Part III. History of the County of Clare
Chapter 30. Reign of James II. and William and Mary. 1689 to 1700.

The Earl of Thomond; Thomas Dalton; John MacNamara of Creevagh; Thady O’Callaghan; Francis O’Brien of Bryan’s Castle

The Earl of Thomond, a minor, sets forth a long list of townlands out of which he claims chief rent. His grandfather, whom he succeeds, made a lease, in 1681, to Dermot Fitzpatrick of Dromduff, Gurtnagall, and the two Shessives, barony of Clonderalaw, for a term of 21 years, at the yearly rent of seven pounds. FitzPatrick was slain in rebellion. The late Earl died on the 29^th of May, 1691. The lands lay waste till 1695, when Lord Thomond’s steward let them to one Daniel M‘Inerney. Petitioner says that the late Earl made a lease for lives renewable for ever to Brian MacMahon, of the lands of Cooga alias Lacknagalone, and of the corcass belonging to Ballynagard. The date of this lease was 1675, and the yearly rent £30, the tenant to do suit and service at the Court Leet of Crovraghan, and to find a Protestant horseman for the King’s service for a month. Petitioner belives that M‘Mahon has been attainted of high treason.

Thomas Dalton, in his petition, explains that Donogh O’Callaghan, late of Kilgorey, Esq., being owner of Ballydonoghan, parish of Kilnoe, in 1688, mortgaged it to Ambrose Perry of Clonmoher, gent., for £130, the deed of mortgage being witnessed by Dermot Ryan, Richard Cotter, and Hugh Perry. Subsequently, in 1696, Ambrose Perry assigned his mortgage to Petitioner, the deed having been witnessed by the above named, and by George Perry, Thomas Wall, and Henry Ivers. Donogh O’Callaghan being comprehended in the articles of Limerick, and his eldest son having gone away to France, the second son is the heir and successor to his estates.

John MacNamara of Creevagh, Esq., declares that Lord Clare in 1666, made a letting to Donogh O’Callaghan of Mountallon, father of the late Donogh O’Callaghan of Kilgorey, of the lands of Calluragh, Carrownacloghy, and Puleglass, parish of Inchicronan; and of Kilboggoon, parish of Tulla, for a term of one thousand years, at a pepper corn rent, with a proviso that when the said Donogh or his heirs shall be restored to the possession of Clonmeen, Drommeen, and the rest of his estate in the territory of Pubbleocallaghan, barony of Duhallow, County of Cork, previously possessed by him till he was transplanted by the late usurped powers, then the said lease to be void. Being in actual possession of these denominations in 1670, the said Donogh conveyed them in mortgage to claimant for the sum of £60. He died about twenty years ago, intestate, being succeeded by his son, Donogh O’Callaghan the younger. Donogh, junior, departed this life two or three years ago, leaving a widow Mary, who has since married Thady O’Callaghan. In 1699, both of these joined in conveying to Petitioner the equity of redemption of the mortgage, the consideration being eight pounds. His petition is witness by Florence MacNamara, Turlogh MacMahon, and Matt. Mulvihill.

Thady O’Callaghan in his petition declares that in 1679, Donogh O’Callaghan of Kilgorey, made a lease to his father Conor O’Callaghan, of the lands of Mountallon, Cappalaheen, Coolistoonan, and Cunninagh, for a term of forty-one years, at the yearly rent of £26, the witnesses to the lease being Mor, Con, and Darby O’Callaghan. He goes on to state, that after the surrender of Limerick, Donogh sent his two eldest sons, namely Callaghan and Charles, to France for their education. Soon afterwards, they were outlawed for foreign treason, and to guard his property, their father, by his will, left it in tail male to his younger sons, Donogh, Michael, Daniel, Teige, and Conor.

Francis O’Brien of Bryan’s Castle says, that being a transplanted person he was assigned part of the lands of Bealnafirvarnan and Kilvoydane. These included a parcel called Durra, but Lord Clare claiming a right to this, O’Brien brought an ejectment, and before the trial it was surrendered to him by his lordship.

The foregoing list includes nearly all the claims sent up for hearing from the county of Clare. The Court had sat for several months, and in the great majority of instances its decisions were unfavourable to those who came before it in the hope of escaping the penalties of attainder. It was found that the petitions presented could not be heard within any reasonable time; the Court was dissolved, and the lands of James’ partisans were put up for sale by auction without further inquiry as to the degree of culpability of their several owners. The sale took place at Chichester House, Dublin, in 1703. All hope was now abandoned by the unfortunate Irish gentry. Many of them left their homes for foreign countries and there struggled to eke out a miserable existence in the army or navy. Some few attained to eminence as soldiers, statesmen, or diplomatists, but for the majority, the life on the continent was one of privation and hardship. Of those who remained at home the greater number sunk into the condition of peasants, and for a hundred years, under the baneful operation of the penal laws, led a life of slavery and degradation.