by Peter O'Leary
An article in
Journal No2. mentioned the
local story that Robert
Emmet stayed in Dooneens in
the Parish of Inchigeelagh
sometime about 1790.
Further details have
recently come to light which
add interesting detail to
this odd fact.
The
Robert Emmet in question was
the one who became notable
for his part in the 1803
uprising, and in particular,
for his famous speech from
the dock, later that year,
when he was on trial for his
life.
The father of
the famous Robert was also
called Robert.
Dr.Robert Emmet snr,
.was
born in Tipperary on 29th.November
1729 the eldest son of
another medical man,
Dr.Christopher Emmet.
Robert snr. trained in
Medicine in Edinburgh and
then took up a post to
practise his profession in
Cork City. He lived in
Hammond's Marsh in the City,
and in 1760 married
Misa Elizabeth, daughter of
James Mason, a wealthy
landowner living near
Killarney. There were
several children of the
marriage, including the
third son, Thomas Addis
Emmet who was born in 1764
and later was leader of the
United Irishmen.
Robert jnr. was not born
until 1778 when his father
had moved to Dublin.
But Dr.Robert was not
only a medical man.
The family had modest
wealth, and as was the
custom of the time, they
invested this in land and
property. One of these
investments was described in
an advertisement placed in
1766. "To let for 21
years from the 1st.May
1767 a remarkable good
mountain farm in the West of
the County of Cork, lying
about four miles from
Inchigeela and eight from
Bantry. The lands are known
by the names of Dooneens and
Dereenvealnasleo. They
would be let together or in
separate denominations or
subdivided to responsible
tenants. Proposals to be
made to Doctor Robert Emmet,
Cork."
It seems
that Dr.Robert was not
successful in letting the
properties and this caused
him to make a most peculiar
and unusual proposal in
1767.
"To the out
pensioners of Chelsea
College, Dr.Robert Emmet
having a very improvable
mountain farm in the West of
the County Cork will give
the following encouragement
to any such pensioners as
shall go out and settle
therein. Every settler shall
have a lot of twenty acres
assigned to him at a very
reasonable rent for the term
of three lives, and shall
set down, rent free for the
first three years. He will
also make application to
secure for them, the premium
of £5 which the Dublin
Society has been pleased for
some years past to give to
disbanded soldiers, taking
such lands and setting in
the Provinces of Leinster,
Connaught or Munster, and
will to the utmost of his
power in every respect
assist in promoting their
honest industry.
Cork,26 August 1767"
Even this
tempting offer did not bring
any Chelsea Pensioners
rushing over. The farm
remained untenanted, and in
1769 he was still trying to
sell it, as indicated in the
article of Journal No2.
In 1770 Dr.Robert was
offered and accepted the
position of State Physician
which required him to move
to Dublin. In January
of that year he was trying
to dispose of several
investments in property in
the Cork area, partly
because he needed £1,000 as
the purchase price of his
new appointment. The
farm in Dooneens was still
included in his list, and he
adds that he holds it by a
lease renewable for ever at
£20 per year, and
half-a-crown for each
renewal. It is four miles
from Inchigeela, contains
about 800 acres, 350 of
which have a rich improvable
bottom, and the upland is
reputed the best in
Iveleary……The Doctor being
desirous to settle his
affairs as soon as possible,
will without delay, close
with the first offer within
the limit of acceptance.
Sadly we hear no more of
the sale of Dooneens.
He did move to Dublin and
take up his new office in
1770, and some of his
property was still up for
sale during that year, but
no more is heard of
Dooneens. Robert jnr. was
born in Dublin in 1778.
.
From the date evidence it
would seem most probable
that the Emmet family, as
local lore has it, did use
the farm as a holiday home,
and this would have included
many of the children of
Dr.Robert snr. But
equally, from the same date
evidence, it most probably
did not include young Robert
jnr. who later became so
famous, and who was
not born until the family
had resided in Dublin for
eight years, by which time
the farm would probably have
finally been sold or let.
It is interesting to
note that property sales
could linger on for many
years in those times, as
indeed they do in the 20th.century.
* * * * * * * *
I
am indebted for the theme to
Christy Cronin's article in
Journal No 2.
And for the
further detail to John
T.Collins "The Emmet Family
Connections with Munster"
Cork Historical and
Archaeological Journal. Vol
lv