1st Earl of Donoughmore

THE EARLS OF DONOUGHMORE OWNED 4,711 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY TIPPERARY
AND 2,878 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY WATERFORD

THE RT HON JOHN HELY-HUTCHINSON (1724-94), an eminent lawyer and statesman of Ireland (son of Francis Hely, of Gortroe, County Cork, by a daughter of Christopher Earbury or Earberry), married, in 1751, CHRISTIANA, daughter of Abraham Nickson, of Munny, County Wicklow, and niece and heir of Richard Hutchinson, of Knocklofty, County Tipperary (in consequence of which marriage he assumed the additional surname of HUTCHINSON), and had issue,

RICHARD, his heir;
JOHN, 2nd Earl;
Francis, of Lissen Hall; father of the 3rd Earl;
Augustus Abraham;
Christopher;
Lorenzo;
Christiana; Mary; Prudence; Margaret.

Rt Hon John Hely-Hutchinson

Mr Hely-Hutchinson obtained a peerage for his wife, CHRISTIANA, in 1783, in the dignity of Baroness Donoughmore, of Knocklofty, County Tipperary.

Christiana, Baroness Donoughmore

Her ladyship died in 1788, and was succeeded in the barony by her eldest son,

RICHARD HELY, 2nd Baron (1756-1825); who was advanced to a viscountcy, as Viscount Donoughmore; and further advanced to the dignity of an earldom, in 1800, as EARL OF DONOUGHMORE.

His lordship died unmarried, when the family honours devolved upon his brother,

JOHN HELY, 2nd Earl (1757-1832), GCB, a general in the army, Governor of Stirling Castle, Knight Grand Cross of the Bath, who died unmarried, when the honours he had inherited passed to his nephew,

JOHN, 3rd Earl (1787-1851), KP, who wedded firstly, in 1822, Margaret, daughter of Luke, 1st Viscount Mountjoy, and had issue,

RICHARD JOHN, his successor;
Margaret.

He espoused secondly, in 1827, Barbara, daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel William Reynell, and had further issue,

John William, b 1829;
Kathleen Alicia; Frances Margaret; Jane Louisa.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

RICHARD JOHN, 4th Earl (1823-66), who married, in 1847, Thomasina Jocelyn, daughter of Walter Steele, and had issue,

JOHN LUKE GEORGE, his successor;
Walter Francis (Sir);
Patrick Maurice;
Granville William;
Margaret Frances; Mary Sophia.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

JOHN LUKE GEORGE, 5th Earl (1848-1900), KCMG JP DL, who wedded, in 1874, Frances Isabella, daughter of General William Frazer Stephens, and had issue,

RICHARD WALTER JOHN, his successor;
Nina Blanche; Evelyn; Norah; Margarita Oonagh Isabella.

His lordship was succeeded by his only son,

RICHARD WALTER JOHN, 6th Earl (1875-1948), KP JP DL, who espoused, in 1901, Elena Maria, daughter of Michael Paul Grace, and had issue,

JOHN MICHAEL HENRY, his successor;
David Edward;
Doreen Clare.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

JOHN MICHAEL HENRY, 7th Earl (1902-81), Colonel, Royal Armoured Corps (TA), MP for Peterborough, 1943-5, who married, in 1925, Dorothy Jean, daughter of John Beaumont Hotham, and had issue,

RICHARD MICHAEL JOHN, his successor;
Mark;
Sara Elena.

His lordship was succeeded by his elder son,

RICHARD MICHAEL JOHN, 8th Earl (1927-), who sold Knocklofty Estate in 1985.

KNOCKLOFTY HOUSE, near Clonmel, County Tipperary, was the mansion of the Earls of Donoughmore.

The estate is almost four miles west-south-west of Clonmel.

The mansion stands on an extensive natural terrace on the left bank of the River Suir.

It commands a delightful prospect of the richly wooded slopes and highly adorned rising grounds of the Waterford side of the valley.

The demesne is - or was - extensive, containing some of the finest old elms and limes in the counties of Tipperary and Waterford.

The 18th century mansion comprises a three-storey central block, with two-storey, gable-ended wings projecting forward on the entrance front to form a three-sided court.

The centre block consists of seven bays, and the wings comprise two bays in their gable ends.

In the early 1800s a single-storey corridor was built along the front of the centre block, joining the wings, embellished with wreathes and Doric pilasters.

The central garden front, overlooking the River Suir, comprises five bays with an exceptionally long, two-storey service wing.

The demesne spreads across the River Suir into County Waterford, including Kilmanahan Castle, formerly a separate property.

The original, intricate gate piers are notable.

The 7th Earl and Countess were kidnapped from Knocklofty House in 1974 by an IRA gang and held captive for four days before being released in Phoenix Park, Dublin.

The family left several years later.

The estate was recently for sale.

Other residence ~ Palmerstown House, near Dublin.

First published in May, 2020.  Donoughmore arms courtesy of European Heraldry.