My ancestors - Donovan - Contents

Donovan of Lisgordan House, near Shanagolden, Co.Limerick

[Cussen, 1962] says the story was that the Donovans came to Co.Limerick from Co.Cork, and they first settled at Adare.
This family were called the Black Donovans. (There was another Donovan family in the Shanagolden area, called the Fair Donovans.)

• References:
  • Notes on the Donovans, by Bertie Cussen, from Lil Coleman, 1962.
  • Family history by Tim Donovan. Much of it published in [Donovan, 2010].

  • Darby Donovan grave at Knockpatrick, near Shanagolden, Co.Limerick. Go in gate, grave is close to gate, to LHS near the wall. I follow a reading of the grave done by Chris O'Mahony of Limerick Archives. This reading seems less accurate.
  • Donovan graves at Kilbradran graveyard (also called Kilbrathern), some way SE of Shanagolden. See modern street view.

  • John Curtin, "Limerick Divided by the Act of Union", in The Old Limerick Journal, Vol. 37, Summer 2001.

• Sources yet to be consulted:
  • See all family history notes by Bertie Cussen.
  • Estate papers of Donovan landlord.

  • Donovan readings in Kilbradran graveyard inscriptions. Get readings of Donovan floor slabs.
  • Recollections of our native valley, Gerard Curtin, 1996, [NLI] 94144 c 13. Apparently has the 1747 rental document.

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Darby Donovan

Darby Donovan is possibly an ancestor of this family. Darby appears as a first name later in the family. Note that "Darby" is another form of "Jeremiah".

• Darby Donovan,
  born 1682 [by age given at death, which might be exaggerated].
  He mar Mary Sheahan [born 1701].
  Rental of 1747: "Darby Donovan" is listed in 1747 in the [Monteagle Papers] as renting:

  • 437 acres at Ballyhahill (W of Shanagolden).
  • 58 acres at Gourbane (later home of his possible descendants Mangan).

  These properties are part of the old Mount Trenchard estate. This was before the Rice family came to Mount Trenchard (which was apparently in 1767).
  Darby dies, 1785:
  He died 14 May 1785. NOT 1787.
  Grave and newspapers say he died "aged 103". Age may be exaggerated of course.
  Grave says he died 14 May.
  He died in Rathreagh, Clonagh par, E of Lisgordan, SE of Shanagolden, W of Rathkeale, Co.Limerick (see modern map).
  [Dublin Evening Post, 18 June 1785] and [Faulkners Dublin Journal, 18 June 1785] say he died at "Rathrea near Rathkeale".
  He was buried at Knockpatrick, near Shanagolden, Co.Limerick.

  Mary died 2 Dec 1790, age 89 yrs.
  She was bur Knockpatrick.
  Darby and Mary had issue:

  
  

  1. Michael Donovan.

  2. Joseph Donovan.
     He might be identical with our Joseph Donovan of Lisgordan (born 1740).

Donovan at Ballyhahill and Gourbane in 1770

[Map of Mount Trenchard estate, 1770] shows the following Donovan at Ballyhahill and Gourbane.
These must be relations of Darby Donovan.

• John Donovan.
  Listed at Ballyhahill ("arable & dairy pasture, North of Road") in [Map of Mount Trenchard estate, 1770].

• Thomas Donovan.
  Listed at Gourbane ("arable & good dairy pasture") in [Map of Mount Trenchard estate, 1770].

Mary Sheahan family

Darby Donovan is buried with Sheahan, who would be relations of his wife Mary Sheahan:

• John Sheahan, born 1803.
  He mar Sarah Hastings.
  She died age 60 yrs.
  He died Sept 1891, age 88 yrs.
  Their grave at Knockpatrick, near Shanagolden, Co.Limerick, was erected by their 3 sons.
  They had issue:
  1. John Sheahan.
  2. James Sheahan.
  3. Pierce Sheahan.

Death of Darby Donovan mentioned in Dublin Evening Post, 18 June 1785.

Grave of Darby Donovan (born 1682, died 1785), Knockpatrick, near Shanagolden, Co.Limerick.
It is the low grave on the left, green from rubbing with grass.
Shannon Estuary in distance.
Photo 2013. See full size.
See photo showing position relative to gate.

Grave of Darby Donovan, Knockpatrick.
Photo 2013. See full size.

