Ballyarr House

LORD GEORGE AUGUSTUS HILL WAS A MAJOR LANDOWNER IN COUNTY DONEGAL, WITH 24,189 ACRES

LORD GEORGE AUGUSTUS HILL (1801-79), fifth son of Arthur, 2nd Marquess of Downshire, married firstly, in 1834, Cassandra Jane, fifth daughter of Edward Austen Knight (the novelist Jane Austen's brother), of Godmersham Park, Kent, and had issue,

ARTHUR BLUNDELL GEORGE SANDYS;
Augustus Charles Edward (1839-1908);
Norah Mary Elizabeth.

He wedded secondly, in 1847, Louisa, daughter of Edward Knight, and had further issue,

Cassandra Jane Louisa;
George Marcus Wandsbeck (1849-1911).

Lord George was succeeded by his eldest son,

ARTHUR BLUNDELL GEORGE SANDYS HILL (1837-1923), of Gweedore, County Donegal, who espoused, in 1871, Helen Emily, daughter of the Most Rev and Rt Hon Richard Chenevix-Trench, Lord Archbishop of Dublin, and had issue.

BALLYARR HOUSE, near Ramelton, County Donegal, was built ca 1780.

It was acquired in 1842 by Lord George Hill.

Lord George had previously bought 23,000 acres in and around Gweedore.

Ballyarr’s most famous visitor during Lord George's time was the historian Thomas Carlyle, and it was he who later described the house as ‘a farm-like place’ with a ‘piazza’, an Italian style square that was then considered fashionable.

After Lord George's death, in 1879, the house passed through his family until it was sold in 1900, along with the adjacent mill, to William Russell.

It remained in the Russells’ hands until it was bought in 1974 by Ian Smith, a former hotelier and war hero, and his artist wife Peggy.

One wing of the house, which had been barely altered since Lord George’s time, had fallen into ruin and was demolished.

However, one large fanlight window was saved and later erected in a house in Castle Street, Ramelton, known as ‘ The House on the Brae’, owned by Ramelton Heritage Society.

Ballyarr House was bought in 1981 by Andy O’Loghlin, bank manager, and his wife Breda.

They sold it to Roy and Noreen Greenslade in 1989 and the following year they oversaw a substantial restoration in order to return the interior to something like its original Georgian appearance.

The drawing room and library were returned to their previous proportions, with the addition of new fireplaces.

Ceiling cornices in the main bedroom were restored.

The exterior front elevation was also stripped of its stucco to reveal the original stone-work. 

LORD GEORGE HILL

In 1838, Lord George Augustus Hill purchased land in Gweedore and over the next few years expanded his holdings to 23,000 acres, including a number of offshore islands, the largest of which was Gola island.

He estimated that his lands had about 3,000 inhabitants, of whom 700 were rent payers.

Unlike previous landlords who often left their holdings and people alone, Lord George came to stay, and set about to improve the roads and bridges.

He had an advantage in that he knew the Irish language, the main language of the people of the area.

The first road into Gweedore was constructed in 1834 when the Board of Works constructed a road from Dunlewey to the Gweedore River and Lord George further improved the roads on his estate.

At Bunbeg he constructed a harbour and corn store and a general merchandise store.

By purchasing grain at the prices prevailing in Letterkenny, Lord George hoped to curb the practice of illicit distillation, which he perceived was one of the prime causes of distress in the area.

The suppression of illicit distillation was one thing in which Lord George had to admit he wasn't as successful as he would have liked.

Quite conveniently, although not mentioned by him or his admirers, the purchasing of grain from the tenants would have given them money with which to pay their rent. Potatoes were grown for their own needs.

About four miles from Bunbeg, up the Clady River, Lord George constructed a hotel, which he surrounded by a model farm.

Early editions of Hill's book were subtitled With Hints For Donegal Tourists, and this was, apart from demonstrating his agricultural improvements, the other purpose for writing Facts from Gweedore; he wanted people to come and stay in his hotel.

Hill also set up a shop in Bunbeg and imported a Scot named Mason to open a bakery.

Lord George was not for the "free market,"  and made sure that no one else opened up in opposition to him.

Margaret Sweeney was evicted for trying to set up a bakery without permission.

Almost immediately on taking up his land in Gweedore, Hill set about to improve the agricultural practices of his estate.

His tenants naturally were not so inclined to share the landlord's view of what was good agriculture and this became a bone of contention for many years even though Lord George was quite successful in abolishing the Rundale system.

Even he admitted that the re-organization of the farms was

a difficult task, and much thwarted by the people, as they naturally did not like that their old ways should be disturbed or interfered with...the opposition on the part of the people to the new system was vexatious and harassing.

In 1888, there were 800 official tenancies on the Hill estate, which increased the next year to 920, due to sub-tenants being recognized as official tenants, after a settlement negotiated between the landlord and the parish priest.

Downshire arms courtesy of European Heraldry.  First published in November, 2011.

Kilshannig House

THE BARONS FERMOY WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY CORK, WITH 15,543 ACRES

The family of DE LA RUPE, or ROCHE, according to the Irish Peerage, and Rudiments of Honour, by Francis Nichols, published in 1727, were materially descended from CHARLEMAGNE; and in the remarkable pedigree of the ancestors of this family, it is shown that they derive their descent from the most illustrious sources, their progenitors being allied, by intermarriages, with the great Counts of Flanders, the Counts of Bavaria, ALFRED, and other Saxon Kings of England; the House of Capet in France, WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR, and other Anglo-Norman kings.

