Estate: Rye (Ryecourt)

Associated Families

• Rye (Ryecourt)

Description

This family were established at Ryecourt, parish of Moviddy, barony of East Muskerry, county Cork, in the late 17th century. They had family connections with the Meade, Tonson, Thornhill and Baldwin families. At the time of Griffith's Valuation Richard Tonson Rye's estate was in the parishes of Aglish, Athnowen, Kilmurry and Moviddy, barony of East Muskerry while George Frederick Rye held land in the parishes of Killeagh and Ightermurragh, barony of Imokilly. In the 1870s he owned 3,412 acres in county Cork. An estate of 1,676 acres near Cork city, Midleton and Mogeely, belonging to Richard Tonson Rye, was advertised for sale in November 1879.

Houses

House Name / Description	Townland	Civil Parish	PLU	DED	Barony	County	Map Ref
Kilcrea House (H3133) In 1750 Smith wrote that Kilcrea was formerly the seat of the Earls of Clancarty, purchased by Captain Hedges from the Trustees of the Hollow Blade Company. In 1786 Wilson mentions the ruins of the castle and abbey of Kilcrea, near to which was a house named Snugborough, the residence of Mr. Keeffe. At the time of Griffith's Valuation Robert Gibbons was the occupier of Kilcrea House. He held the house valued at £20 from John Hawkes [who was leasing from Richard T. Rye]. This house is now a ruin. In March 1851 and July 1853 the estate of William Edward Ellis at Kilcrea, Desart, including Kilcrea House and 422 acres was advertised for sale. It was held on a lease dated 1740 Jonathan Ashe to Jeremiah Sullivan. William E. Ellis was the tenant of the house in 1853. William Sullivan Ellis of Kilcrea was issued with a certificate with respect to the killing of game in 1799 (see "The New Cork Evening Post" 24 March 1800).	Kilcrea	Desertmore	Bandon	Kilbonane 19	East Muskerry	Cork	Lat/Lon: 51.86035 -8.71860 OSI Ref: W505 678 Discovery map #86. OS Sheet #84.
Ryecourt (H3156) Seat of the Rye family in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, In 1786 Wilson refers to it as the seat of Colonel Rye. Lewis writes in 1837 that “the plantations around Rye Court are very extensive and beautiful”. The buildings were valued at £66 in the early 1850s. Ryecourt was burnt in June 1921 during the War of Independence. The family built a smaller house in the garden and continued in residence at Ryecourt into the 1970s. Ryecourt House was demolished but some of the farmyard complex remains.	Ryecourt	Moviddy	Bandon	Moviddy 20	East Muskerry	Cork	Lat/Lon: 51.85718 -8.79258 OSI Ref: W454 675 Discovery map #86. OS Sheet #84.
Kilcondy (H3167) Kilcondy was occupied by William Davies, medical doctor, in 1837 and by John F. Beale at the time of Griffith's Valuation. Beale held the property from Richard Rye and the buildings were valued at £18+. The Crooke sale rental of 1860 records the leasing of 97 acres of Kilcondy including the dwelling house to Richard Browne Crooke by Richard Tonson Rye in 1840 for 3 lives. John Fleming Beale is given as the tenant. Earlier, in 1786, Wilson refers to Kilcondie as the seat of Mr. Crooke. It is now a ruin.	Kilcondy	Moviddy	Bandon	Moviddy 20	East Muskerry	Cork	Lat/Lon: 51.85591 -8.84626 OSI Ref: W417 674 Discovery map #86. OS Sheet #83.
Castlemore (H3772) Smith writes that this house formerly belonged to John Bailey, whose daughter married Colonel Rye. The property passed to the Ryes and in 1750 was occupied by Mr Travers. At the time of Griffith's Valuation John Good occupied a house at Castlemore, held from Richard F. Rye and valued at £10.	Castlemore	Moviddy	Bandon	Moviddy 20	East Muskerry	Cork	OSI Ref: Discovery map #86. OS Sheet #84.

Archival sources

• National Archives of Ireland: Land Judges’ Court Rentals (O’Brien), Rye, 11 Nov 1879, Vol 137 (24), MRGS 39/061, (microfilm copy in NUIG)
• National Library of Ireland: Copy of confirmation of arms to the descendants of Richard Tonson Rye of Rye Court, Co. Cork and to his great grandson, John Bayley Tonson Rye, Nov. 20, 1899. GO MS 111, pp.53-4

Contemporary printed sources

Many of these resources are now available online. For a list with Web links please see the Online Printed Sources Links

• GRIFFITH'S VALUATION OF IRELAND'[Primary Valuation of Tenements]', 1850-1858. : East Muskerry Barony, 5 (Kilcrea), 19 (Castlemore), 23 (Kilcondy), 24 (Ryecourt)
• HUSSEY DE BURGH, U. H. The Landowners of Ireland. An alphabetical list of the owners of estates of 500 acres or £500 valuation and upwards in Ireland. Dublin: Hodges, Foster and Figgis, 1878. [available online at www.askaboutireland.ie] : 400
• LEET, Ambrose. A directory to the market towns, villages, gentlemen's seats, and other noted places in Ireland. Dublin: Printed by B. Smith, 1814 : 344 (Ryecourt)
• LEWIS, Samuel. A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland. London: S. Lewis & Co., 1837: II, 397 (Ryecourt & Kilcondy)
• PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. 15th Annual Report of the Commissioners of Public Records Ireland, 1825. Vol XVI, Appendix III. Abstracts of the conveyances from the trustees of the Forfeited Estates and Interests in Ireland in 1688'.: 389 (John Bayly of Castlemore)
• PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. Return of owners of land of one acre and upwards, in the several counties .... in Ireland. HC 1876, LXXX: 133
• SMITH, Charles, M.D. The ancient and present state of the county and city of Cork. Containing a natural, civil, ecclesiastical, historical and topographical description thereof . First published 1750. This edition published Cork: John Connor, 1815: I, 199 (Castlemore & Ryecourt)
• WILSON, William. The Post-Chaise Companion or Travellers Directory Through Ireland. The author: Dublin, 1786 : 238 (Snugborough [Keeffe]), 239 (Rye Court)

Modern printed sources

• Éire-Ireland: DONNELLY, James S. Jnr. Big House burning in county Cork during the Irish revolution, 1920-21. XLVIII, 3 & 4, Fall-Winter (2012), pp.141-197.
• BURKE, Sir Bernard. A genealogical and heraldic history of the Landed Gentry of Ireland. London: Harrison & Sons, 1904: 530
• MONTGOMERY-MASSINGBERD, Hugh (ed). Burke's Irish Family Records. London: Burke's Peerage, 1976: 1004