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Eustace Families of County Clare
By: Terry Shiely
Diebel & Ronald F. Eustice
The Eustace families of County Clare most likely descend
from the Eustace family of
Confey, County Kildare.
The castle and lands of Confey in the extreme north-east corner of Co.
Kildare were held for several centuries by a branch of the Eustace family,
which seems to have originated from a Nicholas FitzEustace of Dublin.
He bought in 1401 the head-rent of Dowdenstown and Tipperkevin. His son (or
grandson) Henry was the father of James Eustace of Confey who married
Elizabeth FitzLeons and died in 1506. His elder son John Eustace
married Elizabeth daughter of Christopher Chivers of Macetown, Co. Meath. (The
other son was Sir Robert, a priest.) He also inherited property in
Dublin including an almshouse and a house and grounds in St. Sepulchre
parish, which he presented to the Vicar. In 1532 he still held Dowdenstown,
and died in 1552, leaving by his wife Joan, daughter of John Peppard of
Ballyroan, a son Nicholas. Nicholas Eustace married Maud, daughter of
Sir Thomas Luttrell, and died in 1582 leaving a son John Eustace, who
married Mary, daughter of Richard Fagan, an Alderman of Dublin. John Eustace
died in 1598, both he and his son Nicholas being included in a list of
important men in the County. (James Eustace, the elder son of John
Eustace and Mary Fagan, predeceased the father).
Nicholas Eustace married Margaret, daughter of John Sarsfield of Lucan, and secondly Margaret Bath. (Nicholas had a daughter,
Catherine, who married Thomas Chivers.) His son James Eustace
married a daughter of Sir Nicholas Whyte of Leixlip Castle and his wife Lady
Ursula Moore, daughter of 1st Viscount Drogheda.
Both James Eustace and one of his sons, Nicholas were
outlawed soon after 1641 and their lands were forfeited. At the time of the
forfeiture James had two sons Nicholas and Thomas, and in 1664, Thomas the
survivor regained all the property (which had been entailed) by stating that
his father had died before the forfeiture. This was later proved to be false
and Thomas Eustace lost all the lands except part of Confey, with Balscott
and Eyersland just south of it in Donoghcumpter parish. Of the other lands,
Ballycorne (west of Confey in Laraghbryan parish) went to Benedict Arthur
and William Fitzgerald, and the property near Clongowes Wood to Richard
Reynolds.
Five members of the Eustace family of Confey were allotted
lands in Kilmacduane Parish, County Clare during the 1654 Cromwellian
Transplantation.
The Books of Surveys & Distributions (1636-1703) record
that Anne and Martha Eustace were allocated land at Drumillehy Townland,
Kilmacduane Parish, County Clare. The townland of Drumillehy was the
property of Daniel O'Gorman, Caher O'Gorman and Daniel O'Brien. Two
centuries later, County Clare had the largest concentration of Eustace
households in all Ireland as listed on Griffith's Valuation 1845-63.
Eighteen Eustace households are listed in Griffith's Survey of household
heads.
Eustace Family in County Clare (Griffith's Valuation)
Bridget Eustace
Breaghva, Kilmurny, Clare
Bridget Eustace
Castlepark, Kilmhil, Clare
John Eustace Cahermurphy,
Kilmhil, Clare
John Eustace Kilfiddane,
Shannakea More, Clare
John Eustace Castlepark,
Kilmhil, Clare
John Eustace Leitrim,
Kilmihill, Clare
John Eustace Gowerhass,
Kilrush, Clare
Margaret Eustace
Derrynalecklea, Kilmurry, Clare
Mary Eustace Kiltumper,
Kilmihill, Clare
Mary Eustace Gowerhass, Kilrush,
Clare
Michael Eustace
Furoor, Kilmaly, Clare
Michael Eustace
Gowerhass, Kilrush, Clare
Patrick Eustace
Kilfiddane, Shannakea More, Clare
Patrick Eustace
Castlepark, Kilmhil, Clare
Robert Eustace Cahermurphy,
Kilmhil, Clare
Simon Eustace Gowerhass, Kilrush,
Clare
Walter Eustace
Cahermurphy, Kilmhil, Clare
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