The Roches came to Ireland in the reign of HENRY II, along with other Anglo-Norman chiefs in Strongbow's time; and in the reigns of RICHARD I and KING JOHN, they got large grants of lands in County Cork, in the territory of Fermoy, which, from them, was called Roche's Country, and they erected a castle, and founded a Cistercian monastery at Fermoy, and they had seats at Castletown Roche and other places.

RALPH DE LA ROCHE, son of Alexander de Rupe, alias DE LA ROCHE, was patriarch of the family in Ireland.

He married Elizabeth de Clare, by the Princess Joan of Acre, his wife, daughter of EDWARD I and his Queen, ELEANOR, of Gilbert de Clare, 7th Earl of Gloucester, by the Princess Joan of Acre, his wife, daughter of EDWARD I.

This Ralph had issue, DAVID, father of John de Rupe or la Roche, Baron of Fermoy, who had MAURICE FITZJOHN, Lord De La Roche, of Fermoy, from whom descended,

DAVID ROCHE, Lord Roche, surnamed The Great, who sat in Parliament as VISCOUNT ROCHE, of Fermoy, in the reigns of EDWARD IV and HENRY VII.

He married Jane, daughter of Walter Burke, called MacWilliam, and had issue,

MAURICE, his successor;
Redmond;
Ulick;
Theobald;
William;
Philip;
Gerald;
Edmond;
Jacob;
Helena.

His lordship died ca 1492, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

MAURICE ROCHE, 2nd Viscount, who married twice; and by Joanna, his first wife, daughter of James, Earl of Desmond, had a son and successor,

DAVID ROCHE, 3rd Viscount, father, by Catherine his wife, daughter of MacCarthy Mor, of a son and successor,

MAURICE ROCHE, 4th Viscount, who wedded Grania MacCarthy, and had issue,

DAVID, his successor;
William;
John;
Helena; Marcella; Catherine.

The eldest son,

DAVID ROCHE, 5th Viscount, who succeeded his father in 1566, espoused Helena, daughter of James, 10th Baron Dunboyne, and had issue,

Maurice, his successor;
William;
EDMOND, of whom hereafter;
Gerald;
James.

The third son,

EDMOND DE LA ROCHE, died in 1540, leaving (with a daughter, Joan, married, in 1508, to David de Courcy, Baron Kingsale) a son,

MAURICE ROCHE, who, when Mayor of Cork, in 1571, received a signed letter from ELIZABETH I, with a patent and livery collar, in acknowledgment of his services in suppressing the rebellion of the Earl of Desmond.

He died in 1593, leaving three sons, JOHN, EDWARD, and Patrick, and was succeeded by the eldest,

JOHN ROCHE, who dsp and the estates devolved upon his brother,

EDWARD ROCHE FITZMAURICE FITZEDMUND, who died in 1626, having three sons, FRANCIS, Edward, and Maurice, of whom the eldest,

FRANCIS ROCHE, High Sheriff of County Cork, 1641, entertained Sir Warham St Leger, the Provost-Marshal of Munster, at his seat, Trabolgan, and assisted him for the King.

He wedded Jane Coppinger, by whom he left at his decease, 1669 (with a younger son, Edmund), a son and heir,

EDWARD ROCHE (1645-96), of Trabolgan, who wedded, in 1672, Catherine, daughter of James Lavallin, of Walterstown, County Cork, and died in 1696, having had issue (with four daughters) four sons,

FRANCIS, his heir;
Edmund;
Maurice;
James.

The eldest son and heir,

FRANCIS ROCHE (1673-1755), of Kildinan and Trabolgan, died unmarried, when the former estate descended to his elder nephew, Edmund, before mentioned, and the latter, of Trabolgan, to his other nephew,

EDWARD ROCHE, of Trabolgan, Colonel, Imokilly Horse, who wedded, in 1781, Susanna, elder daughter of Sir George Wombwell Bt, of Yorkshire, by whom he had one son, Edmund Edward, who predeceased him in 1803, a prisoner of war at Lyons, France.

Mr Roche died in 1828, and bequeathed his estates to his nephew (only son of his elder brother, Edmund),

EDWARD ROCHE (1771-1855), of Trabolgan and Kildinan, who espoused, in 1805, Margaret Honoria, only child and heiress of William Curtain, and had issue,

EDMOND BURKE, his heir;
Frances Maria.

Mr Roche was succeeded by his only son,

EDMOND BURKE ROCHE (1815-74), MP for County Cork, 1837-55, who wedded, in 1848, Elizabeth Caroline, daughter of James Brownell Boothby, of Twyford Abbey, and had issue,

EDWARD, his successor;
JAMES BOOTHBY BURKE, succeeded his brother;
Elizabeth Caroline Burke.

Mr Roche was elevated to the peerage, in 1865, in the dignity of BARON FERMOY, of County Cork.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

EDMUND FITZEDMUND BURKE, 2nd Baron (1850-1920), JP DL, High Sheriff of County Cork, 1873, who espoused, in 1877, Cecilia, daughter of Standish, 3rd Viscount Guillamore, and had issue, an only child,

Ada Sybil (1879-1944).

His lordship died without male issue, when the title devolved upon his brother,

JAMES BOOTHBY BURKE, 3rd Baron (1852-1920), MP for East Kerry, 1896-1900, who married, in 1880, Frances Ellen, daughter of Frank Work, and had issue,

EDMUND MAURICE BURKE, his successor;
Francis George;
Eileen; Cynthia.

His lordship was succeeded by his elder son,

(EDMUND) MAURICE BURKE, 4th Baron (1885-1955),

(Edmund) Maurice Burke Roche, 4th Baron (1885–1955);
Edmund James Burke Roche, 5th Baron (1939–84);
(Patrick) Maurice Burke Roche, 6th Baron (b 1967).

