Archives, in Lancashire, Dublin and London
and as far away as New Zealand, provide factual evidence about the life of
George Macnemara of Cong, who lived in this County Mayo village for almost
forty years as tenant of the Cong Abbey estate of over 7,000 acres, located in
both Counties Mayo and Galway. His
landlord was an English Catholic, Henry Tasburgh, resident in London. The records reveal much about the
relationship between these two men and how George, a Catholic middleman and
native of County Clare, managed to survive the rigours of the Penal Laws and
hold onto the estate for all his life.
He was married three times and had at least eleven children – one great
grandchild was an Austrian Count and well known palaeobotanist. Travel writers and a late nineteenth century
local historian provide the folklore still associated with this colourful
character of Cong, whom some regarded as a philanthropic highwayman! This book gives a detailed insight into life
in a west of Ireland village and its surrounding countryside in the early
eighteenth century and portrays a number of interesting characters.
Brigid Clesham is an archivist and
researcher. She has worked in a number
of repositories in Ireland including the National Library where she catalogued
the Westport Estate Papers. She was the
archivist associated with the compilation of the landed estates database for
Connacht and Munster at the Moore Institute, NUI, Galway. She lives just outside the village of Cong.
George Macnemara of Cong - Folklore and Facts 1722 - 1760
- Product Code: Brigid Clesham
- Availability: In Stock
-
€23.00
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