My ancestors - Blennerhassett - Contents

Old Ballyseedy Castle

Old Ballyseedy is at the W end of the wood at Ballyseedy.
It is on the bank of the small River Lee (to the N).
An old road ran past it west-to-east (to the S).

The first Ballyseedy Castle

"Ballyshiddy Castle" is listed on the Blennerhassett lease of c.1620.
So there was a castle here before Blennerhassett.
Apparently this old Ballyseedy Castle was a Geraldine (Desmond branch) fortress, perhaps 15th century.
It was confiscated after the Desmond rebellion was defeated in 1583.

Ballyseedy was acquired c.1620 (post-1619) by Robert Blennerhassett, of Ballycarty.
Blennerhassett's lease of c.1620 refers to "Ballyshiddy Castle, town, and lands".
Though the 1590 grant of Ballycarty also appears to include Ballyseedy.

Robert Blennerhassett lived at Ballycarty Castle.
It is unclear when Blennerhassett first lived at Ballyseedy.
There are mysterious 1627 arms now at New Ballyseedy. It was thought that might be when old Ballyseedy was built. But this is too early. The Blennerhassett were still living at Ballycarty in 1641.

Blennerhassett build a new Ballyseedy Castle

Robert Blennerhassett and his son John Blennerhassett are both living at Ballycarty Castle at the time of the 1641 rebellion.
They surrendered Ballycarty Castle to the rebels in Nov 1642.
After the wars of 1641-1653, the Blennerhassetts moved their seat to Ballyseedy.
They built a new Ballyseedy Castle.
It is unclear when this was built, but probably by the son John Blennerhassett around the 1650s.
The older castle at Ballyseedy is gone.
John Blennerhassett lived at Old Ballyseedy. He died at an advanced age in 1676.
It was inherited by his son John Blennerhassett but he soon died in 1677.
It was inherited by his son John Blennerhassett. He died in 1709.

His son Col. John Blennerhassett was possibly the last to live at old Ballyseedy Castle.
There is a mysterious stone dated 1721 at New Ballyseedy (Elm Grove). It was thought this could be when New Ballyseedy was built, but the date makes no sense looking at the family history and who could have built it. Maybe it is the date when Col. John did some rebuilding at Old Ballyseedy.
Col. John Blennerhassett was living at Old Ballyseedy as at 1756.
He left Ballyseedy before 1774. In his will 1774 he is described as of Oak Park, "formerly of Ballyseedy".

Falls into ruin

Shortly before, or soon after, the death of Col. John Blennerhassett in 1775, Ballyseedy Castle was abandoned by the family and fell into ruin.
1777 map still lists old Ballyseedy as seat of Blennerhassett.
But [The Post-chaise Companion, 1786, p.186] shows it as abandoned: "Ballyseedy, once the mansion-house of the Blenerhasset family".
Ballyseedy was abandoned and fell into ruins.

The name "Ballyseedy" was adopted c.1821 by the new Ballyseedy House (formerly Elm Grove) a mile to the E.

The ruin of the old Ballyseedy Castle still exists.

The house at Old Ballyseedy.
Photo 2013. See larger and full size.

Old Ballyseedy - The house

Old Ballyseedy - The mill

Old Ballyseedy - Outbuilding

Extract from the elegy to John Blennerhassett by the Gaelic poet Aodhagán Ó Rathaille in 1709.
It refers to entertaining at his seat (Old Ballyseedy).
Ó Rathaille, who presumably saw the building himself in its heyday, calls it a "bright mansion".
From page 205 of [Dineen and O'Donoghue, 1911].

Ballyseedy on p.163 of [Smith, 1756].
This shows John Blennerhassett at Old Ballyseedy and his younger brother William Blennerhassett at Elmgrove.

Ballyseedy and Elmgrove and Ballycarty on 1777 map.
Up is W.

[The Post-chaise Companion, 1786, p.186] shows William Blennerhassett at Elmgrove to the E.
To the W it shows "Ballyseedy, once the mansion-house of the Blenerhasset family".
Old Ballyseedy is clearly now abandoned.

Old Ballyseedy (red cross) on 1829 to 1842 map.

Old Ballyseedy (red cross) on 1887 to 1913 map.
See other copy.
[McMorran, 2008] says the ruin was fairly extensive until the 1960s but is now much reduced.
There is not much to see on modern satellite view because of the dense tree cover.

The Old Ballyseedy fireplace

There is an old fireplace in the same room as above (the library at New Ballyseedy).
The hotel says the top of the fireplace came from Old Ballyseedy, and the bottom was newer, made to match it.

The old fireplace.
Photo 2016. See larger and full size.
See also 2007 photo. From Flickr. Creative Commons.

The top part of the old fireplace.
Photo 2016. See larger and full size.