The heir presumptive is the present holder's brother, the Hon Edmund Hugh Burke Roche.

Garden Front

KILSHANNIG HOUSE, Rathcormack, Fermoy, County Cork, was built between 1765 and 1766 for Abraham Devonsher, a wealthy Cork burgher, on the summit of a gentle hill about six miles south of Fermoy.

Mr Devonsher served as High Sheriff of County Cork, 1762, and MP for Rathcormack between 1756 and 1776.

Originally a Quaker, he was expelled from the Quaker community in 1756 for 'conformity to the world' and for his involvement in politics.

His architect was a Sardinian, Davis Ducart, whose Irish career began in the 1760s and continued until his death in about 1785.

Ducart balanced his career as a canal and mining engineer with some of the second half of the 18th century’s most innovative Irish houses.

Entance Front

He was arguably the most accomplished architect working in Ireland between the death of Richard Cassels and arrival of James Gandon.

As a southern European, he remained completely loyal to the Baroque and never ventured into the new neo-Classisical style.

Kilshannig has four formal fronts.

The entrance is of rose red brick while the other fronts are of cut sandstone with limestone dressings.

The brick facade has a mezzanine floor, segmental headed windows, a fine tripartite stone centrepiece with blind occuli and a round-headed niche on the upper floor.

The other fronts have more regular fenestration although they incorporate several unusual details.

This seven-bay block is attached to a pair of square pavilions by straight narrow links, single storied and elaborately arcaded on the garden front.

From the pavilions the wings extend back towards the entrance in an L-shape and reconnect to the main block by curved walls to form a pair of enclosed courtyards.

Saloon Ceiling

Kilshannig contains a splendid series of rich 18th century rooms with perhaps Ireland’s finest decorative plasterwork, executed by the Lafrancini brothers during their second visit.

These have noble proportions, magnificent chimneypieces and joinery, and deeply coved Rococo ceilings.

Staircase

Most notable are the columnar hall, the double height saloon, which occupies the centre of the garden front, and the superb stone spiral staircase.

Mr. Devonsher was childless and left his estate to his nephew, after whom the house changed hands with monotonous regularity, deteriorating continuously with each passing year.

Trabolgan

Before 1837, Kilshannig was sold to Edward Roche (1771-1855), of Trabolgan House, who used the mansion as a winter residence, as did his son Edmond Burke Roche, raised to the peerage as 1st Baron Fermoy.

Kilshannig had a succession of owners during the 20th century until Commander Douglas Merry and his wife purchased it in 1960.

At that stage Kilshannig was in poor condition: The cupolas had disappeared; one wing was ruinous; and the whole house badly needed attention.

Fortunately Commander Merry possessed a singular combination of engineering skill and aesthetic sensitivity with considerable 'DIY' skills, and it is entirely due to his efforts that the house survived the 20th century.

His son Hugo, a successful bloodstock agent, now lives at Kilshannig with his wife Elaine and their family.

They have continued the good work and have recently given the whole house a new roof, reinstated the cupolas and clad them in copper and a great deal of other work.

This has all been executed to the highest possible standards, to make the house secure for the next hundred years.

Former residence ~ Park House, Sandringham, Norfolk.

Fermoy arms courtesy of European Heraldry.  Select bibliography ~ Irish Historic Houses Association.

1st Marquess Conyngham

THE MARQUESSES CONYNGHAM WERE THE SECOND LARGEST LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY CLARE, WITH 27,613 ACRES

The family of CONYNGHAM was originally of Scottish descent, and of very great antiquity in that part of the United Kingdom.

WILLIAM CUNNINGHAM, Bishop of Argyll, a younger son of William, 4th Earl of Glencairn, in 1539, left a son,

WILLIAM CUNNINGHAM, of Cunninghamhead, Ayrshire, who had two sons,

WILLIAM, who succeeded at Cuninghamhead, and was created a baronet in 1627, designated of Cunninghamhead, Ayr; and

THE REV ALEXANDER CUNNINGHAM or CONYNGHAM, who, entering into Holy Orders and removing into Ireland, was appointed, in 1611, the first protestant minister of Enver and Killymard, County Donegal.

He was appointed to the deanery of Raphoe, in 1630, on the consecration of Dean Adair as Lord Bishop of Killaloe.

Dean Conyngham settled at Mount Charles, County Donegal, which estate he held, by lease, from the Earl of Annandale, and wedded Marion, daughter of John Murray, of Broughton, by whom he had no less than 27 children, of which four sons and five daughters survived infancy.

The Dean died in 1660, and was succeeded by his eldest surviving son,

SIR ALBERT CUNNINGHAM or CONYNGHAM, Knight,  Colonel, 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons, who was appointed, in 1660, Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance in Ireland.

Sir Albert fought on the side of WILLIAM III at the Boyne, Limerick etc, and fell in a rencounter with the Rapparees, near Colooney in County Sligo.

He espoused Mary, daughter of the Rt Rev Robert Leslie, Lord Bishop of Raphoe, and was succeeded, on his decease, 1691, by his only surviving son,

MAJOR-GENERAL HENRY CONYNGHAM, of Slane Castle, MP for Killybegs, 1692-3, County Donegal, 1695-1706, who served during the reign of JAMES II as captain in Mountjoy's Regiment.

When JAMES II desired his army to shift for itself, Conyngham prevailed upon 500 of his regiment to remain united, and with them offered his services to WILLIAM III.

