Cumann Staire

The  Landlords of Uibh Laoghaire Parish in 1854.

By 1854 some of the larger landlord’s holdings had been broken up and replaced by more but smaller units.  Two large holdings, those of Barry and Boyle were in the hands of the Court of Chancery due to the lack of a sound male heir.  One new holding, that of Hoare, had been formed when Capt. William Hoare married one of James Barry’s daughters and her dowry was in land.  It is also noticeable, looking down the list below, that there were a number of newcomers who lived in neighbouring Parishes, but who were investing in nearby Inchigeelagh.  These included Goold and Minhear from Macroom, Sir Augustus Warren from Kilmurray, and Benjamin Swete from Kilmichael.  There were also several Catholic names now.  The Penal Laws had gone, and Catholics were beginning to become Land Agents, and then to buy land on their own account.  This is certainly true of the two O’Learys, Denis and Richard O’Leary Breac (Glasheen, Mileen and Coolmountain),   and may well be so of the several O’Donovans and O’Sullivans named in the List.  There are three members of the Clergy.  One, Rev.White was a Church of Ireland clergyman who was Vicar of Inchigeelagh.  His land was the Glebe and went with the job.   The other two, Revs. Brown and O’Sullivan, may have been Catholic.  There are six bearing the name of Brown and Browne and this may be a bit confusing.  The descendants of the Protestant Bishop of Cork, then living in Coolcower House, used the spelling Browne.  Another family were descended from an English soldier, a member of the garrison in Inchigeelagh, and they used the spelling Brown.  But we cannot be certain that these names have been written down correctly in each case.     

This information comes from the Griffiths Survey for The Civil Parish of Inchigeelagh of 1854.

“It is difficult to be dogmatic, but it is probable that none of the farms in Inchigeelagh Parish ever had freeholds directly held by the people we know as “the landlords ”.  These people were always holders of long leases of the Inchigeelagh land, and themselves subject to payment of rent to some superior landlord.” (see article “The Ownership of land in Ireland and England” also in this Journal)

List of Landlords and their Townlands.

Robert Adams             Dooneens,

Thomas Barters           Carrigleigh,  Derrinaneanig,  Derryvane,  Dromcarra North,

                                    Inchigeelagh,  Inchineill,  Turnaspidogy,

John Brown                 Carrig,  Cappanaminna,  Coomdorracha,  Currahy, 

                                    Gurteenowen,  Maulmore,

Rev.John Brown         Rossmore,

James Brown               Garrynapeaka,  Tooreenlahard,

William G. Brown       Derryvaleen,  Gortnamona,

Richard Browne          Dromanallig

Jemmet Browne          Cloonshear beg,  Curraheen,  Gorteenadrolane,

     -   Broderick           Coomlibane,  Milmorane(with Mitchell)

Mary Burns                 Bargarriff,  Derreendonee,  Derrygortnacloghy,  Derryleigh,                                                                        Derryriordane North,  Gortnalour,  Gortnarea,  Inchideraile,

                                    Scrahan,

Thomas Clarke            Teergay,

Court of Chancery      Dromcarra South,

Richard Creagh and Thomas Leane    Shanacrane East,

Richard Donovan        Moneylea,

William Field              Cloonshear More,

John Goold                 Carrignadoura,

Lewis Gollock             Dromnagapple,  Teeranassig,

Henry Hatchell            Carrignaneela,

Thomas Leader           ditto.

Stephen Hayes                        Illauninagh West,

Henry Herrick             Illauninagh East,  Kealvaugh beg,  Kealvaugh more,

William B..Hoare        Augheras,  Cahernacaha,  Cleanrath North and South,

                                    Silvergrove,

Henry Law                  Carrigbaun,  Cornery,  Gortnaloughra,  Gurteenflugh,

                                    Lyreenageeha,  Scrahanmore,

James Minhear            Derreenglas,  Inchinossig(with Mitchell),  Tooreenduff,

Daniel O’Donovan      Clogher,  Coolcaum,  Coolmountain,  Lackabaun(map93),

                                    Tullagh,

Denis O’Leary                        Derreen,  Gortnahoughtee,  Gortsmorane,  Graigue,

                                    Rossalougha,

Richard O’Leary         Glasheen,

Denis O’Sullivan         Derreenabourky,  Derreenlunnig,(with Mitchell),  Inchimore, 

