4141 acres in county Mayo. Captain Bourke died in 1877 and was succeeded by his brother, Walter Bourke of Curraghleagh and Rahasane Park, county Galway, which he must have bought from the Joyces in the mid 1870s. Walter Bourke was murdered outside the gates of Castle Taylor, Ardrahan, county Galway, in 1882. A third brother, Isidore Bourke, sold 4181 acres in county Mayo to the Congested Districts' Board in February 1902 for £30,394. |
| Comyn (Woodstock) | From the mid 17th century the Comyn family were established at Kilcorney in county Clare. In 1796 Laurence Comyn married Jane Lynch of Barna and bought land in the Spiddal area from his in-laws and from the Frenches. Beggan states that he bought more land from the Blakes of Drum in 1814. By the time of Griffith's Valuation, Francis and Peter Sarsfield Comyn, sons of Laurence Comyn of Woodstock, county Galway, held land in the parishes of Killannin and Moycullen, barony of Moycullen and in the parish of Rahoon, barony of Galway. Francis Comyn also had an estate in county Clare in the parishes of Drumcreehy, Kilcorney and Rathborney, barony of Burren. Part of the estate of Peter Sarsfield Comyn at Spiddal was sold in the early 1860s to the Morris family. P.S. Comyn bought the Browne estate at Gortatleva in 1860 and resold it to Michael Hennessy of Galway, except for Brownville, in November 1869. Through a marriage in 1871 with the only daughter and heir of Walter Bourke of Carrowkeel, county Mayo, the Comyns inherited the Carrowkeel estate in the parish of Addergoole, barony of Tirawley. In 1878 Francis Lorenzo Comyn was recorded as owning 3,654 acres in county Mayo, over 7,000 acres in county Galway and 1,961 acres in county Clare. Holywell, the Comyn home, and 161 acres in the barony of Corcomroe, county Clare, was advertised for sale by Thomas Gibson, assignee of Thomas Francis Comyn, in June 1859. This property was held on a lease dated 1803 from Edward O'Brien of Ennistymon to George Comyn of Hollywell. The Freeman's Journal reported that it was purchased in trust by Mr. Redington for £1900. Most of the Comyn estate of Woodstock and the Brownville property, with a portion of the Comyn estate in county Mayo, were sold to the Congested Districts' Board in 1902. 757 acres in county Clare were vested in the Board in November 1912. |
| Bourke (Oldtown) | A branch of the Bourkes of Carrowkeel and Curraghleagh, Walter Bourke of Oldtown married Cecilia Coghlan of Prospect, county Mayo and had five sons including Thomas Bourke of Rockfort, the Reverend Geoffrey Bourke and Surgeon Major Joseph Bourke. He held the townland of Ballinvilla at the time of Griffith's Valuation, part of the estate of the Blakes of Doonmacreena. In the 1870s Surgeon Major Joseph Bourke of Farnham, Hants, England owned 1394 acres in county Mayo. It was the threat of evictions on this estate that led to the large tenant right meeting in Irishtown in April 1879 and later that year to the establishment of the Land League. |