He became subsequently Major-General, and fell, 1706, at St Estevan's, in Spain.

General Conyngham wedded Mary, daughter of Sir John Williams Bt, of Minster Court, Kent, and widow of Charles, Lord Shelburne, by whom he got a very considerable property, and had issue,

WILLIAM, his successor;
Henry;
Mary.

He was succeeded by his elder son,

WILLIAM CONYNGHAM, of Slane (an estate forfeited, in 1641, by Lord Slane), who was succeeded at his decease by his brother,

THE RT HON HENRY CONYNGHAM (1705-81), captain of horse on the Irish establishment, MP for Killybegs, 1727-53, when he was elevated to the peerage, in 1753, in the dignity of Baron Conyngham, of Mount Charles, County Donegal.

His lordship was advanced to a viscountcy, in 1756, as Viscount Conyngham; and further advanced, in 1781, as Earl Conyngham, the barony to descend, in case of failure of issue, to Francis Pierpoint Burton, the eldest son of his sister Mary, by Francis Burton.

His lordship married, in 1774, Ellen, only daughter and heir of Solomon Merret; but dying without an heir, in 1781, all his honours became extinct, except the barony of Conyngham, which devolved, according to the limitation, upon the above-mentioned

FRANCIS PIERPOINT BURTON as 2nd Baron (c1725-87), who wedded, in 1750, Elizabeth, eldest daughter of the Rt Hon Nathaniel Clements, and sister of Robert, Earl of Leitrim, and had issue,

HENRY, his successor;
Francis Nathaniel (Sir), GCH;
Catherine; Ellena; Henrietta.

His lordship, on inheriting the title and estates of his uncle, assumed the surname and arms of CONYNGHAM.

He was succeeded by his eldest son,

HENRY, 3rd Baron (1766-1832), who, in 1787, was created Viscount Conyngham, of Slane, County Meath; Viscount Mount Charles, of Mount Charles, County Donegal; and, in 1797, Earl Conyngham.

In 1801, Lord Conyngham was appointed a Knight of St Patrick. In 1803, he was appointed Governor of County Donegal, a post he held until 1831, and Custos Rotulorum of County Clare in 1808, which he remained until his death.

His lordship was created, in 1816, Viscount Slane, Earl of Mount Charles, and MARQUESS CONYNGHAM.

In 1821, he was created Baron Minster, of Minster Abbey, Kent, sworn of the Privy Council, and appointed Lord Steward, a post he retained until 1830.

From 1829 until his death, in 1832, he served as Constable and Governor of Windsor Castle.

• Henry Conyngham, 1st Marquess (1766–1832);
  • Henry F Conyngham, Earl of Mount Charles (1795–1824);
• Francis Nathaniel Conyngham, 2nd Marquess (1797–1876);
• George Henry Conyngham, 3rd Marquess (1825–82);
• Henry Francis Conyngham, 4th Marquess (1857–97);
• Victor George Henry Francis Conyngham, 5th Marquess (1883–1918);
• Frederick William Burton Conyngham, 6th Marquess (1890–1974);
• Frederick William Henry Francis Conyngham, 7th Marquess (1924–2009);
• Henry Vivien Pierpont Conyngham, 8th Marquess (1951-2025).

 Alexander Burton Conyngham, is 9th Marquess.

The heir apparent is his son Rory Nicholas Burton Conyngham, styled Earl of Mount Charles.

 

The Marquesses Conyngham were seated at The Hall, Mount Charles, County Donegal, now thought to be unoccupied.

The Hall is an early to mid-18th century double, gable-ended house of three storeys and five bays.

It has a pedimented door-case, bold quoins and a solid parapet concealing the roof and end gables.

At one end of the house there is a conservatory porch with astrigals and round-headed windows.

A salt works (also in the grounds of the former Conyngham estate) provided employment to local people during the 18th century.

8th Marquess Conyngham (1951-2025)

The present Lord and Lady Conyngham continue to live at the ancestral seat, Slane Castle, County Meath.

Buncraggy House

BUNCRAGGY HOUSE, one of several notable houses on the Conyngham Estate, was home of the Burton family for most of the 18th century.

The house remained in the possession of the O'Gorman family until the end of the 19th century, when it became the property of the Caher family.

The house is still occupied and the yard buildings are the centre of a farming enterprise.

Other properties included Islandmagrath, Burtonhill House, Summerhill and Meelick House.

First published in November, 2011.  Conyngham arms courtesy of European Heraldry. 

Castle Saunderson

THE SAUNDERSONS WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY CAVAN, WITH 12,362 ACRES

ALEXANDER SANDERSON, of Scotland, was made a Denizen of Ireland, 1613, and was High Sheriff of County Tyrone, 1622, and twice subsequently.

He was granted Tullylagan, County Tyrone, and other lands to the extent of 1,000 acres, the whole being erected into the manor of Sanderson in 1630.

Alexander Sanderson died in 1633, leaving three sons,

Archibald, of Tullylagan;
ROBERT, of whom we treat;
George, dsp.

The second son,

ROBERT SANDERSON (c1602-c1676), settled at Portagh, County Cavan, and there built a castle.

Colonel Sanderson, High Sheriff of County Cavan, 1657, Colonel in the army of Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden, married Katherine, eldest daughter of John Cunningham, both of Ballyachen, County Donegal, and had issue,

ROBERT, his heir;
James;
Alexander, father of ALEXANDER;
William, of Moycashel.

He was succeeded by his eldest son,

ROBERT SAUNDERSON (1653-1724), of Castle Saunderson, MP for County Cavan, 1692-3, 1695-6, 1713-14, Colonel of a regiment in WILLIAM III's army, who wedded Jane, daughter of the Right Rev John Leslie, Lord Bishop of Clogher.

