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Law Life Assurance Society
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At the time of Griffith's Valuation this company held two townlands in the parish of Kilgeever, barony of Murrisk, nine townlands in the parish of Kilmeena, barony of Burrishoole, four townlands in the parish of Aglish and one townland in the parish of Turlough, barony of Carra, previously the estate of Sir Samuel O'Malley of Kilboyne, county Mayo. In county Galway they had taken over the vast estate of the Martins of Ballinahinch which was heavily mortgaged to them. The estate included lands in the parishes of Ross, Ballindoon, Ballynakill, Omey, Moyrus, Kilcummin, Killannin, Moycullen and Rahoon, in the baronies of Ross, Ballynahinch, Moycullen and Galway. In 1853 the estate had been surveyed by Thomas Colville Scott for a prospective buyer but the sale never happened. Members of the Robinson family of Roundstone were agents to the Society and later to the Berridge family. The ''Return of Proprietors" in the 1870s records the Society as holding over 165,000 acres in county Galway. An undated sales rental in the National Archives records the sale of the Law Life Assurance Society's county Mayo estate by Frederick Flint and Sons, auctioneers, Dublin, including the purchases made by Mr McDonnell and J.William Kelly of St Helens, Westport. The Congested Districts' Board bought just over 4,000 acres of Clare Island on 15 Mar 1895.
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Berridge
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In 1872 the Ballynahinch estate in county Galway, was bought by Richard Berridge, a London brewer, from the Law Life Assurance Society. In the mid 1870s he is recorded as owning over 160,000 acres in county Galway. Various surveys outline the Berridge ownership of property in county Mayo as well as Middlesex and Kent in England. In 1888 Bateman asserted that Richard Berridge was "the largest landowner in Ireland". The Galway estate was purchased for sporting purposes and the Berridges built a number of fishing lodges, including those at Inagh, Fermoyle and Screebe. The estate remained in the family's possession for only two generations. Over 70,000 acres,was vested in the Congested Districts' Board on 31 Mar 1915. The Berridge family retained a house in the locality and some fishing at Screebe until the late 20th century. A grandson of Richard Berridge married an Orme of Owenmore, Crossmolina, county Mayo, and a great-grandson currently produces well known Irish cheeses on his farm at Carrigbyrne in county Wexford.
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