1690 Sir Donat O’Brien
1690. Sir Donat O’Brien, BART. of Lemeneagh
Castle and Dromoland, son of Captain Conor O’Brien, at whose
death, 1651, he is said to have been apprenticed to a London goldsmith.
He was a man greatly noted in county Clare, which he represented
in Parliament, 1695 to 1713. He was created a baronet by patent,
November 9, 1686, and built the gate before Lemeneagh, adorned with
his arms as baronet, and made the great avenue still called Sir
Donat’s-road. He was confirmed in Cahermoyle, June, 1678,
by act of settlement. He removed from Lemeneagh to Dromoland in
his later years. During his shrievalty, he, by orders of Tyrconnell,
confiscated the horses of the principal gentry of Clare,[70]
April, 1690. |
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He married twice, his first wife
being Lucia, sister of Anthony Hamilton, author of the Grammont
memoirs; from her the present family descend; from his second wife,
Elizabeth Deane, spring the O’Briens of Blatherwyck. He died
November 18, 1717, aged 76. His really fine Corinthian monument
remains in the Church of Kilnasoolagh (Newmarket). It is of dark
marble, the ornaments in white. The baronet, in the full costume
of the period, leans back on a pile of cushions, resting his head
on his hand a child standing near points upwards; behind is a long
and pompous epitaph in Latin, in gold letters:-“Siste gradum
ac intuere-Sub hoc marmore conditur quod mortale fuit Donati O’Brien
Baronetti, qui patrum stemmate nobelium erat, virtute propria longe
nobilior. Homo, vere ad humanitatem factus, totus ad amicitiam gratam
natus, statura corporis procerus fuit ac decorus. In aspectu dignitas,
in sermone majestas, in incessu gravitas in moribus simplicitas,
prudentiam, æquinimitatem, authoritatem indicabant. Si patrem
inspicias, nemo indulgentior. Si Avum, nemo benevolentior. Si Amicum,
nemo candidior. Non sibi suisque solum vixit sed aliis sed Patriæ.
Pauperes sublevadit citra spem gloriæ. Sine partium studio
æri publico invigilavit. Omnibus favorem, consilium, mensam
impertivit nulli (ubi opus erat) repre hensionem denegavit. Comitatus
clare patronum ubiq. ostendat; in consensu pacis per 30 annos primus
tenebat. Animo semper fortis, justitiâ integerrimus. Viæ
publicæ ac pontes commercii favorem praedicant. Ecclesiæ
parochialis ornamenta vere filium loquuntur. Pastores orthodoxi
ab impiis perduellibus agitati, beneficio ejecti, et per vim sceleratam
grege orbati, in ædibus suis (quoties pro iniquitate temporum
fas erat) sibi vicinisque non sine periculo dato patrocinium charitatem
in fraters, pro religione zelum demonstrat. His meritis, sua præmia
accumulavit fortuna opibus et honoribus tam eximia virtutes ornabantur.
Privatis regni consiliis sub Anna Regina interfuit Patrimonium,
prope et insigniter auctum, liberis legavit, sui desiderium bonis
omnibus reliquit. Obiit 18 die Novembris 1717. Anno ætatis
suæ 76 Hoc monumentum, in perpetuam vere et sinceræ
pietatis memoriam posuit Henricus filius natu secundus solusque
superstes sumptibus suis. Kidwell fecit.” He was succeeded
by his grandson, Sir Edward, ancestor of the present Lord Inchiquin.
Arms, as enamelled on the marble plinth of his tomb, and cut on
Lemeneagh Gate quarterly, 1 and 4 gules, 3 lions passant per pale
arg. and or.; 2 arg. 3 piles gu; 3 or. a pheon azure. |