He dsp 1723, and was succeeded by his nephew,

ALEXANDER SANDERSON, of Castle Sanderson, High Sheriff of County Cavan, 1714, who wedded Mabella, daughter of William Saunderson, of Moycashel, County Westmeath, and was buried at St Mary's, Dublin, in 1726.

His son,

FRANCIS SANDERSON, of Castle Sanderson, High Sheriff of County Cavan, 1740, espoused Anne, eldest daughter of Anthony Atkinson, of Cangort, King's County, and died in 1746, leaving two sons and two daughters.

His son and heir,

ALEXANDER SANDERSON, of Castle Sanderson, High Sheriff of County Cavan, 1758, changed the spelling of his name to SAUNDERSON.

He married Rose, daughter of Trevor Lloyd, of Gloster, King's County, and had issue,

FRANCIS, his heir;
Alexander;
Robert, in holy orders;
John.

Mr Saunderson died in 1768, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

FRANCIS SAUNDERSON (1754-1827), of Castle Saunderson, MP for County Cavan, 1788-1800, County Cavan, 1801-6, who married, in 1779, Anne Bassett, daughter of Stephen White, of Miskin, Glamorgan, and heir of the Bassett estates in that county, and had issue,

ALEXANDER, his successor;
Francis, in holy orders;
Hardress Robert;
James, Lieutenant RN;
William Bassett;
Lydia Waller; Cecilia.

Mr Saunderson's eldest son,

ALEXANDER SAUNDERSON JP DL (1783-1857), of Castle Saunderson, Colonel of the Militia, High Sheriff of County Cavan, 1818, MP for County Cavan, wedded, in 1828, Sarah Juliana Maxwell, eldest daughter of Henry, 6th Baron Farnham, and had issue,

Alexander de Bedick (1832-60);
Somerset Bassett (1834-92);
EDWARD JAMES, of whom we treat;
Llewellyn Traherne;
Juliana Harriet; Rose Ann.

Colonel Saunderson was succeeded by his third son, 

THE RT HON EDWARD JAMES SAUNDERSON JP DL (1837-1906), of Castle Saunderson, Lieutenant-Colonel, Royal Irish Fusiliers, who married, in 1865, Helena Emily de Moleyns, youngest daughter of Thomas, 3rd Baron Ventry, and had issue,

SOMERSET FRANCIS, his successor;
Edward;
Armar;
John Vernon;
Rosa.

Colonel Saunderson was succeeded by his eldest son,

CAPTAIN SOMERSET FRANCIS SAUNDERSON JP DL (1867-1927), of Castle Saunderson, High Sheriff of County Cavan, 1907, who married, in 1914, Mary Satterfield, former wife of Count Larisch von Moennich, and had issue,

Alexander;

Patricia.

The only son,

ALEXANDER SAUNDERSON (1917-2004), married Louise Aster Van Alen, of New York, USA.

CASTLE SAUNDERSON, near Belturbet, County Cavan, is a large castellated mansion combining both baronial and Tudor-Revival elements. It was built ca 1840.

The mansion bears remarkable similarities to Crom Castle in County Fermanagh, a mere five miles away.

The entrance front is symmetrical, with a battlemented parapet, square and turrets.

There is a tall central gatehouse tower with its entrance door to the side, which is unusual.

The adjoining garden front is more irregular.

The house boasts several Gothic features, including the conservatory. 

The original Castle was built in 1573.

Alexander Saunderson, the last of the family to live there, sold the property to a London-based businessman in 1977.

The Castle was in a state of disrepair and plans to have it completely renovated as a private dwelling at this time never materialized.

The estate was sold again in 1990 to be developed as a hotel.

These plans were also abandoned after a fire gutted and destroyed most of the Castle interior.

This was the third fire to take place in the history of the castle.

In 1997, the castle and estate were offered to Scouting Ireland for €420,000 (estimated to be half its market value at that time).

Now consisting of 103 acres, Castle Saunderson has once again the potential to be restored to its former glory, and to be put to new use as a scout and youth training canter.

Of the 103 acres on the estate, some 70 acres are grass, 25 acres are wooded and the 8 remaining acres are lake and waterway.

Captain Alexander Saunderson, the last remaining member of the Saunderson family to have lived in the Castle, now resides in Santa Barbara, California, USA.

From the outset, Captain Saunderson has wholly endorsed the plans by Scouting Ireland to restore the Castle, family church and grounds to its former glory.

The development plans for the Castle and Church include a cultural and heritage canter highlighting the history of the Saunderson Family, together with local history to include the plantation of Ulster (1603) and other notable historic events.

It is intended to restore the church as a multi-denominational place of worship..

The graveyard around the church and the crypt beneath the church building contains the remains of the Saunderson family, and it is planned to maintain the church and graveyard as part of the cultural and heritage aspect of the overall project.

First published in November, 2011.

The Shrievalty in Northern Ireland

Inaugural meeting of the High Sheriffs' Association of Northern Ireland

The inaugural Annual General Meeting of the High Sheriffs' Association of Northern Ireland was held on the 2nd May, 2023, and hosted generously by the Law Society of Northern Ireland. 

This was followed by a reception to celebrate the new association at The Inn of Court, Royal Courts of Justice, Belfast, and hosted by the Lady Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, the Rt Hon Dame Siobhan Keegan DBE, and the Judiciary.

Both the AGM and the Reception afterwards were attended by the Chair of the High Sheriffs’ Association of England and Wales, Lieutenant- Colonel Andrew Tuggey, CBE, DL, and their Honorary Secretary, James Williams, Esq, MBE.

