Castleisland

Castleisland (Oileán Ciarraí), home of William's Donovans in Co Kerry, got its name from a castle built in 1226 by Geoffrey Maurice (de Marisco) the Lord Justice of Ireland during the reign of King Henry III. The "island" was created by turning the waters of the River Maine into a moat around the castle.

By 1345 it was in the hands of Sir Eustace de la Poer, who with other knights was holding it for the Earl of Desmond.  It was captured by Sir Ralph Ufford, then Lord Justice of Ireland that year and those holding it were put to death.  Today little remains of the castle.

 William's Donovans were in Castleisland at least by 1800.  In 1849 the town tenant book show that John Donovan was a tenant of Richard Meredith, Esq.  The tenancy for the house and garden at #4 Barrack Street dated to 1800 and the rent was "free".

John was about ten in 1800, so it seems likely that the original "free" tenant was his father, although he might have taken over the tenancy of someone else.  John worked for Ordnance Survey, perhaps his father did too?  Obviously there is more  work to be done.




Sitting right next to the tombstone of Williams g.grandparents, Michael and Ellen (Linehan) Donovan is a Shanahan Crypt.  Perhaps this is the family of his g.g grandmother Mary Shanahan, the wife of John Donovan.



Townland.ie - Castleisland
Logainm.ie - Castleisland
Donovan Dropbox File