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
Reverend
Father Lawrence O'Donoghue, PP.
Ballymore Eustace Centenary Book;
pp. 5-6 (1984) writes the following: |
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 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 Ballymoney (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 Feb. 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
Tipperkevin,
Ballymore Eustace. From Ballymore, take the road
to the right 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.
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) |