Below is an extract of an article recently published in The High Sheriff Magazine which provides a detailed explanation of the role of the Shrievalty in Northern Ireland.

THE ROLL OF THE SHRIEVALTY IN NORTHERN IRELAND, BY PETER T W MACKIE DL, SHERIFF OF COUNTY ANTRIM, 2023

IT is important to understand the Shrievalty in Ireland in a historical context as it provides a background to why the role of Sheriff in Northern Ireland has developed in a different way to England and Wales.

The Shrievalty in Ireland has the same origins as the Shrievalty in England and Wales, with the first recorded Sheriff in Dublin in 1258 and the first recorded Sheriff in County Antrim in 1343.

By the 17th Century, the Sheriffs presided over a form of local government called the ‘Grand Jury,’ of which there were forty in Ireland, initially concerned with the administration of Justice.

The office in all previous and subsequent legislation was described simply as Sheriff, save for one solitary reference, in section VIII of the Sheriffs Act (Ireland), 1725, where the role is described as High Sheriff.

By the 19th Century, the Grand Juries had been assigned a range of other local functions and would have been the only form of local government prior to the Local Authorities of today.

The Grand Jury (Ireland) Act, 1836, further extended their powers until the Local Government (Ireland) Act of 1898 which created County Councils, took over all but the legal powers of the Grand Jury and its control over elections.

Chain of Office of High Sheriff of Belfast

These remaining powers were subsequently transferred to legally qualified Sub-Sheriffs leaving the ‘High Sheriff’ with a mainly ceremonial role.

After the creation of the Irish Republic and subsequently the Republic of Ireland, the office of Sheriff in the Republic of Ireland was abolished by the Court Offices Act 1926. 

In Northern Ireland, the Grand Jury continued to hold their assizes, which was an antecedent to the High Court, and the wording of the Warrant and Declaration of the Sheriff was governed by the Sheriff’s (Ireland) Act 1920 with the role of Under-Sheriff being abolished in 1982.

However, the Northern Ireland Office continued to use the term ‘High Sheriff’ when the names of the Sheriffs for the following year were published in the Belfast Gazette until 1989, when it was brought into line with England and Wales.

In 1969, the Grand Jury was abolished with the role of Sheriff being appointed by the Secretary of State on behalf of the Queen and subsequently, the King.

The incoming Sheriff is officially notified by letter and is sent a warrant of appointment, signed by the Secretary of State and a ‘declaration of Sheriff’, which is sworn before a Commissioner of Oaths; and this process remains the same today with our term being the calendar year.

There are currently eight Sheriffs in Northern Ireland; one for each county, and one for each county borough being the cities of Londonderry and Belfast.

Each outgoing Sheriff nominates a successor except in Belfast where councillors put forward a nominee, who is always a serving member.

Badge of High Sheriff of Londonderry City

The duties today may well resonate with our counterparts in England and Wales, with the three official functions being to attend High Court Judges when they preside over a case in the county, to attend the first arrival of members of the Royal Family in the County on an official visit and lastly, the proclamation of an Accession following the death of the Monarch.

In County Antrim, when the Grand Jury was abolished and the chattels sold, a bursary was created by the representatives of the Grand Jury with the approval of the Minister of Finance, for the promotion and encouragement of legal education in Queen’s University Belfast.

The duties of administering and judging applicants of the bursary would be one of the additional duties carried out by the Sheriff of County Antrim.

High Sheriff's badge

The last time the ceremonial uniform of Court Dress was worn in County Antrim was in 1964 by Sir William Moore Bt, and it was subsequently decided that the wearing of such a distinctive uniform as the Crown Representative of the Judiciary would cease.

In some counties, a badge of office was acquired to wear with business attire.

The role of the Sheriff in Ireland is founded on the same basis as England and Wales but has by necessity evolved in a slightly different way, becoming a meritocratic position which is being increasingly valued for the support it can provide to the Judiciary and the local community.

Lisnavagh House

THE BARONS RATHDONNELL OWNED 4,960 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY CARLOW

This is a branch of an old Argyllshire family, established in Ulster for over four centuries.

ALEXANDER McCLINTOCK, the first of the family who settled in Ulster, purchased the Rathdonnell estates, County Donegal, 1597, and devised them to his only son and heir,

ALEXANDER McCLINTOCK (1622-70), of Trentagh, County Donegal, who wedded, in 1648, Agnes Stenson, daughter of Donald Maclean, and had issue,

JOHN, his heir;
WILLIAM, ancestor of McClintock of Dunmore.

The elder son,

JOHN McCLINTOCK (1649-1707), of Trentagh, married, in 1687, Janet, fourth daughter of JOHN LOWRY, of Aghenis, County Tyrone (whose nephew, Galbraith Lowry MP, was father of Armar, 1st Earl of Belmore), and had issue,

John, died young;
Alexander, of Drumcar;
JOHN, of whom presently;
Robert.

The third son,

JOHN McCLINTOCK (1698-1765), married Susannah Maria, second daughter of William Chambers, of Rock Hall, County Donegal, and had issue,

William;
James;
JOHN, succeeded his uncle at Drumcar;
ALEXANDER, of Newtown, Co Louth;
Francelina; Rebecca; Catherine; Anne.

The third son,

JOHN McCLINTOCK (1742-99), of Drumcar, County Louth, MP for Enniskillen, 1783-90, Belturbet, 1790-7, espoused, in 1766, Patience, daughter of William Foster MP, of Rosy Park, and had issue,

JOHN, his heir;
Alexander (Rev);
William Foster;
Henry;
Mary Anne; Elizabeth; Rebecca; Fanny.

