Cole Bowen Estate

[jann]

Looking for information on the Cole/Cole Bowen estate in Ballymackey. Does anyone know of the existance of estate records for the 18th and 19th centuries?


thanks,

Jann

[magsbutler]

Hi,
Found this, looks useful; sorry I know no more than what I've found here.

Good luck,
Mags

http://www.askaboutireland.ie/show_narrative_page_by_place.do?page_id=1524

[jann]

Hi Mags,

thanks for the link.  I had already seen the site and was wondering about the existence of additional information.  My family - O'Meara - were from the Derry Carrey (sp?) area and I believe were tennant farmers on the estate. 

Jann

[greenhome]

I am looking for the exact same information for my family is from there as well.  Derrycarney, Ballymacky, Tipperary Ireland.  the names are Kelly and O'Meara.  The picture is of my ggrandfather, William Kelly b. 1855 in Derrycarney, Ireland.  His mother died shortly after and his Father Michael kelly married his nieghbor some 30 years younger, Ellen (nellie) O'Meara;  The daughter of Thomas O'Meara.  Michael Kelly had 17 children, 7 from his first marriage and 10 more with Ellen O'Meara.  I have tons of info on the family for almost all of them came to the  USA.

greenhome.

[PaulvanR]

I believe my ancestors may have owned the estate. Have you tried Elizabeth Bowen's book Bowen's Court for mention thereof?

[rathmore]

National library of Ireland

http://catalogue.nli.ie

then type in search box - cole bowen

lots of information on this

[conahy calling]

http://landedestates.nuigalway.ie/LandedEstates/jsp/estate-show.jsp?id=2644

Link about Cole Bowen Estate.  Other sources of info on the estate are listed.

[jann]

Thanks to all for your suggestions.

I saw the Ballymackey "castle ruins" on a trip to Ireland.  It seems the Cole Bowen family were absentee landlords and would have had little interest in or contact with the people who occupied their lands.

Will definitely try to get the book - to see how the other half lived!

Jann

[PaulvanR]

You are probably right- they were absentee landlords over this estate. After the political changes in1922 they it seems lost almost all their land. Amongst the big houses in the region Bowen's Court was the only not to be burned down aound that time and was even occupied by the IRA for preservation. It was remembered that during the Famine around 1845-50 that the Bowen's used all of their profits from their sale of fruit in London to import food and established kitchens to feed their tenants. It seems that they were landowners but also recognized as decent people. Elizabeth Bowen is modest about why Bowen's Court was saved in her book. See also St. John Cole Bowen at Norvals pt inter alia.