                                    Keamcorrovooly,

John O’Sullivan          Derryvacorneen,  Inchibeg, 

Rev.Laurance O’Sullivan   Lackabaun (map 68),

Daniel O’Sullivan       Shanacrane West,  Shehy beg,  Shehy more,  Tooreen,

John Orpen                  Coolroe West,  Coornahahilly,  Gortaknockane, 

                                    Gortatanavally,  Monavaddra

Jasper Pine                  Cappanclar,  Carrignacurra,  Carrignamuck,  Cloghboola,                                         Coolroe East,  Coorolagh,  Derrynagree,  Derryriordane South,

                                    Garryantornora,  Gortaneadin,  Inchigrady,  Lagneeve,

                                    Tooreenalour,  Tooreenanean,

Henry Pope                 Milleen,

Patrick Reardon          Rathgaskeeg,  

-     Savors               Kilbarry(with Mitchell),

Henry Seaward           Coolnacrannagh,  Gortnacarriga (with Mitchell),

Benjamin Sweete        Gortavear,

Richard Townsend      Cooragreenane,  Derreenacusha,  Gortafludig,  Inchinaneave,

                                    Gorteennakilla,

Rev.James White        Glebe,

Sir Augustus Warren   Cooleen,

Michael Williams        Kilmore,

The Houses of the Landlords.

From the same Survey we can identify the houses of those landlords who lived in the Parish.  The list below includes all the houses in the Parish valued at £5 per annum or above.  For that amount of money one could obtain a two storied, four bedroomed , slated, stone built house with a good courtyard, coach house and stabling.

List of the Landlords Houses.

Townland                   Landlord                    Value              Tenant

Carrignacurra              Jaspar Pine                  £8.5.0              in fee.

Carrignadoura             William B.Hoare         £17.0.0            in fee.

Carrignaneela.             Hatchell & Leader      £11.0.0            Nicholas Barry

Dromcarra North.        Thomas Barters           £11.5.0            in fee.

Dromcarra South         Chancery Court           £12.15.0          Devonshire Hawkes.

Glebe                           Rev.James White        £8.5.0              in fee

“In fee” means that the landlord occupied this house.

Two of the above were not occupied by the landlord at that time, but  because they were in the hands of the Chancery Court they were let out by that body until all probate matters had been concluded.

Another four houses were of the same order of value, but not used by the landlord.

Cappanclare                Jaspar Pine                  £8.5.0              Rev.Jeremiah Holland

Milleen                        Henry Pope                 £9.10.0            Richard O’Leary.

Teergay                       Thomas Clarke            ££5.5.0            Edward Woods.

Coolmountain             Richard O’Donovan   £10.10.0          Denis O’Leary

“Strong” Farmers’ Houses

Next we consider another group of houses whose value was just below this.  These were two storied, slated, stone built houses with good out buildings.  They are valued at between £2 and £5 per annum.  You might describe them as superior farm houses.

Townland                   Landlord                    Value              Tenant Farmer

Cahernacaha                William Hoare £2.15.0            Cornelius Lucey

Cahernacaha                William Hoare £2.0.0              Denis Lucey

Carrigleigh                  Thomas Barters           £2.0.0              Andrew Brophy

Cloghboula                  Jaspar Pine                  £2.0.0              James Cotter

Cloonshear beg           Jemmett Browne         £2.10.0            Peter Williams

Coolmountain             Richard O’Donovan   £2.15.0            Jeremiah Crowley snr.

Coolmountain             Richard O’Donovan   £2.10.0            Jeremiah Crowley jnr.

Coolroe East               Jaspar Pine                  £3.5.0              Jeremiah Sweeney

Coolroe East               Jaspar Pine                  £2.10.0            Jeremiah Cotter

Coorologh                   Jaspar Pine                  £2.0.0              Denis Mahoney

Cornery                       Henry Law                  £3.0.0              Cornelius Horagan

Currahy                       John Brown                 £2.0.0              Timothy Leary snr.

Derreen                       Denis O’Leary                        £2.10.0            Denis Murphy

Derryriordan South     Jaspar Pine                  £2.0.0              John Shea

Garryantornora            Jaspar Pine                  £2.0.0              Patrick Leary

Gorteenadrolane         Jemmett Browne         £2.15.0            Andrew Buckley

Gorteenakilla               Richard Townsend      £4.0.0              Ellen Cronin

Gortnalour                   Mary Burns                 £2.0.0              Daniel Riordan

Illauninagh West         Stephen Hayes                        £2.5.0              Michael Creedon

Illauninagh West         Stephen Hayes                        £3.5.0              John Creedon snr.