The eldest son,

JOHN McCLINTOCK (1770-1855), of Drumcar, 'Bumper Jack' McClintock, MP, commissioned the building of Drumcar House, near Dunleer, in 1777.

His mother was Patience, daughter of William Foster, MP for County Louth and first cousin to John Foster, 1st Baron Oriel.

His paternal grandfather was Alexander McClintock (d 1775).

Mr McClintock married firstly, in 1797, Jane, only daughter of William Bunbury, of Moyle, and had issue,

JOHN, his heir;
William Bunbury, of Lisnavagh, father of 2nd Baron;
Catherine.

Mr John McClintock wedded, secondly in 1805, the Lady Elizabeth Trench, daughter of William, 1st Earl of Clancarty, and had issue,

Frederick William Pitt;
Charles Alexander;
Robert Le Poer (Rev);
Henry Stanley, of Kilwarlin House, Co Down;
George Augustus Jocelyn;
Anne Florence; Harriette Elizabeth; Emily Selina Frances.

Mr John Clintock was succeeded by his eldest son,

JOHN McCLINTOCK (1798-1879), High Sheriff of County Louth, 1840, MP for County Louth, 1857-59, Lord-Lieutenant of County Louth, 1867-79.

Mr McClintock was elevated to the peerage, in 1868, in the dignity of BARON RATHDONNELL, of Rathdonnell, County Donegal, with remainder to the male issue of his deceased younger brother, Captain William McClintock-Bunbury.

His lordship married Anne, sister of Sir John Henry Lefroy, and they lived between Drumcar, County Louth.

Their London home was at 80, Chester Square.

The marriage was without issue.

He was succeeded in the barony, according to the special remainder, by his nephew,

THOMAS KANE, 2nd Baron (1848-1929), who wedded, in 1874, Katharine Anne, eldest daughter of the Rt Hon Henry Bruen, of Oak Park, County Carlow, by his wife Mary Margaret Conolly, third daughter of Lt-Col Edward Michael Conolly, of Castletown, County Kildare.

Lieutenant, Scots Greys; Captain, Leicestershire Yeomanry; Honorary Colonel, 6th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles, 1896-1929; High Sheriff of County Carlow, 1876; Lord-Lieutenant of County Carlow; President, Royal Dublin Society 1918-29.

The 2nd Baron was the last Lord-Lieutenant of County Carlow, from 1890 until 1922.

His lordship was succeeded by his son,

THOMAS LEOPOLD, 3rd Baron (1881-1937), MBE, High Sheriff of County Cavan, 1909, who married, in 1912, Ethel Synge, second daughter of Robert Wilson Jevers CMG, Sheriff of County Carlow, 1909.

His son,

WILLIAM ROBERT, 4th Baron, MC (1914-59), who married and was succeeded by his son,

THOMAS BENJAMIN, 5th Baron (1938-2025), married, in 1965, Jessica Harriet, only daughter of George Gilbert Butler, of Scatorish, Bennetsbridge, County Kilkenny, and had issue,

WILLIAM LEOPOLD, his successor;

George Andrew Kane;

James Alexander Hugh, Turtle Bunbury;

Sasha Anne.

The eldest son,

WILLIAM LEOPOLD, 6th and present Baron, born in 1966, married, in 2002, Emily Henrietta, daughter of Major Anthony John Dacres-Dixon, and has issue,

THOMAS ANTHONY, born 2011;

Roseanna Jane; Alice Letitia Mary.

LISNAVAGH HOUSE, near Rathvilly, County Carlow, is a large, rambling, granite ashlar Tudor-Revival mansion, built in 1847 for William McClintock-Bunbury MP, brother of the 1st Baron Rathdonnell.

It's on an irregular plan with porte-cochere, bay windows and gables; designed by Daniel Robertson; truncated and re-ordered about 1953; Stable building and walled garden to rear.

Lisnavagh House was substantially reduced in size about 1953 by the 4th Baron; that section of which contained the principal rooms being demolished; while the service wing was adapted to provide requisite accommodation.

The estate has been a family home for eleven generations and covers hundreds of acres.

The estate includes Lisnavagh House, several cottages, excellent grazing for cattle & tillage land for maize, barley and wheat.

Over 250 acres of mainly hardwood woodland sees Beech, Oak and Ash and other native woodland species thrive allowing a healthy biodiversity of flora and wildlife to exist in its surrounds.

This woodland is now managed and protected and naturally fallen timbers are recycled into the now highly sought after exclusive wooden Bunbury chopping Boards.

Lisnavagh Estate and House are available for private hire for exclusive weddings, yoga sleep retreats, annual community and social events.

Also available to guests are short term rental of 4 self catering cottages on the grounds.

First published in June, 2013.   Rathdonnell arms courtesy of the NLI.

Shelton Abbey

THE EARLS OF WICKLOW WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY WICKLOW, WITH 22,103 ACRES

The noble house of WICKLOW derives from the Fersfield branch of the ducal family of Howard.

JOHN HOWARD (1616-43), of Shelton, Nottinghamshire, married, in 1636, Dorothea, daughter and heiress of Robert Hassells.

Following his decease, his widow removed to Ireland, where she wedded her cousin, Robert Hasells, first owner of Shelton, County Wicklow.

The son of John and Dorothea Howard,

RALPH HOWARD (1638-1710), of Shelton, who was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, took a degree in Medicine in 1667, and succeeded Dr Margetson as Regius Professor of Physics at that university.

