My wife's ancestors - Finglas - Contents

Finglas of Westpalstown, Co.Dublin

The Finglas family is rare among the medieval gentry of the Pale in having a name clearly of Irish origin.
The family take their name from the area of Finglas ("fionn ghlas", or "the clear stream"), N Co.Dublin.
[Archer, 1975] says: "it may be assumed that its founder first settled at Finglass, and being like many other of the Anglo-Norman adventurers without a surname, adopted as such, the name of the Fingallian village. They later built and occupied a strong castle at Walmestown (Westpalstown)."

Westpalstown ("West Pale's town") is in Westpalstown par, nr Oldtown, NW Co.Dublin (see map).

• Sources yet to be consulted:
  • Patrick Finglas in [DNB]
  • Patrick Finglas in [DNB, 1885-1900 edn]
  • FINGLAS in [Index to Dublin Wills].

Westpalstown on 1829 to 1842 map.
Westpalstown House is now vanished entirely. The whole site is a featureless field.
The tiny bridge over the river leading to it survives.

[Ball, vol.2, 1903] says that Patrick Finglas and Richard Fitzwilliam (father of Sir Thomas Fitzwilliam, Kt.) were cousins.
We start with:

Patrick Finglas,
of Westpalstown, Co.Dublin,
Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer 1520-34,
Finglas are first mentioned in connection with Westpalstown in 1532 [Archer, 1975],
Lord Chief Justice of Ireland ("Chief Justice of the King's Bench") 1534-35,
Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer 1535-37,
died 1537,
had issue:

1. Genet Finglas,
   mar Sir Thomas Fitzwilliam, Kt [born c.1519] and had issue.

Remains of the old church and graveyard of Westpalstown.
From Google Maps.
Once an important Anglo-Norman outpost, nothing is now left of either the "town" or the Castle of Westpalstown.