My ancestors - Blennerhassett - Contents

Mount Rivers, near Killorglin, Co.Kerry

Mount Rivers and other Blennerhassett properties in Annaghgarry (or Ownagarry) townland, Killorglin par, Co.Kerry.
A short distance SE of Killorglin town. Barony of Dunkerron North.

• References:
  • MOUNT RIVERS in [Houses of Kerry]
  • ANNAGHGARRY in [Houses of Kerry]
  • Ownagarry on logainm.ie

• Sources yet to be consulted:
  • Deed of 1721. Property at "Upper and Lower Annegarrys". [LR] 452 19126 30.
  • Deed of 1738. Property at "Aunagarry". [LR] 480 64930 91.
  • Deed of 1756. Property at "Aughnagary". [LR] 178 441 119533.
  • Deed of 1756. Property at "Upper Annagharry". [LR] 181 160 120283.

Mount Rivers, Annaghgarry townland, on 1829 to 1842 map.
Note the building across the road that seems to have a garden. This may be Annaghgarry House / Fortfield.

There were multiple Blennerhassett houses in Annaghgarry (or Ownagarry) townland:

• Mount Rivers.
  This clearly appears on the OS map.

• Annaghgarry House.
  This was said to be close to Mount Rivers. And obviously from the name it must be in the townland.
  [Houses of Kerry] says it is not clear where Annaghgarry House was, but it may be the long narrow building seen on the OS map, across the road from Mount Rivers, with a garden below it.

• Fortfield (or Fordfield, or Fordstown, or Fordhill).
  It is thought this is identical with Annaghgarry House.
  [Hickson's annotated par records, 1880] says "Fortfield (or Annagarry)".
  [Burkes Irish, 1976] says "Fortfield (or Aunagarry)".

The Blennerhassett history is confusing since it is not always clear who lived where:

• Henry Blennerhassett is the first Blennerhassett listed in this townland.
  He is listed as of Annaghgarry in [Deed of Nov 1728] after his death.

• His son Robert Blennerhassett is listed in contemporary records as of "Annaghgarry" or just "of Killorglin".
  [Burkes Irish, 1976] describes him as "of Mount Rivers" but no contemporary record is found with that name.
  He is listed as "of Killorglin" in [Exchequer Bill of 1736].
  He is listed as of "Annaghgarry" in [Deed, June 1758] and [Deed, Feb 1762].
  Listed as "of Killorglin" in his will of 1765.
  He died 1765.

Fortfield line:

• Robert's son Arthur Blennerhassett is listed as of Fordfield in [Deeds of 1774 and 1777].
  He is listed as of Fordhill in his will of 1790.
  He died 1790.

• His son Robert Arthur Blennerhassett is listed as of "Fordfield" or "Fortfield" in deeds of 1790 to 1799, and then apparently lived elsewhere.
  He is then listed at "Fordfield" or "Fortfield" again from 1804 to death 1814.

Baronets line:

• Sir Robert Blennerhassett, 2nd Baronet is listed at Mount Rivers in deeds of 1796 and 1797 (before he became Baronet).
  The name "Mount Rivers" is first found in [Deed of Feb 1796].
  Possibly a new house was built at Annaghgarry after Robert's marriage in 1790, with a new name, "Mount Rivers".
  From 1798, Robert lived elsewhere.

• His son Sir Arthur Blennerhassett, 3rd Baronet is listed at Mount Rivers in 1826 to 1835.
  The 3rd Baronet's brother William Blennerhassett is listed at Mount Rivers from 1832 to death 1835.

• The 3rd Baronet's brother Robert Blennerhassett is listed as of Mount Rivers from 1838 to his death 1862.

• The nephew of the 3rd Baronet and his brothers, Capt. Robert Rowland Conyers inherited Mount Rivers in 1862.
  Conyers' aunt (the 3rd Baronet's widow) Sarah Mahony died at Mount Rivers in 1866.

Modern day:

• Sir Desmond Fitzmaurice (born 1893) lived at Mount Rivers until the 1970s. He descends from Ulick Fitzmaurice and Tryphena Blennerhassett. See [Burkes Irish, 1976, pp.436-437]. He died 1991.

• [Houses of Kerry] said the old house in Mount Rivers was then (1994) standing, but uninhabited and in bad repair. It has a sketch of the old house.
• Mount Rivers is now Slogadh Signs. Not sure if old house survives.

• The building across the road (possibly Annaghgarry House / Fortfield) vanished before the 1887 to 1913 map. Now just a field.

Blennerhassett first appears at Annaghgarry in a document of 1728.
Dorcas, widow of Henry Blennerhassett of Annaghgarry, appears in [Deed of Nov 1728] after Henry's death.

The name "Mount Rivers" is first found in 1796.
"Robert Blennerhassett of Mountrivers" appears in [Deed of Feb 1796].
This is Robert Blennerhassett, future 2nd Baronet.

"R.A.T. Blennerhasset" listed at Mount Rivers in [Leet's Directory, 1814].
This may be Robert Arthur Blennerhassett or (less likely at this time) his cousin Robert Blennerhassett, future 2nd Baronet.

Estate of A. Blennerhassett at Annaghgarry, Killorglin par, in [Tithe Survey, 1823-37].
This would be Sir Arthur Blennerhassett, 3rd Baronet, who succ 1831. So this entry would be before 1831.
Arthur is listed at Mount Rivers in 1826 to 1835.
See full page. From here.

Mount Rivers, Annaghgarry townland, on 1887 to 1913 map.
The building across the road that seemed to have a garden has vanished.

Modern satellite view.
From here.
See street view of W entrance to Mount Rivers today.
And street view of disused E entrance.

---

• Mount Rivers in Landed Estates Database.
• Mount Rivers in NIAH.