Being afterwards attainted with many others in JAMES II's parliament, on account of his having returned to England on the breaking out of war in Ireland, with his numerous family of young children, in 1688, his estate containing 600 acres in the barony of Bargy, and County Wexford, and his leasehold interest of the north share of Arklow, and Shelton estates, County Wicklow, held from the 2nd Duke and Duchess of Ormonde, containing 4,000 acres, plantation measure, were seized upon and put in the possession of Mr Hackett, who being appointed sequestrator, resided in Shelton House, and received the rents until the war ended.

After the defeat at the Boyne in 1690, JAMES II stayed at Shelton to refresh himself, en route to Waterford; and says, in his memoirs, that he rested some time at Mr Hackett's.

On the re-establishment of tranquillity under WILLIAM III, Dr Howard recovered his estates.

He married, in 1668, Catherine, eldest daughter of Roger Sotheby, MP for Wicklow, and had issue (with three daughters), three sons, viz.

HUGH, his heir;
ROBERT, of whom hereafter;
William, MP for Dublin City, 1727.

The eldest son,

HUGH HOWARD (1675-1737), of Shelton, was appointed Keeper of the State Papers at Whitehall, 1714, and Paymaster of the Board of Works, 1726.

He died in London, leaving a fine collection of books, drawings, prints, and medals, as well as his estates at Shelton and Seskin, County Wicklow, to his only surviving brother,

THE RT REV DR ROBERT HOWARD (1670-1740), Lord Bishop of Elphin, who inherited, in 1728, the estates of his family at the decease of his elder brother Hugh, of Shelton, County Wicklow.

His lordship married, in 1724, Patience, daughter and sole heiress of Godfrey Boleyne, of Fenner, by Mary his wife, sister of the Rt Hon Henry Singleton, Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, and had issue,

RALPH, his heir;
Hugh;
Robert;
Mary;
Catherine, m to John, 1st Earl of Erne.

Bishop Howard was succeeded by his eldest son,

THE RT HON RALPH HOWARD (1726-89), MP for County Wicklow, 1761-76, Privy Counsellor, who was elevated to the peerage, 1778, in the dignity of Baron Clonmore, of Clonmore Castle, County Carlow.

He was advanced to a viscountcy, in 1785, as Viscount Wicklow.

1st Viscount Wicklow, by Pompeo Batoni

His lordship wedded, in 1755, Alice (who was raised to the peerage, in 1793, as COUNTESS OF WICKLOW), only daughter and heiress of William Forward MP, of Castle Forward, County Donegal, and had issue,

ROBERT and
WILLIAM, successive peers;
Hugh;
Boleyne;
Henry;
Stuarta; Isabella; Katherine; Mary.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

ROBERT (1757-1815), 2nd Viscount; who, in 1807, became EARL OF WICKLOW at the demise of his mother; but died unmarried, when the honours devolved upon his brother,

WILLIAM (1761-1818), 3rd Earl; who had assumed the surname and arms of FORWARD upon inheriting the estate of his maternal relatives; but resumed his family name of HOWARD on succeeding to the peerage.

His lordship espoused, in 1787, Eleanor, only daughter of the Hon Francis Caulfeild, and granddaughter of James, 3rd Viscount Charlemont, and had issue,

WILLIAM, his heir;
Francis (Rev); father of WILLIAM;
Robert;
Isabella Mary; Eleanor; Mary; Alicia.

His lordship was succeeded by his eldest son,

4th Earl of Wicklow KP (Image: Mutual Art)

WILLIAM, 4th Earl (1788-1869), KP, who wedded, in 1816, the Lady Cecil Frances Hamilton, daughter of John James, 1st Marquess of Abercorn; his lordship, however, had no male issue, and was succeeded by his nephew,

• Charles Francis Arnold Howard, 5th Earl (1839-81);
• Cecil Ralph Howard, 6th Earl (1842-91);
• Ralph Francis Howard, 7th Earl (1877–1946);
• William Cecil James Philip John Paul Howard, 8th Earl (1902-78).

On the death of the 8th Earl, the titles became extinct.

SHELTON ABBEY, near Arklow, County Wicklow, was the magnificent demesne of the Earls of Wicklow.

The mansion, built in 1770, comprises two storeys and eleven bays.

It was remodelled in the Gothic style, in 1819, to the designs of Sir Richard Morrison.

The intention was to represent an ecclesiastical structure of the 14th century, transmuted into a baronial residence.

The building is finished with lined render and granite dressings.

The decorative panelled front door has a blind fanlight and is set within a pointed-arched opening.

This is recessed within a projecting triple arched flat-roofed porch.

The front is lavishly embellished with reducing buttresses with tall pinnacles.

To the north and rear large two-storey wings were later added.

The mainly pitched roof is finished with natural slate and has cast-iron rainwater goods.

The building is set within a large wooded demesne. Internally the elaborate plasterwork is still intact.

This remains an important early 19th century country house which has been very well preserved.

During the Victorian era, the 'Abbey style' was considered appropriate to secluded settings such as this.

It has been converted to institutional use with no loss of character.

The town residence of Lord Wicklow used to be 56 Upper Brook Street, London (now part of the US Embassy).

In 1947, the 8th Earl opened Shelton as an hotel in a vain attempt to meet the cost of upkeep; but he was obliged to sell it in 1951, owing to taxation.

Shelton Abbey operated as a school for a period.

The mansion has, since the early 1970s, been used as an open prison for males aged 19 years and over who are regarded as requiring lower levels of security.

Former Dublin residence~ 5, Upper Leeson Street.

First published in January, 2012.