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Joseph Donovan

Joseph Donovan, son of Darby Donovan above, may be identical with our Joseph Donovan:

• Joseph Donovan,
  born 1740,
  of Lisgordan House, Lisgordan (also spelt Lisgordon or Liscordane or Liscordan), SE of Shanagolden, Co.Limerick.
  He mar Catherine McCoy.
  [Donovan, 2010] has date 1780 for her death, but think this is error.
  Joseph was in Lisgordan by 1799.
  Support for Act of Union, 1799:
  "Joseph Donovan, Liscordane" signed a Sept 1799 petition in favour of the proposed Act of Union.
  The petition was printed in the following:

  • Limerick Chronicle, 25 Sept 1799. Transcription of this is in [Curtin, 2001].
  • Finns Leinster Journal, 28 Sept to 2 Oct, 1799.
  • Belfast Newsletter, 1 Oct 1799.

  "Joseph Donovan" appears on the list of subscribers to the new RC church at Shanagolden in 1814. He donated 1 Guinea.
  See The General Advertiser or Limerick Gazette, 9 Aug 1814.
  He died 1824, age 84 yrs.
  Joseph and Catherine had issue:

  
  

  1. Catherine Donovan,
     born 1776.
     She mar pre-1801 to James Nolan [of Waterpark, Co.Limerick, born 1770] and had issue.
     [Jim Nolan tree] thought she was from "Loughill" (Loghill) but this seems not to be true.

  
"Joseph Donovan, Liscordane" signs a statement in favour of the proposed Act of Union.
Part of the petition as it appeared in Finns Leinster Journal, 28 Sept to 2 Oct, 1799.
Right: Close-up.
See full size.

  
Part of the petition as it appeared in Belfast Newsletter, 1 Oct 1799.
See also [Curtin, 2001] for transcription of the petition as it appeared in Limerick Chronicle, 25 Sept 1799.

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Daniel Donovan

Daniel Donovan below [born 1799] married Mary Nolan [born 1806], the daughter of James Nolan and Catherine Donovan [born 1776] above.

Daniel Donovan was said to be brother of Catherine Donovan. But this is impossible. He would be marrying his niece. Also the dates do not fit.

He is some relation of Catherine Donovan though.
[Bertie Cussen] said "it is thought old Joe was an uncle of old Dan". The dates would fit. It would make old Dan a 1st cousin of Catherine Donovan, and it would make Daniel Donovan a 2nd cousin of his wife Mary Nolan.

• Daniel Donovan,
  Dan, "Old Dan",
  of Rathreagh, Clonagh par, Co.Limerick.
  Note that Darby Donovan above died at Rathreagh in 1785.
  [Cussen, 1962] said Old Dan lived in one of these places:
  • "the house in Rathreigh where Bertie Keefe is living now", or:
  • "the house where Ezbery Sheehy is now living near the cross at Coolcappa on the Rathkeale road".
    Coolcappagh, Clonagh par, is NE side of Rathreagh.
  Daniel is thought to have mar --- Madigan [of Ballyegny, Clonagh par, to NE side of Lisgordan].
  He had issue:

  
  

  1. John Donovan,
     of Ballyvoghan, Rathronan par, Co.Limerick (neighbouring townland to Lisgordan).
     [Cussen, 1962] said he lived at Ballyvoghan "in the same field where Patrick Donovan's new bungalow is. The shell of the house is still there."

     
     

  2. Daniel Donovan,
     Dan, born 1799 (according to age at death),
     of Lisgordan, near Shanagolden, Co.Limerick.
     He is called "O'Donovan otherwise Donovan" in admin of will.
     He is NOT the Daniel Donovan who was bapt 1798 in Limerick city, son of John Donovan.

     
     

  3. Mary Donovan, born 1802,
     mar pre-1823 to Michael Sheehy [born 1798] and had issue.

     
     

  4. (dau) Donovan.
     She mar John Costello.
     He was a draper, in Ballingarry, Co.Limerick.
     He may be "John Costelloe" who is listed as draper and general merchant, Main St, Rathkeale, in [Slater's directory, 1846].
     John Costelloe of Ballingarry reported the death of Henry Sheehy in 1882.

     
     

"Daniel Donovan" is listed at Ballyvoghan in [Tithe Survey, 1833].
He is holding 117 acres of titheable land and 2 acres of untitheable land.
This could be John Donovan's father or brother. (Probably too early to be a son.)

The "old house" at Lisgordan, near Shanagolden, Co.Limerick.