Springfield Castle

THE BARONS MUSKERRY WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY WEXFORD, WITH 9,412 ACRES

This family possessed large estates in Somerset as far back as the reign of HENRY II.

The third son of MOSES DEANE, of Deane's Fort, Somerset,

MATTHEW DEANE (c1626-1711), settled in Ireland during the reign of JAMES I, and took up his abode at Dromore, County Cork, where he purchased considerable estates.

Mr Deane, who bequeathed large sums towards the erection of almshouses and other charitable purposes, was created a baronet in 1710, designated of Muskerry.

He married firstly, Mary, daughter of Thomas Wallis, of Somerset; secondly, Martha, daughter of the Most Rev Richard Boyle, Lord Archbishop of Tuam; and thirdly, Dorothy, Countess of Barrymore; by the first of whom he left, at his decease, in 1711, a son and heir,

SIR ROBERT DEANE, 2nd Baronet, who wedded Anne, daughter and co-heir of William Boltridge, one of CROMWELL'S officers; and dying in 1712, was succeeded by his son,

SIR MATTHEW DEANE, 3rd Baronet, MP for Charleville, 1713-14, County Cork, 1728-47, who espoused Jane, only daughter of the Rev William Sharpe, son of the Archbishop of St Andrew's, the ill-fated primate of Scotland, and had issue,

MATTHEW, his successor;
Thomas, dsp;
ROBERT, 4th Baronet;
Meliana; Dorothy; Jane.

Sir Matthew died in 1747, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR MATTHEW DEANE, 4th Baronet (c1706-51), MP for Cork City, 1739-51, who wedded Salisbury, daughter and sole heir of Robert Davis, of Manley Hall, Cheshire, by whom he had three daughters, viz.

Salisbury; Mary; Charlotte.

Sir Matthew dying thus without male issue, the title devolved upon his brother,

THE RT HON SIR ROBERT DEANE, 5th Baronet (c1707-70), Barrister, Privy Counsellor, MP for Tallow, 1757-68, Carysfort, 1769-70, who married, in 1738, Charlotte, second daughter of Thomas Tilson (uncle to Lord Castlecoote), and had issue,

ROBERT, his successor;
Jocelyn;
Charlotte; Grace; Eliza Salisbury; Jane; Alicia; Frances.

Sir Robert was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR ROBERT TILSON DEANE, 6th Baronet (1745-1818), MP for Carysfort, 1771-6, County Cork, 1776-81, who was raised to the peerage, in 1781, in the dignity of BARON MUSKERRY.

He wedded, in 1775, Anne, daughter of John Fitzmaurice, and sole heir of her grandfather, John Fitzmaurice, of Springfield Castle, County Limerick (nephew of Thomas, 1st Earl of Kerry), and had issue,

JOHN THOMAS FITZMAURICE, his successor;
William;
MATTHEW, 3rd Baron.

His lordship was succeeded by his elder son,

JOHN THOMAS FITZMAURICE (1777-1824), 2nd Baron, CB, Major-General in the army, who married, in 1815, the second daughter of M Haynes, of Bishop's Castle; but died in 1824, without male issue, when the honours devolved upon his only brother,

MATTHEW FITZMAURICE (1795-1868), 3rd Baron, who wedded, in 1825, Louisa Dorcas, second daughter of Henry Deane Grady, of Lodge, County Limerick, and Stillorgan Castle, County Dublin, and had issue,

ROBERT TILSON FITZMAURICE, his successor;
Henry Standish Fitzmaurice;
Matthew James Fitzmaurice.

• Hamilton Matthew Tilson Fitzmaurice Deane-Morgan, 4th Baron (1854–1929);

• Robert Matthew Fitzmaurice Deane-Morgan, 5th Baron (1874–1952);

• Matthew Chichester Cecil Fitzmaurice Deane-Morgan, 6th Baron (1875–1954);

• Matthew Fitzmaurice Tilson Deane, 7th Baron (1874–1966);

• Hastings Fitzmaurice Tilson Deane, 8th Baron (1907–88);

• Robert Fitzmaurice Deane, 9th Baron Muskerry (b 1948).

The heir apparent is the present holder's only son, the Hon Jonathan Fitzmaurice Deane.

ARDCANDRISK HOUSE, near Wexford, County Wexford (above), is a two-storey Regency villa of about 1833, comprising three polygons of differing sizes.

It has eaved roofs and Wyatt windows at one end.

It was built by the Grogan-Morgans, though was acquired by the Deanes, Lords Muskerry, though marriage.

SPRINGFIELD CASTLE, Drumcolliher, County Limerick, is the ancestral seat of the Barons Muskerry.

The Castle features a Neo-Gothic style main residential building, cornered by two towers, one of which is the large Norman keep built in the 15th Century; and the smaller tower, built later in the 18th Century, enclosing a large central courtyard.

A younger son of the 20th Lord of Kerry, William Fitzmaurice, bought Springfield.

His son John built a very large, three-storey, early Georgian mansion attached to the existing buildings

The Fitzmaurices occupied Springfield Castle until Sir Robert Tilson Deane, 1st Baron Muskerry, married Ann Fitzmaurice, the sole heiress, in 1780.

The Lords Muskerry owned 3,161 acres in County Limerick during the Victorian era.

The castle was burnt in 1921 and rebuilt by the 5th Baron.

Robert, 9th Baron, lives and works in South Africa presently.

His sister Betty and her husband Jonathan run Springfield Castle.

First published in June, 2013.   Muskerry arms courtesy of European Heraldry.