Illauninagh West         Stephen Hayes                        £2.5.0              James Moynahan

Inchibeg                      Denis O’Sullivan         £2.10.0            Alexander Burke

Inchibeg                      Denis O’Sullivan         £2.10.0            John Walsh

Inchygrady                  Jaspar Pine                  £2.15.0            Michael Murphy

Inchimore                    Denis O’Sullivan         £3.0.0              John Walsh

Inchnaneave                Richard Townsend      £2.0.0              Margaret Sullivan

Inchnaneave                Richard Townsend      £2.0.0              John Murphy

Inchineill                     Thomas Barters           £2.10.0            Mary McCarthy

Inchineill                     Thomas Barters           £2.15.0            Timothy Sweeney

Inchinossig                  Minhear & Mitchell     £3.0.0              Cornelius Reardon

Kilmore                       Michael Williams        £3.5.0              John Lucey

Monavaddra                John Orpen                  £2.0.0              John Ring

Monavaddra                John Orpen                  £2.15.0            John Ashe

Rathgaskeeg                Patrick Riordan           £2.10.0            Daniel Creedon

Scrahanmore               Henry Law                  £2.0.0              Andrew Moynihan

Teeranassig                  Lewis Gollack             £2.10.0            Robert Wiseman

Tullagh                        Daniel Connor             £4.10.0            Daniel O’Donovan

Turnaspidogy              Thomas Barters           £2.5.0              Mary Sullivan

A few comments on the tables above.  Two large landlord families had recently left the scene by 1854.  After the deaths of James Barry and John Boyle both estates were in the hands of the Chancery Court. 

Stephen Grehan had not yet appeared on the scene.  Richard Townsend’s shooting lodge in Dereenacusha (Gougane Barra) appears but is valued at less than £2.  Grehan’s shooting lodge in Gortnahoughtee has not yet been built.  The same applies to Barter’s shooting lodge in Turnaspidoga, although the house tenanted by Mary Sullivan (in 1854) may be the building used for this purpose later on.

A further family has changed in name only.  This is the Masters family who lived in Castlemasters (Carrignacurra), but have now changed their name to Pine, through marriage.

The original William Masters was a clerical officer of the Hollow Swords Blade Company who was involved in the sale of the tenancies in 1703.  He “purchased” the Carrignacurra estate from Keadagh O’Leary who was acting on behalf of the O’Leary Merigah under-age family.  William built Castlemasters House alongside the Castle and moved into it in 1723.  Eventually his son, Jaspar Masters repaired the Castle in 1777 but continued to live in Castlemasters, a large house he built next to Carrignacurra Castle.  Jaspar had only one son, Stephen who was killed in a riding accident.  Jaspar therefore left the properties to his daughter Mary who had married Arthur Pine of Ballyvolane, Castleloyns, Co. Cork.   Arthur and Mary had a son, Jaspar Richard Masters Pine, and he was the owner of the properties in 1854, but they spent most of their time in Ballyvolane, and left the management of the Inchigeelagh estates to a nephew of Mary’s, John Masters Browne,  a son of Jammet Browne.   This John Masters Browne acted as Steward to Arthur Pine, and lived in Castlemasters until 1894 when he died at the old age of 94.   It was a popular misconception that he was the owner of the house of Castlemasters, the Castle of Carrignacurra, and the whole estate.

There are also a few houses which are shown, not in their townlands, but in the two villages.  These are the villages of Inchigeelagh and Ballingeary.  None of the houses in Inchigeelagh is valued at over £2 apart from Fr.Holland’s which is shown under Cappanclar.  In Ballingeary village there is one further house which meets our criteria.

Townland                   Landlord                    Value              Tenant

Dromanalig                 Honoria Scriven          £2.12.0            William Shorten

Probably a Public House even then.

All the rest are valued below £2.

.It is interesting to note how many of these houses are still standing, though no doubt much restored today.  In some cases the same family is in occupation.  Many can be clearly identified.                                 

Most of the smaller tenant farmers, and all the labourers, had to live in low standard housing which can only be described as appalling.  Single story, two rooms, straw roof, often no chimney or windows, small and squalid.  In many cases the annual rental value of these houses was 5 shillings or so.

Most of the 1000 or so families who lived in Inchigeelagh Parish in 1854 had to survive in these disgraceful conditions.