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Hodgson
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The Hodgson family came to Ireland from Whitehaven in Cumberland, England and were mine owners in Avoca, county Wicklow before they moved west in the mid 19th century. Pádraig Lane writes that they spent over £22,000 buying 2,800 acres in the Galway area from George F. O'Flahertie, Robert H. Eyre, William H. Gregory, Charles Blake, the Reverend T. Kelly and Christopher St. George. They mined copper and lead on their estate in the west of Ireland, which was mainly located in the parish of Kilcummin, barony of Moycullen, county Galway. By the time of Griffith's Valuation they held eleven townlands in the parish, some of which had previously belonged to the St George family. In 1852 Henry Hodgson bought Merlin Park from the sale of the estate of Charles Blake in the Encumbered Estates' Court. The Merlin Park estate of 1,109 acres, including the marble quarries at Dohiskey, and some land at Castle Waller (321 acres) in county Tipperary, were advertised for sale in the Landed Estates' Court in 1868 but it was not until 1876 that the Waithmans bought the Merlin Park estate. Henry Hodgson still owned over 17,000 acres in county Galway in the early 1870s. http://www.currarevagh.com/
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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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O'Flahertie (Lemonfield)
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The O'Flaherties of Lemonfield are descended from the O'Flaherties of Aughnenure Castle near Oughterard, county Galway. Their estate was in the parish of Kilcummin, barony of Moycullen, county Galway, and Lemonfield, close to the village of Oughterard, was their seat from the mid 18th century. There are some 17th and 19th century records relating to them in the Westport Papers. The O'Flahertie estate of over 4500 acres was advertised for sale in 1854 and a reduced acreage of 2346 acres in 1864. Both rentals included lead mines and a black marble quarry. The Irish Times reports that the 1864 sale saw many of the lots bought by a Mr. Carpenter. In the 1870s the O'Flaherties owned 2340 acres in county Galway. By March 1916 they had accepted offers from the Congested Districts' Board for parts of their estate.
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Eyre/Hedges Eyre (Galway)
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Richard Hedges Eyre of Macroom Castle and Mount Hedges, county Cork, married Frances Browne, daughter of the 2nd Viscount Kenmare. In 1777 their daughter Helena married Reverend George Maunsell, Dean of Leighlin. Their second son, Robert Hedges Eyre Maunsell, married his cousin, Elizabeth Dorothea, daughter and co heiress of Thomas Maunsell of Plassey, county Limerick. Reverend Maunsell's fourth son married Lady Catherine Hare, daughter of the 1st Earl of Listowel and their eldest son, Reverend Robert Hedges Maunsell, assumed the additional name of Eyre when he succeeded to some of the estates of his great uncle Robert Hedges Eyre. In the early 19th century the Hedges Eyre family had property in county Cork and lived at Macroom Castle. In 1852 the Hedges Eyre family advertised for sale a large amount of property in the town and county of the town of Galway, also townlands in the baronies of Tiaquin, Longford and Leitrim. Much of their estate was bought by a Mr Ashworth. The estate of Robert Hedges Eyre White and Reverend Robert Hedges Maunsell Eyre, devisees of Robert Hedges Eyre, in the baronies of Slievardagh and Middlethird, county Tipperary, was advertised for sale in November 1854. In the 1870s Reverend Robert Hedges Maunsell Eyre of Innishannon, county Cork, owned 223 acres in county Galway and 539 acres in county Cork.
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Gregory
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The Coole estate was purchased by Robert Gregory from the Martyns of Tullira in 1768 on his return from India and remained in the Gregory family until 1927. The Kinvara estate was purchased from the Frenches of Duras in 1769. In 1824 Richard Gregory is listed as a resident proprietor. Townlands in the parish of Kilcolgan are recorded as part of the Gregory estate in the 1830s. The agent for this estate was G. Crippage, Galway.
A substantial portion of the Gregory estate was sold in the Encumbered Estates Court in the 1850s, including a townland in the parish and barony of Moycullen bought by James Henry Ryan and other substantial portions by Henry Comerford and Henry Hodgson. William Gregory was the owner of over 5000 acres in county Galway in the 1870s. In 1906 Walter R. Gregory held about 200 acres of untenanted demesne lands and a mansion house valued at £60 at Coole. An offer was accepted from the Congested Districts Board for over 3200 acres of tenanted land of the estate after 1909. In June 1927 the ''Tuam Herald'' reported that the Land Commission had taken over the estate of Lady Margaret Gregory at Coole.
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Kelly (Kinvara)
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In 1855 Reverend Thomas Kelly is recorded as the owner of several townlands in the parish of Kinvarradoorus, barony of Kiltartan, and in the parishes of Athenry and Lackagh, barony of Clare, county Galway. He is also recorded as the lessor of Aggardmore, inclduing Aggard House valued at £28, to John W.H. Lambert. In 1857 his estate in the baronies of Kiltarton, Dunkellin and Clare amounting to 4,938 acres, was advertised for sale in the Encumbered Estates' Court. The sale included 170 acres in Queen's county [county Laois]. Lane notes that Caroline Theodosia Kelly owed over £4000 out of the sale of this estate and that she purchased other property in the locality as a result.
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