House - 17th century

The National Monuments Service's description

On a rise in level pasture. In 1628, as part of the Plantation of Longford, King Charles I granted Sir John Seton land to create a manor, ‘to be called the manor of Monelagan, otherwise Balleleghan,’ (Cal. pat. rolls Ire., Chas I, vol. 1, 355). On the Down Survey (1655-6) map of Clongish parish, a building annotated ‘Sr John Seatons House called Monelagan’ (NLI, MS 719) is depicted as a three-storey house with gable-ended chimney stacks. A ground-floor doorway is located in the centre of the lateral wall with four windows above at each floor level. The depiction suggests that this was a 17th-century house, which may have been built to replace, or it may have incorporated, an earlier medieval castle (LF013-009001-) of the O’Farrells. As a plantation house it may have been fortified in the manner of Rathcline (LF017-009003-). Its precise has not been identified. The possibility that it stood on or close to the house named 'Moneylagan Cottage' cannot be excluded but there are no 17th-century features evident at this house. (Simington 1961, vol. 10, 50; Pender 2002, 456)

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 26 0ctober 2012

References

Cal. pat. rolls Ire., Chas I - Calendar of patent and close rolls of chancery of Ireland, of the reign of Charles I, years 1 to 8 inclusive, ed. James Morrin (Dublin, 1863)

Simington, R.C. (ed.) 1961 The Civil Survey A.D. 1654–56. Vol. X: Miscellanea, including a map showing changes to the county and barony boundaries since the Civil Survey (1654–56), 10 vols. Dublin. Irish Manuscripts Commission.

Pender, S. (ed.) 2002 A census of Ireland circa 1659. Dublin. Irish Manuscripts Commission.

NLI, MS 719 - National Library of Ireland, The parish maps of the Down Survey of Co. Longford attested by W. Petty under date 1657. Copied by Daniel O'Brien. A set of 22 maps with accompanying terriers, 1786-7. Dublin.