Gumbleton residences: Curraglass House, Co. Cork

Sketchmap of Curraglass village
and Curraglass House, ca.1850

Curraglass House, co Cork was built in the Georgian era and was originally a seat of the Wallis family. Later, it was owned by H.C. Gumbleton, brother of R.W. Gumbleton, who built the nearby Glnnatore. In the 1980s it was demolished to allow the straightening of the road from Conna to Tallow, which had previously had to turn 4 right-angled corners in order to avoid it.

The following account is from a history of Curraglass, at http://www.curraglassns.ie/History/history.htm:

The name, Curraglass, comes from the Irish, Curragh-ruadh-glaisse, 'the morass of the red rivulet.' The Lisnabrin stream was coloured red by iron in times gone by. Currach Glas, meaning Green Marsh, is a more modern version of the name.

Curraglass is situated in the valley of the river Bride, in the parish of Mogeely, barony of Kintintaloon, County of Cork, on the border with Co. Waterford. It consists of a short street extending nearly east- west, with another branching from it towards the south. Dr. Smith, in 1815, described it as 'a neat pleasent village, prettily planted,' and it was famous for its fruit.

Tile road to the south, now called The Mall, was known as Weavers Row because there used to be flax and linen milling in the area, and many weavers lived in the row of 14 cottages. There was a mill on the Mill Height, near Billy and Mary Mulcahy's house.

Between two of the houses on Weavers Row stood a huge oak tree. During the rebellion two men were hung there. Some people claimed that a pair of doves landed on the tree during the hanging. Later, one of the branch was cut off, a dark coloured resin came from the wound, leading some to say that it was the blood of the martyrs.

Sir William Maynard built Curraglass House in the 1600s and the Maynards lived there until 1735.

In 1749 there was a major disaster in Curraglass when a fire broke out in the village. The houses, which were all thatched, were burned down in the street as far as the bridge.

Charlotte, daughter of the fourth Earl. of Cork, married the fourth Duke of Devonshire, and so Curraglass passed to the Devonshires.

Curraglass House passed into the hands of Nicholas Lysaght, M.P. for Tallow from 1768 until 1782 when he died without an heir. He got the road diverted around his lawn because he objected to the disturbance when it was passing close to his door. Early in the 18th century Curraglass House was let to Henry C. Gumbleton, and his son lived there after him.

Curraglass church,a small but neat building in the English style, was built in 1776. It was situated at the east end of the village, beside the road around The Lawn.

At the east end of the village, in the last century, stood a three storey house (where Pat and Helen O'Brien live now) which was a hotel and was converted later into a school. There were two schools in Curraglass. A local teacher, Mrs. 0' Driscoll, lived in one. This school was in use until the present one was built in 1882. The school was burned c.1942 and was rebuilt. Also living in the village was a teacher, a tailor, a harness maker and a postman. There was also an R.I.C. station in the village, on the Currglass side of Billy Carr's house. It was demolished about 1983.

In the 1841 census the population of Curraglass village was 541 persons. The 1851 census shows a decrease in the population to 377 person. The Croker family lived in Lisnabrin House. Thormas Carew was living in Lisnabrin Lodge. The Woodleys were in Frankfort House. The Gumbetons were at Curraglass House.

Curraglass East (1842): (68 acres) Property of John Cormac Esq. Frances Peard Esq. owns 1.5acres of the townland. He has it rented to Mrs. Gumbleton @ £6 yearly.

Curraglass West (1842):. (97 acres) Property of Mrs. Captain Walter Croker who lives on it.

The Landed estates database (http://landedestates.nuigalway.ie/ says:

Part of the Lysaght estate from the mid 18th century, W. and L. Giles are recorded at Curraglass in 1814. Earlier, in 1786, Wilson refers to it as the seat of Mr. Bonwell. By 1837 W. Gumbleton was resident and his widow Mrs Georgina Gumbleton occupied the house in the early 1850s. It was valued at £58+. Hajba writes that she was the last occupant of the house which is now demolished.

People mentioned

• Henry Conner GUMBLETON