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Tipperkevin
near Ballymore Eustace, County Kildare
Tipperkevin was once a
distinct parish in County
Dublin, but now is
merged with the Parish of Ballymore Eustace. Located about three miles
north of the town of Ballymore
Eustace, the parliamentary return of 1824, shows that the Parish of Tipperkevin contained 1800 acres
in ten townlands, one of which was also called Tipperkevin. The
Townland of Tipperkevin is bordered by the townlands of Slieveroe
to the east, Walshestowne on the north, Bawnog on the west and Dowdenstown and Elverstown on
the south. Included in the Parish of Tipperkevin were the townlands of
Barretstown, Bawnoge, Elverstown, Dowdanstown, Glenmore, Greenhall,
Kilmalum, Punchestown,
Tipperkevin (townland) and Walshestown.
The
Book of Survey & Distributions (1641) shows the following Eustaces
owning land in Tipperkevin Parish:
·
Alexander
Eustace, Irish Papist, Brodenstowne (Quarre,
Dowdenstown): 315 acres; All profitable, Plot 1
·
Oliver &
Thomas Eustace, Irish Papists,
Tipperkevin: 333 acres; All profitable, Plot 2
·
Alexander
Eustace, Irish Papist, Killmalone: 123 acres; 2 roods; All profitable, Plot 3
·
Alexander
Eustace, Irish Papist, Elverstowne: 85 acres profitable, 167 acres 2 roods
unprofitable
·
Walter
Eustace, Irish Papist, Elverstowne: 257 acres; 3 roods; profitable and 130
acres unprofitable, Plot 4
D'Alton in The History of The County of Dublin
(1838) describes Tipperkevin and Ballymore Eustace as "a district
once the most unhappily situated of any in Ireland, its unfortunate
inhabitants having been too obviously devoted to the
ravages of the Irish tribes, or crushed by the tyranny of the
English, compelled by the one party into confederacies, in which they had
fain not participated, yet, denied by the other of protection and
legislation."
Tipperkevin
Parish had a population of 766 persons in 1834, of whom it is stated that
forty-three were Protestants. D'Alton writes that
in the village of Tipperkevin there is a well dedicated to St. Kevin, from
which the locality derives its name; more correctly Tobber-Kevin.
Near the well is the old churchyard, with ruins of a church, exhibiting a
chancel eleven yards long by five yards broad, and an aisle fifteen yards
by five and a half. Members of the Nolan family live near the church ruins
and told Ronald and Margaret Eustice during a 2007 visit that the church
was destroyed by Cromwell. D'Alton wrote that an
old perforated baptismal font was still in place in the aisle during the
1830s, but the ruins were overgrown with hawthorn and other brush. The
largely overgrown cemetery contains numerous headstones and according to D'Alton, the grave yard was said to have been the
burial place of several members of the Eustace family.
The
parish of Ballymore Eustace, according to Lewis “was the head of a
Lordship and Manor belonging to the Archbishop of Dublin, and comprising
the parishes of Ballymore, Ballybough and Ballybut; Coughlanstown, Yague, Tipperkevin, and Tubber
in the County of Dublin; and of Milltown, Tornant,
and part of Rathsalla in the County of Wicklow.
This parish comprises 1682 acres, as applotted
under the tithe act; the state of agriculture is gradually improving, and a
great number of calves are fattened here for the Dublin market. Slate exists, but it is
not at present worked. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Dublin,
constituting the corps of the prebend of
Tipperkevin in the cathedral of St. Patrick, Dublin, and in the patronage of the
Archbishop: the tithes amount to 117. 16. 8., and there is a glebe of 80
acres. The church is a neat edifice, in the later English style, erected
about seven years since by aid of a grant of 900 from the late Board of
First Fruits, and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have lately granted 164
for its repair. In the Roman Catholic divisions the parish forms part of
the union or district of Ballymore-Eustace. At Barrettstown are the ruined
castle of that name, and an ancient burial-ground; and at Slieve Ruagh, Dowdingstown,
and Bishop's Hill, are moats or raths". From
A Topographical
Dictionary of Ireland (1837) by Samuel Lewis
Over
the years, the name Tipperkevin has been spelt many different ways:
1181-99;
Tiperkevyne
1216;
Tiperkevin
1250;
Tipperkevyn
1264;
Typerkevne
1303;
Tipperkevin
1316;
Typperkevin
1523;
Tipperkevin
1530;
Tipperkewyn
1630;
Tipperkevin
1654;
Tubbercavan
1697;
Toberrkevan
1786,
Tipper Caven
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Reverend Father Lawrence O'Donoghue, PP. Ballymore Eustace Centenary Book; pp.
