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3 April, 2013
Ballinacourty House, Ballysteen, Co. Limerick
Ballinacourty (sometimes spelled Ballynacourty) is one of the 12 townlands in the civil parish of Iverus in the barony of Kenry. In Griffith’s Valuation (1850), it is listed as having 401 acres, the owners being Tyrell Evans and Thomas Davenport. All of Evans part of the property was leased to tenants, while only a small part of Davenport’s property was leased. At the time of the Cromwellian plantation, the townland was part of about 5,000 acres allocated to Phineas Bury, said to have helped finance Cromwell’s campaign in Ireland. His land grant was confirmed by King Charles II in 1666, after the restoration. In the O’Donovan Field Name Books (1840), the owner of Ballinacourty is listed as the Earl of Charleville (a descendant of Phineas Bury) and both Evans and Davenport are described as ‘middlemen’. The same source notes that there were two ‘forts’ in the townland. These still survive, one in John Feheney’s property and one in that of Peggy Neville. The fort on Feheney’s hill is one of the largest in the area, with a diameter of 2.5 chains (165 feet).
Ballinacourty House
O’Donovan states that Ballinacourty House was built by John Evans in 1750, making it the oldest house in the area. He described it as L-shaped, and the grounds having a garden, ‘offices’ (farm buildings and stables) and a ‘handsome planting’, meaning attractive shrubs and stands of trees. When Captain Dixon Davenport inherited the property, on the death of his father and elder brother, he advertised for a contractor to construct new farm buildings in 1857. Those buildings, comprising two cow houses, piggeries and large barn, all in cut stone, are still in use. The present dwelling house, which faces north, has five bays, with a 2-storey porch in front centre, the present hall door facing east.
Davenport Genealogy
The story of the Ballinacourty Davenports began on 7 February, 1771, when Thomas Davenport, a land agent, married Martha Evans, daughter of John Evans (d.1792), of Ballinacourty, Ballysteen, Co. Limerick. (LC). The Evans family had already been in Ballinacourty for a quarter of a century. This branch of the Evans clan was a Cromwellian family, descended from George Evans, a sergeant in Cromwell’s army. Like other members of this army, he was paid off at the end of the Irish campaign with army debentures, from dealing with which, old George had grown rich. (See Feheney, 2013, ‘Drinking from Different Streams. A Memoir’, chapter 1). In 1784, Thomas Davenport Snr made his will, which was witnessed by John Copley, Robert Hunt and Tyrell Evans. He died about 1886, leaving issue, including at least two sons, Thomas Evans, born about 1773, and William Vincent Davenport.
The younger son, William Vincent, immigrated to New Orleans, where he established a business, named Wright Davenport and Company. He also established another business in Vicksburgh, Mississippi, named WV Davenport and Company. He married Henrietta Verboom Parker on 12 November, 1835. It is not known if William and Henrietta had children. William Vincent Davenport died in Alabama, USA, in May, 1855 (LC 19.5.1855)
The elder son, Thomas Evans Davenport, was educated at Trinity College, Dublin (BA, 1825), and became a land agent, looking after the interests of the Earl of Clare, as well as of some members of the county Limerick gentry. He was a founder member of the Limerick Atheneum. In 1820, he married Jane Nihill and they had issue, including four sons, Thomas, Dickson, William and Tyrell, and two daughters, Martha and Prudence. All four Davenport boys died in their early manhood. The eldest, Thomas Vincent, immigrated to New Orleans, where he worked with his uncle in the family business. He died in New Orleans in 1853. Tyrell Evans Davenport lived in Castlegrey, Kilcornan, but died in 1865, aged 27 years. William Vincent joined the British Army in India, and died in Bombay, as a lieutenant in a native infantry regiment at the age of 24. He was buried in the family grave, High Street, Askeaton.
