Tyrone House

THE ST GEORGES OWNED 15,777 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY GALWAY

CHRISTOPHER FRENCH, of Tyrone, Dunkellin, County Galway (son of Jeffry French, of Mulpitt, County Galway, d 1610), settled his estate in 1675, and died intestate, 1676, leaving issue, by Jane his wife,

ARTHUR, his heir;
Jeffry;
Robert.

The eldest son,

ARTHUR FRENCH, of Tyrone, County Galway, Mayor of Galway, 1691, son of Christopher French, of Tyrone (who died in 1676), left issue by his first wife, Mary, daughter of Sir John Kirwan, two sons,

CHRISTOPHER, his heir;
Julian.

He wedded secondly, in 1691, Sarah, only daughter of Ulick Burke, of Clare, County Galway, and had further issue,

Simon Arthur Hyacinth;
ARTHUR, ancestor of FRENCH OF CLOONYQUIN;
Jeffry;
Patrick;
Christopher;
Edmund;
Ellen; Jane; Mary; another daughter.

Mr French died in 1712, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

CHRISTOPHER FRENCH, of Tyrone, County Galway, conformed in 1704, who married, in 1699, Margery, third daughter of Ariel Farrell, of Cloonyquin, by Sarah his wife, daughter of Ulick Burke, and had issue,

ARTHUR, his heir;
Patrick;
Christopher;
James;
Jane; Juliane; Sarah; Mary; Margery; Rosa.

The eldest son,

ARTHUR FRENCH, of Tyrone, appellant in the case of French v Caddell in the House of Lords, 1764-5, wedded, in 1736, Olivia, eldest daughter of John Ussher MP, of Carrick, by his wife, the HON MARY ST GEORGE, only daughter and heir of GEORGE, 1st BARON ST GEORGE, of Hatley St George, Cambridgeshire, and had issue,

CHRISTOPHER, his heir;
Olivia; Julia; Nicola.

Mr French died in 1779, and was succeeded by his only son,

CHRISTOPHER FRENCH (1754-1826), of Tyrone, who assumed, in 1774, the surname of ST GEORGE, in compliance with the settlement of his great-grandfather, Lord St George.

He espoused, in 1778, Anne, eldest daughter of Henry Bingham, of Newbrook, County Mayo, and had issue,

ARTHUR, his heir;
Letitia; Olivia.

Mr French was succeeded bu his only son,

ARTHUR FRENCH ST GEORGE (1780-1844), who married, in 1801, the Lady Harriet St Lawrence, eldest daughter of William, 2nd Earl of Howth, and co-heir of her mother, the Lady Mary Bermingham, second daughter and co-heir of Thomas, 1st Earl of Louth, and had issue,

CHRISTOPHER, his heir;
Arthur St George;
Mary; Matilda; Louisa; Anne; Harriet.

Mr St George was succeeded by his eldest son,

CHRISTOPHER ST GEORGE JP DL (1810-77), MP for Galway, 1847-52, who wedded, in 1852, Honoria Kane, and had issue, three daughters,

Katherine; Josephine; Elizabeth.

KATHERINE ST GEORGE and JOSEPHINE BROWNE, co-heirs of Christopher St George, succeeded their father in 1877.

The eldest daughter,

KATHERINE ST GEORGE (d 1934), of Tyrone House, married, in 1874, Robert James Ker St George, grandson of Sir Richard Bligh St George, 2nd Baronet, and had issue,

Richard Christopher Bligh;
Arthur French;
Robert Charles Cecil;
Rosamund Frances Katherine; Gladys Alienora; Josephine.

Entrance Front (Image: Tripadvisor)

TYRONE HOUSE, near Clarinbridge, County Galway, was a Georgian mansion of 1779, built for Christopher French St George, reputedly by the architect John Roberts of Waterford.

It comprised three storeys over a basement, with two bays on either side of a central, three-bay breakfront.

The house had many balustrades, including one at the grand steps leading up to the hall door.

There were prominent quoins at the breakfront and sides.

There were six bays on the garden front.

The Hall was noted for its fine plasterwork.

There was a niche containing a life-size marble statue of Lord St George, surmounted by a baron's coronet.

The St Georges stopped living in the house in 1905.

Sadly, in 1920 Tyrone House was gutted by a malicious fire, and thereafter it became a visitor attraction for people in the neighbouring towns and villages.

Tyrone House (Image: Tripadvisor)

The great mansion house is now ruinous, bereft of its park and woodland.

I'm grateful to Robert O'Byrne ~ the Irish Aesthete ~ for use of the coat-of-arms of the St Georges at the top of this article.

He has written a book about Tyrone House.