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Blake (Merlin Park)
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The Blakes of Moyne, parish of Shrule, county Mayo, were descended from the Blakes of Ardfry, county Galway. Under the Acts of Settlement they were granted the lands of Ballyglass, including Coolcon Castle, now situated in the parish of Kilcommon, barony of Kilmaine and lands in the barony of Dunmore, county Galway, amounting to more than 3,000 acres. At first they held Moyne on lease from the Earls of Clanricarde and in 1711 purchased the fee simple. In 1691 they bought the lands of Ballintober, barony of Carra, from the Blakes of Ardfry. The Ballintober lands were sold to the Moores of Moorehall in 1793. The rest of the Blake estate in counties Galway and Mayo was advertised for sale in the Encumbered Estates' Court in 1852. At the time of Griffith's Valuation Moyne was in the possession of Paul Ward and Joseph Burke and Edward S.Power had bought part of the Blake estate in the parish of Kilcommon. Charles Ormsby Blake de Burgh in a letter to George Ormsby of the Ballinamore family refers to the destruction of his family papers in a fire while in storage in London (17 May 1900).
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