Documents from the Thomond Papers at Petworth House Archive1 ...

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five shillings and the quarter of land in Urlinbegg [pays] five shillings,
and the quarter land in Urlinmore [pays] five shillings].
The foregoing recalls the rent-charge of five shillings and that the
lordship over these lands was taken by the earl of Thomond, being one of
the reasons which prompted John McNamara to complain to Lord Burghley
in 1588–9 that the earl had usurped his right of lordship over lands in
the barony of Bunratty in the aftermath of the Composition Agreement. 33
Jurors scribed in inquisitions are a microcosm of the Gaelic social order.
The line-up of members of the Gaelic learned class in what would be one
of the last legal documents from Co. Clare to do so in such an extensive
manner, reflect a bygone age where ruling Gaelic families patronised native
learning. Customary officeholders such as seanchaidhe, filedh and breitheamhan
are encountered in the 1619 inquisition under the guise of jurors:
Johan Mac Nemary de Montallon Boetis Clanchy de
Ballydonoghoro
Hugo Norton de Liffer 34 Connor Roe mcTeige de
Smithetowne
William Starkey de Dromolin 35 Edmond O Hogan de Moehill 36
Johan Mac Nemary de Ballynahinsy Conor McRory de Corbally
Thady Mac Brody de Lettermoelane 37 Terence McMorogh O Bryen de
Cahermonagh
Hugo Mc Cruttin de Clandoyne 38 Donat Clanchy de Donmacfelim
33 R.W. Twigge, ‘Materials for a History of Clann Cuilein’, p. 192 (BL, Twigge Collection, Add
Ms 39260).
34 As New English tenants the Nortons were prominent in local administration and the
mercantile elite of seventeenth century Ennis. Hugh Norton was appointed as the first
provost of Ennis 1612, and Samuel Norton was recorded as a burgess in that year. ‘Liffer’ is
the modern Lifford in Drumcliffe parish and a suburb of Ennis. See Calendar of the State
Papers Relating to Ireland, of the Reigns of James I, 1611–1614, (London, 1877), p. 293. Brian
Ó Dálaigh, (ed.), Corporation Book of Ennis, (Dublin, 1990), p. 388.
35 From 1614 William Starkey was leasing Dromoland from the earl and he appeared in the
1626 rental of the Thomond estate as holding Dromoland (PHA Ms C27/A 39), [1626].
36 Edmond O Hogan belonged to the Uí Ógáin family of Rathblathmaic termon whose chief
representative, Edmund McHugh O’Hogan, was recorded in 1641 as ‘payeth a yearly chiefry
to ye See of Killaloe’ at ‘’. Uí Ógáin and Uí Chiaróg lineages of Rathblathmaic termon held
positions of high status on account of their ecclesiastical connections. On the Uí Chiaróg
see Tadhg Ó Donnchadha, An Leabhar Muimhneach, (Dublin, 1940), p. 311.
37 The McBrodys (Mhic Bhruaideadha) based at Littermoylan in Inchiquin barony were
historian-chroniclers (seanchaidhe) and were active as a learned family when one of their
members composed a praise-poem for Mathghamhain Ó Briain in c.1365–69. Littermoylan
townland no longer exits but encompassed townlands around Slieve Callan in Inagh parish.
See Diarmuid Ó Murchadha, ‘The Origins of Clann Bhruaideadha’ in Éigse xxxi (1999),
pp 121–130, p.121.
38 The Mac Cruitín were recorded in the Irish annals with ‘Kellach Mac Curtain, Chief
Historian of Thomond’ dying in 1376. The Mac Cruitín specialised in seanchas and were
skilled in music, as an annalistic entry from 1404 testifies. Hugo Mc Cruttin of ‘Clandoyne’
(unidentified) was probably Hugh Cruttyne who held ‘Tromroe’ (modern Tromra) in
Kilmurry Ibrickan parish in 1615. See 1615 survey of Barony of Ibrickan, PHA, Ms C.27.A.60.
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