The burning of Dunegan House, Westmeath, owned by the Homan family in 1825

[Meg Young]

I just read in a Wikipedia article on Moate, Westmeath, that Dunegan, a house owned by the Homan family, was burned in 1825 and two young men were hanged as the arsonists.  Does anybody have any information on this incident?  On the Homans of Shurock House, Surrock Abbey, or Donegan?  or the Pilkingtons of Tore, the Adamsons of Westmeath.  These are families with whom the Homans intermarried.  (I am a Homan.)

[*Sandra*]

Hi,

Welcome to RootsChat

That's quite a shopping list - at the bottom of each RootsChat page under "Your Tools", you will find the "surname interests index" - perhaps it would be worth while adding the names that you are interested in the index and anyone else that comes along will be aware of your connection. Use google and it will turn up lots of information on all your subjects.

http://surname.rootschat.com/

Edmond Branthwaite Homan..............................

http://www.thepeerage.com/p45789.htm

http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/results.jsp?county=Westmeath&parish=Ballyloughloe&townland=Dunegan&search=Search


Richard Pilkington, born in 1635, was a descendant of the Pilkington family of Rivington in Lancashire, England. He was the first member of the family to migrate to Ireland, where he established an estate at Tore, county Westmeath.

http://www.abandonedireland.com/Tore_House.html

There was an enquiry in July 2010 on Francis Adamson born 1897 Moatgranoge Moate co Westmeath. You can read the topic here

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=483539.0



Regards
Sandra

[Meg Young]

Thank you Sandra.  I am just today posting on rootschat for the first time.  I'm not sure how to use the various formats.  I don't know anything about the fire of Dunegan House, other than the note from Wikipedia, but I have a great deal of information on the Homans and have done many google searches and Ancestry tree hunts on the Pilkingtons over the last two weeks.  I need to refine my questions.  Specifically I am looking for Thomas Pilkington, father of Elizabeth Pilkington, who married Branthwaite Homan in 1751. I believe that Thomas is the son of Abraham Pilkington, born in 1706, probably at Tore, but perhaps at Urney. Abraham Pilkington is the only son of Richard Pilkington who had issue. Abraham's son Henry, who was high sheriff of Westmeath, is well documented (Burke's) but I can find very little on Thomas, except for the mention of his name on some Ancestry family trees.  Is this the place to ask such questions?  Is there a place specifically for 17th-18th century Irish questions or Westmeath-related questions? 

[gaffy]

... I just read in a Wikipedia article on Moate, Westmeath, that Dunegan, a house owned by the Homan family, was burned in 1825 and two young men were hanged as the arsonists.  Does anybody have any information on this incident? ...

There is a March 1826 reference to several men (including a James McDermott, who I think later may have got a reprieve) being charged with maliciously setting fire to the house of Richard Homan of Dunegan, however the two executed seem to be those mentioned in an April 1827 newspaper article which described them as "the two Curleys" (presumably their surname?).  The article went on to report that, as a conseqeunce of being sentenced for the burning of Homan's house, they were brought from the gaol to Dunegan near Moate to be executed.  They were taken to the location of the gallows accompanied by a large military escort, which was joined at that location by a detachment of infantry and artillery from Athlone.  The men declared their innocence before being hung.
 

[*Sandra*]

 

Is there a place specifically for 17th-18th century Irish questions or Westmeath-related questions?
 

HI,

The forum has many different boards - Ireland is listed on the main forum page and that will take you to a sub-board for Westmeath.  Here is a link to Westmeath where you can post your enquiries.

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/westmeath/

Regards
Sandra

[Meg Young]

Thank you for the information. I've checked my Homan family tree and I've identified the Richard Homan who would have been resident.   Do you have access to old Westmeath newspaper articles that contain this information?  Do you know if the original court transcripts would still be in existence and where they would be located?  I wonder if the Curley brothers had anyone to defend them.  I gather the ruined building stood until the 1940s when it was taken down and the stone was used to raise the level of a road. I wonder if anyone has a photo of the burned-out building.  Meg

[Sinann]

You might find this of interest
http://www.abandonedireland.com/Tore_House.html

[Sinann]

Dunegan House is called a Castle in a few articles.
Here for example https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Temple,_County_Westmeath
The ruin of a castle in Dunegan can be seen on old maps
I can't post a direct link using my iPad but if you use the search here http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/
Find Westmeath
Than in Townland find Dunegan
Than click on the historic 25" also the 6" you should find the ruin marked.
25" dates 1897 - 1913, 6" 1829-41

[Meg Young]

Thank you.  I'll follow this up.