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THE
ENGLISH SETTLERS IN QUEENS COUNTY 1570-160
In Slievemargy the English settlements were
not very extensive and in separate parcels,
which might be attributed to the rough
terrain in this barony. With the exception of
the Barnyse tenement, which stretched along a
long narrow strip south of the river Douglas,
which formed the boundary with Ballyadams,
and paralleled Piers Hovenden's lands on the
north bank, most of the settlements were made
in the south-east part of the barony
bordering on the Barrow. The Irish and
Scottish lands considerably surpassed those
of the English, both in total acreage and in
size of individual grants held.
Terence McDonnell held large tracts of land
in the north of Slievemargy, immediately
south of Barnyse's narrow strip, and in the
west. South of him the Keating's were
entrenched while Leisagh McDonnell held the
southern border with Carlow, except for a
parcel held by Arthur Tomen. Terence
McDonnell's lands to the west in Kilgory were
separated from Leisagh's lands by the
ungranted woods and mountains of Slieve
Tomane. Similarly ungranted were the areas
Tuna and Doonane (the Doonane Hills), as well
as the forested north-east of the barony on
the Barrow.
John Barnyse's estate of 186 acres in
Castletown, Kilcruise. Coonbeg and Ballylinan
granted in 1571, passed on his death to John
Baskerville, who still held in 1622. Barnyse
also got the wardship Dysert in 1578, where
he was in fact living. In similar fashion
John Barre's 523 acre estate at Shrule
granted in 1570, was surrendered the Queen's
commissioners and regranted to Robert Harpole
of Carlow in 1576, probably because of Banes
death. Harpole originally possessed one grant
of land since 1570 in Coolbanagher and
another for lands in Ballinrahin. which were
surrounded by those of the Keating's. Terence
McDonnell and Thady McDonagh, whilst also
holding another parcel nearer to Carlow town,
consisting of Garrough and Derrymoyle
amounting to 65 acres. All of these lands
were surrendered by Harpole in 1576 to the
same commission that took Barre's lands and
were regranted to Harpole along with such
parcels as Ballyhormer, Clonrere, Cultwerin
and Rosssleaghenbeg and lands of Leisagh
McDonnell in Rossmore, Ballyhide, Farrinduf
and Gannenoe. Finally, Harpole got the
advowson of Clownenagh, formally granted to
Robert Barber. Terence McDonnells lands in
1570, 834 acres, in Farnans. Kilgory, Slatt,
Ballynagall and other denominations were
granted in 1602 upon his death without male
issue to Patrick Crosby and twenty years
later passed by purchase to George Harpole.
Robert Harpole, by the way, had succeeded his
brother William.
In the Barony of Slievemargy also Matthew
Skelton held land in Sleaty situated on the
Barrow between the lands of Edmund Keating
and the Earl of Kildare, as well as a parcel
sandwiched between Leisagh McDonnell and
Henry Davells, both parcels totalling 218
acres. Passing on his death in 1590 to his
son Martin Skelton, alias Lynt, those lands
were held still in 1640 by Martin Skelton,
although he is not mentioned in 1622. By 1640
however, Derrymoyle was being held by a
Protestant, Edward Harman. Sleaty was shared
with Stephen Skelton described as an Irish
Protestant in contrast to Martin an English
Roman Catholic. Henry Davells, for his part,
held 151 acres of Curragh, Clonmore and
Killeshin in 1570 but on his death in the
Desmond rising in 1579 the property passed on
in wardship for his son Henry and grandson
Pierce in turn.
Five Keating's, namely. Thomas, Edmund, John.
Walter and Richard, held parcels of land in
1570, much of it probably situated in the
cultivated area between English and Scottish
lands. Thomas held 67 acres of what is now
Ashfield, forming a deep enclave in Terence
McDonnell's lands immediately to the west of
Arless. This land was forfeited in 1598
because coign and livery had been allowed
contrary to tenure and was given to Dr.
Metcalf who also was granted the lands Thady
McDonagh, comprising the modern Cooperhill
demesne, namely Stanelaugh and Quidneagh,
south of Harpole's property and between the
lands of Edmund Keating, and previously
granted after attainder to Sir Richard Graham
in 1601. Edmund Keating's own lands, Oldleagh
and Ballyvallaghe on the southern end of
Thomas Keating's lands, and Cappabeg, wedged
between McDonagh's, Davell's and Walter
Keating's lands, totalling 96 acres were also
surrendered in 1598 and passed by patent to
Sir William Sentleger along with Richard
Keating's forfeited lands on the north-east
border of the barony along the Douglas river
and at the eastern end of the Doonane
Mountains, sandwiched between Terence's
southern border and John Keating's land, 435
acres in all. In the patent and close rolls
Richard Keating's referred to as being
granted lands in Slievemargy in 1576 and the
fiants refer to the same lands being granted
to him on new terms although the 1622
inquisition states the 1578 grant to have
been made to Adam, not Richard Keating.
Sentleger also in 1622 held the 48 attainted
acres of Coolhenny, Shanvally and Kylveick
originally granted to Walter Keating in 1563
and renewed in 1570 on new terms. A fourth
parcel of forfeited Keating lands pass to
Sentleger was the 98 acres at Towlerton,
Straughneugh and Ballihide, granted in 1570,
were Leisagh McDonnell also held some estate.
John Keating was slain in 1576 by command of
the Earl of Essex. Besides those lands Sir
William Sentleger was passed the lands of
Leagh and Mollifad, situated between Walter
Keating's eastern parcel and that of Skelton,
having been held since 1570 by Sir Thomas
Sentleger, the last of the original English
grantees in the Barony of Slievemargy. These
lands were held in 1622 by Sir Robert
Sentleger. Sentleger's acquisitions underline
the fact that all the land in the Slievemargy
Barony, originally granted to an Irishman or
Scots galloglass, had passed subsequently
into the hands of English settlers, some of
whom did not appear in the county until the
end of the century.
Source Laois - History and Society by Padraig G.
Lane & William Nolan