5-6 (1984) writes the following:
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Five
members of Eustace, Confey, Co. Kildare were allotted
lands in the 1654 Cromwellian Transplantation at Kilmacduane,
Co. Clare, and the name is still found at Kilmihill,
Co. Clare and neighbouring parts of the county.
The Eustace name is also found at Manor Kilbride
near Blessington, and it is from Eustace of
Tipperkevin that Americans of the name trace their origin, now settled in Minnesota and in New York State.
While the connection of the Confey family with their descendents in Clare is well
documented, Father O'Donaghue does not provide
citation for his connection of the Minnesota
(Eustice) and New York
(Eustis) with Tipperkevin Parish. Recent Y-chromosome DNA testing and the
discovery of correspondence dated 1903 from John Eustis of Janesville,
Minnesota to his cousin Thomas in New York, provides clear evidence that
members of the Schuylerville, New York Eustis family share common ancestors
with Waseca County, Minnesota Eustices, but this
fact was not known when Father O'Donaghue wrote
the article some 20 years earlier. What is known is that the Eustaces of
Tipperkevin, nearby Blackhall as well as their
cousins in Gaganstown (Yago or Yagoestown) remained Catholic and sided with the losing
factions. They eventually lost their lands following the 1641 civil war and
fled to the Wicklow mountains or were transplanted, perhaps to Longford,
where the Eustaces of Minnesota and New
York trace their ancestry. The families in New York and Minnesota
remained Catholic and this fact helps rule out possible connections with
other branches of the family that became Protestant during the time of
Elizabeth I and subsequent monarchs.
The
earliest record of Eustace connections to Tipperkevin appear in 1401 and
continue well past the time of Cromwell's Transplantation.
1401: Nicholas Eustace of Confey
and Dublin
buys the head rents of Dowdenstown and Tipperkevin (Tickell
notes, Page 388).
1523:
Robert Eustace was Prebendary (ecclesiastical administrator) of
Tipperkevin (D'Alton, Page 737).
1532: In 1532, the head-rents of adjacent Dowdenstown and
Tipperkevin were paid to the Eustaces of Confey
by James, John and Henry Eustace while Oliver Eustace held
Barretstown in a lease directly from the Archbishop.
1534:
Roland Eustace, Second Viscount Baltinglass, held in fee of the lands of White's Lane, near
Tipperkevin, containing a castle and thirty-one acres of ground, which was
later forfeited by his son James, following the Baltinglass Rebellion. (D'Alton, Page 735).
1582:
Thomas Eustace of Toberkevin received a pardon. Also mentioned in same pardon were
Roland Eustace of Yegoston, James Eustace of Gylston, and William Eustace of Ballybrennan.
(Fiant 4083; Elizabeth).
1586:
James Eustace, Viscount Baltinglass, attainted;
forfeited lands of common pasture called Red Mountain (Slieve
Raugh) in Tipperkevin leased to Daniel Kellye, soldier. (Fiant 4925; Elizabeth).
1589:
John Eustace had a lease for
twenty-one years of 20 acres in Morganstown
townland, Tipperkevin Parish, parcel of the estate of Thomas Eustace,
attainted.
1596:
Thomas Eustace attainted; forfeited
lands in Ballymorey (Ballymore?), County Dublin, adjoining a bog and
“great” mountain called “Slewecod”
(Slieve Raugh?) lands
of Thomas Eustace of Kerdestowne, attainted,
leased to Richard Hardinge on May 14, 1596 (Fiant
5988; Elizabeth).
1597:
John Eustace, gent; granted lease
of land in tenure of John Parker, in the village of Tipperkevin,
Count Dublin forfeited by Thomas Eustace, attainted. (Fiant 6115;
Elizabeth).
1601:
Al(i)son Eustace fitzRichard
of Tipperkeavin, County Kildare; pardon; also mentioned James Eustace of Flemingstown, County Kildare, Edward Eustace of Ardnouth, County Kildare. (Fiant 6538; Elizabeth).
1606:
Edmund Eustace died. At the time he
held one castle, four messuages, and 180 acres in
Elvardstown alias Aylewardstown;
one castle, four messuages and 70 acres at Burgagemoile; and one castle, six messuages
and 42 1/2 acres called Talbot's land and Bennett's land in Ballymore
Eustace. (D'Alton, Page 736)
1618: The lease granted in 1589 to John Eustace, was renewed
for thirty-four years to one of the Eustace family, a descendent of whom, Walter Eustace, in the 1641 confiscations,
forfeited 403 acres in Elvartstown.
1641:
The following Eustaces are listed in the Book of Survey &
Distributions:
·
Walter
Eustace of Elverstown Townland
owned 403 acres in Tipperkevin partly from Baltinglass
forfeitures, Morganstown,
Elverstown, Burgagenolle, 4 castles. This land
originally belonged to James Eustace 3rd Viscount of Baltinglass
whose land was attainted after the Baltinglass Rebellion. (Page 389).
