Historical and topographical notes for Ballygrelihan, Co. Cork, collected by Colonel James Grove White.
Sheet 26, six-inch O.S. Sheet 176, one-inch O.S. (not shown). Barony of Fermoy. Parish of Castletownroche.
Ballygrelihan lies on the left bank of the river Awbeg, adjoining the village of Castletownroche It now consists of 217a. 3r. 16p. statute measure.
Ballygrelihan Is the Irish for the “town of the mire” (O’Donovan).
This place in 1667 consisted of 433a. 3r. 20p., and belonged to Lord Roche, who forfeited it after the 1641 rebellion.
Grantees were John Hodder (later Sir Richard Hall, and later still Dianna Mitchell), who received 401a. 3r. 20p, and Lord Kingston, who got 31a. 3r. op. (Dist. and Sur. Book, P.R.O., Irld.)
In 1814 a Mr. Nagle appears to have been living there, the post town being Castletownroche (D.N.P.).
Mr. James Byrne, J. P., adds :—“ There is no residence at Ballygrelihan now, but this farm was a long time in the hands of the Webb family of Castletownroche.
It now belongs to Mrs. T. D. Thomas of Castletownroche. The landlord is Rev. F. Walker. Portion of the townland belonged to Mr. Brasier- Creagh, of Creagh Castle, but it was sold to the tenants a few years ago under the Ashbourne Act. (The Mehigans? – my note)
It was once owned by some people named Barry.
I am also informed that a very small portion of the townland of Ballygrelihan is comprised in the demesne of Glenanore, but Mr. Hoare’s house is not on any part of this townland.
The landlords were, up to recently, Captain John Brasier.Creagh, of Creagh Castle, and Mrs. Coleburn, who lived in England. The portion of “Ballygrelihan” which is comprised in “Glenanore,” was held under both (in all amounting to about 20 acres). Mr. Thomas E. Hoere, B.L, BA., of Glenanore, has purchased the portion he held from Captain John Brasier.Creagh, but he still pays rent to Mrs. Coleburn.
Both Coleburn and Creagh were the names of the landlords who, in 1773, let these bits of Ballygrelihan to the Rev. Richard Purcell, then of “Glenanore.”
Mr. Langley Brasier Creagh, J.P., of Streamhill, Doneraile, informs me that there was a residence on Ballygrelihan, in which his grandfather, George Washington Brasier-Creagh, lived before he inhabited Creagh Castle. He knows the site of the old house.
The Field Book of 1839 gives :— Ballygrillihan….This property of Edward Colburn, Esq., by deed for ever. Land of good quality and in a good state of cultivation. Abounds with limestone. (Ord. Sur. Off, Dublin.)
Volume III, Page 147
Glenanore
.
RAGHANEENE OR RAHANEEN OR RATHYNEEN
Sheet 26, 6-inch O.S.. Sheet 176, 1-inch O.S.
Barony of Fermoy. Parish of Castletownroche.
Glenanore lies immediately east of the village of Castletownroche, near the left bank of the river Awbeg. It is partly in the townland of Ballygrillihan and partly in that of Ballyadeen (see those places in these “Notes.”)
Glenanore means ‘Glen or valley of the gold.” (O’Donovan.)
The main portion of the demesne of Glenanore, and on which the residence, garden, &c;, are, is in the townland of Ballyadeen, the old original name of the entire of which was Rathyneen or Rahaneen (Raghaneene, .4 plow, 364 a. was part of the forfeited properties of Lord Roche, Viscount Fermoy, and formed part of the grant to Lt. Col. John Widenham in 1666 (P. R. O. Dublin. and Vol II. p. 166 these “Notes’). In 1663 John Hodder of Rathynion, is mentioned, as being in Parish of Castletownroche, and having goods valued at £5 3s.7 ½ d (Subsidy Rolls, P. R. O., Dublin)); it appears in the old Down Survey as Raghaneene. From the deeds and documents of title in the possession of Mr. T. E. Hoare, it appears that in 1696 Thomas Tuckey, of the City of Cork, merchant, let the whole of the lands of Rathyneen or Rahaneen to Richard Verling under a lease renewable for ever. Richard Verling appears to have lived there till his death, which occurred either in 1724 or 1725, when he was succeeded by his eldest son, William Verling. There is no doubt that the original lessee, Richard Verling, was the Richard Verling, M.A., who is stated in Brady’s Records of Cork, vol ii. p. 105 (1863), to have been R. V. of “Castletown” from 1686 till 1724, and who was married to the “relict” of John Widenham, Esq., and whose eldest son was William Verling. In the year 1742 the said William Verling let, under a lease renewable for ever, that part of the lands of Rathyneen or Rahaneen then known as Glananore to Belcher Pedder, described as then of the City of Cork, and from recitals in the lease it appears that William Verling was residing at Glananore till the lease to Pedder. Early in the 18th century, if not before, the place was known as Glannanore or Glananore. Belcher Pedder appears to have resided at Glananore, till 1748, when he sublet to William Freeman, who resided there till his death, which must have occurred previous to 1760,(probate dated 1760 – Cloyne Wills, P. R. O. Dublin) for in that year Belcher Pedder renewed the sub-tease to Elizabeth Freeman, Widow and executrix of William Freeman, “late of Glananore,” and Elizabeth Freeman is described as then living at “The Elms,” a small place at the other side of the road from Glenanore, a portion of the Brasier Creagh estate in thc townland of Loughruhane, and now in the possession of a Mr. Matthew O’Callaghan; the residence there has disappeared. Mrs. Elizabeth Freeman re-sublet Glananore to the Rev. Richard Purcell in the year 1763. It would appear from the sub-lease that Mr. Purcell was in possession of the place before that date. He was R. V. of Castletown and Coole from 1759 till his death in 1797, and was buried in the church at Castletown (Castletownroche). Mr. Purcell in 1784 purchased the interest of his immediate landlord, Mrs. Freeman, thus becoming direct tenant to the representatives of Belcher Peddcr, and in 1794 purchased their, interest, and so became the direct tenant of the representative of the Verlings, who for a long number of years have been the Johnson family.
