O’Donovans

In 1615, Donnel O’Donovan, of Castledonovan, surrendered and was regranted large areas of lands including an interest in Brahalish.  The Antiquarian Dr John O’Donovan, In his translation of ‘The Tribes of Ireland’ by Aonghis O Dalaigh 1852 states that  Timothy O’Donovan of Ardahill, Kilcrohane descends from Keadagh Mor the youngest son of O’Donovan, by the daughter of Sir Owen MacCarthy Reagh was himself the purchaser of Adrahill, Carravileen, Derryclovane and Faunmore.   The ancestor the Richard O’Donovan, Fort Lodge, Dr Daniel O’Donovan, Ahakista, and Timothy O’Donovan, the Cove took this large tract of land for 999 years from a Mr Congreve, of Mount Congreve, Co Waterford an undertaker and they still pay some small head rent.

One of the O’Donovan’s of Clann Lochlainn purchased land in fee simple at Ardahill, Kilcrohane but there is now no trace of his fine residence and imposing iron gates. He may have been Ceadach who was formerly in Inchoclogh, Bantry. In 1794 Timothy O’Donovan of this branch was born and married Mary daughter of Daniel O’Sullivan of Reendonegan House, Bantry and Hanora O’Connell.   She was the aunt of Daniel O’Connell who secured Catholic Emancipation in 1828.  Possibly around 1850 Ceadach O’Donovan helped in improvements to the Kilcrohane Church. He also built a water mill near the house and the mill race is still extant. By the mid 19^th Century the family had fallen on hard times with two brothers in the Workhouse in Bantry.   Some of the stones from the house may have been used to build outhouses near Fitzpatrick’s Pub.

Another O’Donovan of Clann Cathail held land by way of 999 year lease from Lord Riversdale and their house was at Tullig, O’Donovan’s Cove near Ahakista.   Timothy O’Donovan of this branch was born in 1790 and was succeeded by his nephew Richard.  Timothy was a Justice of the Peace in 1823 which was unusual for a Catholic who were only then a handful of the approximately 300 JPs in Co Cork at the time. In a Petty Session case in Castletownbeare involving Father Healy and a parishioner Sullivan in January 1845 his written opinion was sought by Resident Magistrate Litttle and he was described as a worthy Catholic Magistrate well known in the west Riding of Cork as a most practical and enlightened Catholic in this case on the discipline and conduct of Roman Catholic Clergymen.

Richard built the house Fort Lodge, now in ruins c 1830.  He in turn married Maria O’Sullivan on the 15^th. October 1833; her father was Murty Og, of Ceimatringane House, Castletownbere. She died at Fort Lodge, aged 52, on the 27^th May 1865 the death reported by her son Richard. The Antiquarian Dr. John O’Donovan states that a Richard O’Donovan of this family entered the Irish College in Toulouse, joined the Irish Service in France and became a well known swordsman.  In this house Diarmuid (Jerry) a’Duna, the last of the MacCarthys of Glennacroim near Dunmanway spent his final days ending an ancient line.  He was 83 when he died and was the great grandson of Teige-an Duna the last to reside in the McCarthy Castle in Dunmanway.

Richard O’Donovan, O’Donovan’s Cove is listed in Pigot’s Directory of 1824 and at Fort Lodge in Slater’s Directory of 1846 as well as one of Co. Cork’s property owners in 1870. Daniel O’Donovan of Ahakista cottage (now demolished) is listed in Slater 1862 as a Magistrate.    Tim O’Donovan appears in Thom’s Directory 1862 at O’Donovan’s Cove; he is buried in a large tomb in the old graveyard in Caheragh.  Tim O’Donovan is listed as a Magistrate of O’Donovan’s Cove, Carrickbui, and Bantry.   It is believed that the O’Donovans had sub-tenants such as the O’Brien family of Glenlough.

The various O’Donovan houses are shown in the 1842 Ordnance Survey Maps of 1842 all surrounded by trees and outbuildings at Ardahill Kilcrohane, O’Donovan’s Cove and Fort Lodge.  The Cove had extensive wooded grounds going down to the sea and a gate lodge on the northern upper road. Guy’s Directory of 1875 refers to Timothy O’Donovan deceased and the Cove ‘almost in ruins’.  By 1913, the Cove was shown in ruins and Ardahill had disappeared. There is now no trace of the house at Ardahill or O’Donovan’s Cove, apart from wide iron gates on the main Durrus-Ahakista road near the Cove.  These gates are known as the white gates and in former times were a gathering place for fisherfolk.   Mrs Cronin of the nearby farm (b.1917) says that the house was demolished and she heard that the Cronin farmhouse was partly built with stones from that house.  She said there were stables and kennels for the hounds.  She understood that the O’Donovans were good landlords. The orchard nearby is still extant.  There is another later O’Donovan house on higher ground (Fort Lodge) last occupied by Miss Kate O’Donovan (known as Miss Katty) who in the 1870s had 1,243 acres. She is remembered as being very generous and in the end indigent, apart from the old age pension.  She died in 1928 and is buried in the Durrus Chapel Graveyard with her cousin Jane Blair.  In her latter years the house had part of the roof missing and on the night of her wake the timbers of the house were removed for fire wood.  The house was lost and forgotten until Mr Ryan purchased the property and in 2006 removed the ivy revealing the full extent of that property.

Other branches of the O’Donovan family conformed to the Established Church from the end of the 17^th Century and in the 1730s and intermarried with the Townsend, Beecher and Tonson families among others and their descendants gave service in the Royal Navy, British army and Colonial Service.

In the 18th and 19th centuries families in West Cork and South Kerry such as the O’Donovans, the O’Leary, the O’Sullivans, the McSweeneys and McCarthys managed to acquire leasehold interests as middlemen and had close ties of marriage with each other. These interests may be seen in the Tithe Aplottments, Ordnance Survey Name Books and Griffith Valuations. In 1857 Peter McSwiney, the last lineal descendant of the Mac Finin Dubh O’Sullivans (a 400 year old title), after his eviction from Dereen in Kenmare by the Lansdowne Estate, spent his last days in Ahakista Cottage. Richard O’Donovan, O’Donovan’s Cove is listed in Pigot’s Directory of 1824 and at Fort Lodge in Slater’s Directory of 1846 as well as one of Co. Cork’s property owners in 1870. Daniel O’Donovan of Ahakista cottage (now demolished) is listed in Slater 1862 as a Magistrate.    Tim O’Donovan appears in Thom’s Directory 1862 at O’Donovan’s Cove.  Tim O’Donovan is listed as a Magistrate of O’Donovan’s Cove, Carrickbui, and Bantry.  In the late 19^th century newspaper obituaries mention ‘old established’ or ‘long tailed’ families and families such as the Dillons and Cantys of Clashadoo, O’Sullivans of Crottees, the Rosses and Kingstons of Glendart are so described and may be indicative of a slightly lesser social stratum then the petty landlord families.

Burke’s Peerage 1871 has a piece on the O’Donovans of O’Donovan’s Cove pointing out their ancient lineage and family relations.