Saturday 29 July 2023

Dunmore House

THE McCLINTOCKS OF DUNMORE OWNED 1,977 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY DONEGAL

This is a branch of an old Scottish family, established in Ireland for upwards of nearly four centuries.

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

ALEXANDER McCLINTOCK (1622-70), of Trinta, County Donegal, who wedded, in 1648, Agnes Stenson, daughter of Donald Maclean, and had issue,
JOHN, of Trinta, ancestor of the BARONS RATHDONNELL;
WILLIAM, of whom we treat.
The younger son,

WILLIAM McCLINTOCK (1657-1724), of Dunmore, County Donegal, wedded, in 1685, Elizabeth, only daughter of David Harvey, of Dunmore, County Donegal, and had issue,
JOHN, his heir;
Mary; Elizabeth (m 1st EARL OF CALEDON);
Margaret; Jane.
The son and heir,

JOHN McCLINTOCK, of Dunmore, held the commissions of Captain in the Militia of Donegal Militia and Tyrone, bearing date respectively of 27 and 30 December, 1745.

Captain McClintock espoused, in 1728, Rebecca, daughter of Robert McCausland, of Fruit Hill (Drenagh), County Londonderry, and had issue,
ROBERT, his heir;
William;
Hannah; Lydia; Elizabeth; Jane.
The eldest son,

ROBERT McCLINTOCK JP, of Dunmore, Captain, Donegal and Tyrone Militias, High Sheriff of County Tyrone, 1759, Donegal, 1764, married, in 1760, Alice, daughter and heiress of Andrew Patton, of Springfield, County Donegal, and had issue,
John, died unmarried;
Andrew (Rev), Rector of Kanturk and Newmarket;
WILLIAM, of whom presently;
Thomas;
Alicia Anne.
The third son,

WILLIAM McCLINTOCK (1773-1825), wedded, in 1802, Catherine, daughter and heiress of Benjamin Ramage, of Cloghole, County Londonderry, and had issue,
ROBERT, his heir;
Benjamin;
Margaret.
The eldest son,

ROBERT McCLINTOCK JP DL (1804-59), High Sheriff of County Donegal, 1835, espoused, in 1833, Margaret, third daughter of Robert Macan, of Ballynahome House, County Armagh, and had issue,
ROBERT, late of Dunmore;
WILLIAM, of whom hereafter;
Benjamin;
Charles;
Letitia; Alice; Margaret Elizabeth; Emma; Anna Mary; Isabel.
The eldest son,

ROBERT McCLINTOCK JP DL (1838-99), of Dunmore, High Sheriff of County Donegal, 1878, married, in 1881, Jessie Macleod, daughter of C W W Alexander, and had issue,
Hilda Margaret; Vera; Madeline (twin with Vera).
Mr McClintock died without male issue, and was succeeded by his next brother,

WILLIAM McCLINTOCK JP (1841-), of Dunmore, High Sheriff of County Donegal, 1903, Lieutenant-Colonel, Royal Artillery, Superintendent, Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills, 1892-4, wedded firstly, in 1873, Elizabeth Esther, daughter of Samuel Lyle, of Oaks Lodge, Londonderry, and had issue,
ROBERT LYLE.
He espoused secondly, in 1877, Isabella, fourth daughter of George FitzMaurice.

Colonel McClintock's son and heir,

ROBERT LYLE McCLINTOCK CMG DSO (1874-1943), Captain and Brevet Major, Royal Engineers, married, in 1908, Jennie Margaret, daughter of Sir George Casson Walker KCSI.

Robert and Jennie had one son, Lieutenant William McClintock, Royal Artillery, born in 1913 who was paralysed in a riding accident in the 1930s.

Tragically Jennie shot William dead in the walled garden at Dunmore and then shot herself.

When William's fiancée, Helen Macworth, came upon the bodies, she too shot herself.

Colonel Robert McClintock died in 1943 and with him the male line of this branch died out.


DUNMORE HOUSE, near Carrigans, County Donegal, is said to have been built in 1742.

It is aptly described by Mark Bence-Jones in Burke’s Guide to Country Houses, 1978, as
A gable-ended, mid- 18th century house which Dr Craig considers may be by Michael Priestly. 
Two- storey, with an attic lit by windows in the gable ends, five-bay front with central venetian window above tripartite doorway later obscured by a porch. Lower two-storey wing added later. 
Staircase extending into central projection at the back of house.
Following Robert McClintock's death in 1943, Dunmore was sold to Sir Basil McFarland Bt.

Sir Basil's son, Sir John, the 3rd and present Baronet, continues to live at Dunmore with his family.

Amelia McFarland manages the Gardens for weddings and other functions.

First published in April, 2020.

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