·
Oliver and
Thomas Eustace of Tipperkevin Townland
owned 333 acres of land described as profitable. Book of Survey
& Distributions.
·
Alexander
Eustace of Brodenstowne (Quarre, Dowdenstown): 315
acres described as profitable. Book of Survey & Distributions.
1656: On January 27, 1656, the following Eustaces were
among about two dozen Eustaces issued official decrees of land forfeiture
under Cromwell’s Act of Resettlement:
·
Oliver
Eustace of Blackall,
Newcastle & Uppercross Barony, County Dublin,
together with Thomas, his brother, 333 acres in Tipperkevin.
·
Thomas
Eustace, Irish Papist of
Tipperkevin, Newcastle & Uppercross Barony, County Dublin, Owner of (with his brother
Oliver) 333 acres in Tipperkevin
Parish.
1667: Walter Eustace of Elverstown: On l6 January
1667, Walter Eustace of Tipperkevin for the consideration of one peppercorn
(if demanded) recorded the bargain and sale of land for one year to Phillipp Savadge, Dublin City
of Logadowdin. Parish. Ballymore Eustace, barony
Upper Cross, Co. Dublin.
1680: Walter Eustace, Tipperkevin, Co. Dublin,
bargain and sale forever of a house and ground in Tipperkevin to Sir Joshua
Allen, Dublin
City was recorded on
2 February 1680. Consideration: £10 stg.
1697:
On 4 February 1697, copy bargain and
sale forever by Jocelin and Catherin Aylmer, Darney (?) Queen’s Co. and Richard
Eustace, Dowdingstown, Co. Dublin of Toberkeavan, bar(ony) Upper Cross, Co. Dublin and Walshestown,
Cos. Dublin and Kildare. Consideration: £325 Stg
+ £55.
1699:
Sir Maurice Eustace, Harristowne, Co. Kildare bargain and sale for 1 year on 23 February, 1699 to
Richard Eustace, by Dowdingstowne, Co. Dublin of Toberrkevan, parish Toberrkevan,
barony Upper Cross, County Dublin. Consideration: 5/.
1699:
Sir Maurice Eustace, Harristown, Co. Kildare, bargain and sale forever on 25 February, 1699 to
Richard Eustace, Dowdingstowne, Co. Dublin of Toberrkevan, par(ish) Toberrkevan, bar(ony) Upper Cross, Co. Dublin. Consideration:
£731 stg.
1826:
Oliver Eustace listed on Tithe
Applotment Book records as lessee of 3 acres, 3 roods, 16
perches of land (all arable) in Tipperkevin Townland.
St
Kevin’s Well at Tipperkevin, Ballymore Eustace:
From
Ballymore, take the road to the right (north) opposite the central square.
About 2 miles on, an open space in the middle of the road indicates you
have arrived. St. Kevin’s well is beside the road on the left-hand
side in a grassy area in the open space adjoining the road near the old
graveyard. This holy well is said to be on an ancient pilgrim’s path
from Kildare to Glendalough. A school named after
St. Kevin is said to have once flourished here. An ancient graveyard in the
local farmer’s field also suggests that Tipperkevin might once have
been a flourishing place. Unfortunately, the area has been neglected. A FAS
project cleared it not so long ago and made a path to the well, but already
the area is once again returning to wetland. The water from the well looks
clean and is profuse, but is needs more attention if it is to
survive. Only traces of the church remain.
St
Kevin’s Well is situated close to the medieval church and graveyard
site about 1km south-east of the site of the proposed development. An old
roadway skirts the ecclesiastical site to the north and continues in a
westerly direction towards Bawnogue. This trackway is not marked on OS maps but it is described
as a very ancient road on an 1815 estate map. It is thought to have been
part of the pilgrims' route to Glendalough. The
site of a possible deserted medieval settlement has been identified from
aerial photography about 0.5km east of the subject site.
The
first element of the place-name is repeated in Tipper, the title of another
church dedicated to same saint in the adjoining parish of Rathmore (Eadestown.) Tipper,
formerly know as Kill Kevin was, in fact, the first in the chain of
churches so dedicated.
St
Brigid’s Well is located beyond Tipperkevin beside the sandpits,
down a lane on the right-hand side. It is only about a quarter of a mile
from St. Kevin’s well. A blue
painted gate on the left-hand side of the lane leads to the well. Although
sadly neglected, this well still flows comparatively fast into a stream.
Not so long ago, a mass was held here on Heritage Day. It badly needs to be
kept tidy and ongoing attention.
References:
D'Alton, John, The History of The County of Dublin (1838)
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