The late Colonel Wm. Johnson, D.L., of Castle Lyons, derived a head rent out of the greater part of Rathyneen, now called Ballyadeen, a large townland. Belcher Pedder, under another lease held from Wm. Verling the residue of Rathyneen. He died in or about 1760. His daughter Elizabeth succeeded him. She married Charles Furlong, of Ballybeg, in the Buttevant country, and a large portion of Ballyadeen is still in the ownership of the Furlong family, Mr. Charles J. Furlong, J.P., of Richmond, Fermoy, being the immediate landlord.
As we have seen. the Revd. Richard Purcell came to the place in 1763. He was P. Coole and R. V. Castletownroche) (Brady, ii. 173), and was succeeded in 1797 by his grandson, George Purcell, J.P.,.whose eldest son was Revd. James Geo. Purcell, Vicar of Worminghall, Bucks.
George Purccll, J. P. was eldest son of Goodwin Purcell of Spring Grove, Kanturk. He subsequently went to reside at Lohort Castle as agent to Earl of Egmont, and Glenanore was occupied by his brother, Richard Purcell, Major Cork City Militia.
Garrett Nagle ((Ned Nagle, the gentleman piper, died at Glenanore., 1816 (Mrs. Cath. Stawell’s Diary)) rented Glenanore from Revd. Rich. Purcell, and was there about 1812. (Post Chaise Companion, 4th Ed:, about 1812.) He died 1816.
In 1819 Major Thomas Cornelius Holmes (Captain Francis Holmes, 60th Rifles. (Commission dated 13th Sept. 1311). 3rd son of Corneilius Holmes. of Shennanagh. near Buttevant, lived at Glenanore. He succeeded to the Ballyhoura and Shennanagh. etc.. property on the death of.his elder brothers. He married Phoebe Bevan, a French Canadian, who survived him. He d. 14 March. 1834, leaving issue (see Holmes’ pedigree under “ Shennanagh” in these “Notes” later). became tenant of Glenanore to George Purcell of Lohort. the then successor in title to the above-mentioned Rev. Richard Purcell, and in 1829 the Rev. Thomas Hoare, grandfather of the present owner, purchased from his representatives, (he having shortly before died) the tenancy of Major Holmes. In 1835, the Rev. Thomas Hoare purchased the interest of the Purceils, and thus became the direct tenant to the representatives of the Verlings, who, as before stated, are now the Johnson family. The place is now held by Mr. Thomas Edw. Hoare, B.L., under a fee farm grant.
The Rev. Thos. Hoare (who was the youngest son of Sir Edward Hoare, 2nd Bart. of Annabelle, M.P. for Carlow and Banagher in the Irish Parliament) was curate of Voughal from 1805 till 1807, when he exchanged curacies with the Rev. Robert Bell and became curate at Castletownroche. He resided at Bridgetown House (now demolished) from 1807 till 1829, when he went to reside at Glenanore. He was R.V. of Castletown from the death of the Rev. the Hon. James St. Leger (April 1st, 1835) till his death in December, 1835 (see Hoare, Bart., of Annahelle, Burke’s Peerage and Baronetage). The demesne of Glenanore also comprises, and did from the earliest times, portion of the townlands of Loughruhane and Ballygrillihane. The back portion of Glenanore House is very old, with very thick walls, of a date anterior to the ownership of the Rev. R. Purcell. and was the residence of the Verlings, Pedder and Freeman. Mr. Purcell largely added to the house, and built most of the out-houses and the demesne walls. The present front of the house was extended by Major Holmes, and on the cut-stone supporting the fan-light over the hall-door is cut the date which was the commencement of his tenancy, 1819.
Lewis (pub. 1837) gives ‘Glenanore, the seat of the representatives of the late Rev. T. Hoare, is beautifully situated in the midst of picturesque and romantic scenery” (under Castletownroche, i. 312).
The Field Book of 1839 states Glenanore House. The residence of MaryAnne Hoare, and is pleasantly situated on a rising ground in the N.W. corner of Ballyadeen Townland; is in good repair; bounded on the N. and W. by a plantation.” (Ord. Sir. Offi., Dub.)
The pedigree of “Purcell, late of Glannanore, ‘is given in Burke’s L.G. Irld, ‘1912 Ed., and that of Hoare under “Hoare Of Annabella, Bart.” (Burke’s Peerage and Baronetage.)
Entries to families of Holmes and Hoare of Glenanore are given in Castletownroche C. of I. Par. Reg., and to Hoare in Bridgetown Par. Reg. (P.R.O., Dublin.)
The present residents (1914) are Mrs. Hoare and her sons, Thomas Ed. Hoare, B.L., and Edward Lloyd Hoare, and her daughters, Mrs. Rebecca Eliz. Mansergh, widow of Major Hen. Chas. Mansergh. late 27th Innis. Fus., and of Rocksavage, C.T.R., and Miss Mary. Anne Cornelia Hoare.
ref. Historical and Topographical Notes, etc., on Buttevant, Castletownroche, Doneraile, Mallow, and Places in their Vicinity (North Cork Baronies of Fermoy, Duhallow, Orrery, Kilmore, Condons & Clangibbon)” collected by Colonel James Grove White Pub. 1905-1913.
Note
Published 1905-1913. Contributed by Mr. Bob Meehan.