Dickson (sometimes spelled Dixon) joined the British army, rising to the rank of captain. He inherited the Ballinacourty property on the death of his elder brother, Thomas (1853) and his father (1856). Dickson married Jane Bateman, from Tralee, Co. Kerry, who was an heiress in her own right. They had issue, including a son, born in 1856, who died in infancy, another son, born in 1862; a daughter, Jane Dickson Davenport, born 29 June, 1868 and a daughter, Emeline, who married Price. Dickson himself died on 1872, aged 38 years. After the death of her husband, Jane lived in Ballydonoghue House, Tarbert, Co. Kerry, , dying in 1888, at the age of 80 years. After the death of Dickson, the Ballinacourty property continued for several years in the ownership of ‘the representatives of the late Captain Dickson Davenport’.
Dickson seemed to have been well integrated with members of the local gentry in the Askeaton/Ballysteen area. In 1861, he was one of the benefactors who donated £5 to the building fund for St Patrick’s Church, Ballysteen. In 1862, he was one of the judges at the Askeaton Races, held in April, 1862.
Davenport Girls
The elder Davenport daughter, Martha Frances Vincent (d. 26/11/1911), was married on 26 June, 1851, to John Browne, son of Anthony Browne. He died soon afterwards, however, and Martha then married (on 2 October, 1856) Brig Gen Alexander Henry Murray (1829-1885), son of Lt Col Hon Alexander Murray and Deborah Hunt. At the time of marriage, Alex was a Colonel in the Artillery Service. They had issue, including:
Alexander Murray (27/11/1857-28/8/1885), who died unmarried; Charles Stewart Murray, 4/12/1858-4/5/1903; Lt Gen Cyril Francis Tyrell Murray, 19/1/1863-2/7/1920; Lt Col Sir Malcolm Donald Murray, 9/7/1867-2/8/188838. Charles Stewart Murray, 4/12/1858-4/5/1903, married Laura Susan Prestage in January, 1892. He was a member of the Bengal Police and was invested with the CIE (Companion of the Order of Indian Empire).
The younger Davenport girl, Prudence, married Dudley O’Grady on 2 October, 1858. He was the son of Darby O’Grady and a nephew of 1st Viscount Guillamore. Prudence and Dudley lived in Prospect House, Ballysteen, for some years and he owned part of the Ballynort estate. Prudence had no children and died on 21 February, 1865. After her death, Dudley married, secondly, Helen Hare Vincent, with whom he had a daughter and two sons. It will be recalled that the Irish Land Commission subsequently acquired the Ballynort estate and divided it among small landowners, many of them from Ballysteen. Dudley O'Grady, who died on 27 February, 1883, was a nephew of Lord Standish O'Grady, Baron of the Exchequer, who acquired several thousand acres of land in county Limerick. He and his family were cousins of The O'Grady of Kilballyown (the same as the Askeaton branch of the family). (BIFR, 1976, 914)
Subsequent History
Ballinacourty House and the Davenport property were sold in the early years of the 20th century to Mr Baker, who had little interest in farming. Unfortunately for the house, the newly-elected Limerick County Council had taken office in 1899 and, as a statutory Local Authority, had begun to levy rates on all householders. The larger the house, the greater the sum payable as rates. Some owners of large houses responded by demolishing part of their houses. Mr Baker’s response was to knock down a ceiling in part of the house and claim that this section was no longer habitable and, consequently, no longer eligible for rates. In an attempt to raise money, Baker also sold off about 50 acres of land on the western boundary and, subsequently, sold the remaining property to a Mr Hodgins. Hodgins retained the property until 1927, when it was purchased by my father, John Feheney, who came to reside there in 1928. His son, Michael Feheney inherited the property and Michael’s son, John, now owns it. The house, though 250 years old, is still the family residence and still in good condition.
At the front gate are the ruins of a gate lodge, once occupied by a notorious faction fighter, O’Shaughnessy, nicknamed the Budachán. This little house was occupied by the O’Dwyer family during the first quarter of the 20th century.
Acknowledgement: Thanks for Kay Naughton for archival research.
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