descended from James Riveagh D'Arcy, who settled here about the end of the reign of Elizabeth, and, in consequence of his superior abilities and address, From him sprung in a rapidly acquired considerable power and influence.

direct line the house of Kiltulla, and the families of Newforest, in the County of Galway, (formerly of Clunuane in the County of Clare,) Gorteen and Houndswood, in the County of Mayo.

Arms. Azure, semee of cross crosslets, three cinquefoils, argent.

a chapeau, gules, doubled ermine, a bull passant, sable, corned, unguled, and furnished, or. Motto. Un Dieu, un Roy.

Deane.

The first of this name, that settled in Galway, is said to have been William Allen, or Den, who came hither from Bristol in the reign of Henry VI, and was afterwards elected Provost. Members of this family, were amongst the first Mayors and chief Magistrates of the Town. Arms. Azure, three wings, two and one, argent. Motto. Arte vel marte. rampant, azure.

Ffont, or De Fuente.

This family settled in Galway in the beginning of the fifteenth century, they sprung from an ancient English family of Leicestershire, and, are said, to have been established at Athenry, in the County of Galway, as early as the reign of King John. The name is now nearly extinct. Geoffry Ffont, who died near Galway, in 1814, aged 105 years, is supposed to have been the last survivor of the Galway branch of this family.

Arms. Argent, semee of cross crosslets, a lion rampant, sable. Crest. A demi lion rampant. Motto. [

Ffrench.

This family is descended from Sir Maximilian Ffrench, the first of the name, whose descendants accompanied their kinsman, William the Conqueror, into England. Their original place of settlement in Ireland, together with many other

English and Anglo-Norman adventurers, was the County of Wexford; from whence, in process of time, they gradually spread throughout the other parts of the kingdom. Two families of the name settled at different periods in Galway, the first, with Walter Ffrench, in the reign of Hen. VI. about the year 1425, and the other, with Henry Begg Ffrench, in the reign of Elizabeth; since which time, they have ranked amongst the most considerable in the Province. The family of Castle Ffrench, near Ahascragh, in the County of Galway, was raised to the dignity of the peerage, in the year 1798. The Right Honorable Charles Baron Ffrench, of Castle Ffrench is the present Lord. The other branches of this respectable name, are those of Ballinahalla, now of Beagh, Carrorea, Elmhill, Ffrenchgrove, Monivea, Portcarn, Rahasane and Tyrone in the County of Galway, Ballykeneave and Culliane in the County of Mayo, and Foxborough, Frenchpark, Port, Rocksavage and Snipehill, in the County of Roscommon.'

Arms. Ermine, a chevron, sable. Crest. A Dolphin, embowed, upon rocks, proper. Motto. One heart, one mind.

m

Joyes or Joyce.

This old Galway family is of ancient and honourable English descent, and was allied to the Welch and British princes. Thomas Joyes, the first of the name that came to Ireland, sailed from Wales in the reign of Edward I. and arrived

account, in the ancient and authentic annals of that kingdom."-Sir Humphrey French, knight banneret, married Arrabella, daughter and heiress of Sir Charles Harley, of Ormuch, in Wales, knight; and by her had issue, five sons and two daughters, viz. Christopher, Walter, Patrick, Nicholas, John, Mary, and Julian Ffrench." From Christopher and Walter, are descended the families of Ffrench of England, and from Patrick and Nicholas, are derived the family of the Frenches in Ireland, who seated themselves, in the lands of Ballema-cuoce, near Wexford, as the Bishop of Ferns gives an account in his annals.-Patrick Ffrench had a son, named Walter, who settled near Galway, in Connaught, where he married the daughter and sole heiress, of John Athie, of a worthy family, of great antiquity, and from him are descended the family of the Ffrenches of Connaught."-John, the fifth son of Sir Humphrey Ffrench, is stated to have settled in Scotland, where he married Jane, daughter of the honorable James Lindsey, third brother of Thomas Earl of Crawford, from whom descended the family of the Frenches of Scotland, and the account concludes, with the pedigree of Sir Humphrey Firench, descended from Maximilian, the first of the

name.

* James Firench and Laurence Browne, burgesses of Wexford, were elected by that town, to serve as repre

sentatives in the parliament summoned to meet at Westminster, in 1376.-Cal. of ancient chart.—It is rather a curious coincidence, that the late Lord Ffrench, was elected Catholic delegate for the town of Wexford.

A branch of this family removed from Galway to the County of Roscommon, at an early period, and from it descended the family of Frenchpark, in that County. Their cemetery, in the old abbey of Clonshanville, in the County of Roscommon, bears their arms with this inscription,

"Pray for the soul of Patrick French Fitzstephen, of Galway, Burgess; who lived in this world eighty six years."

Richard Ffrench FitzPeter, died in March, 1628, possessed of the ruined castle and lands of Dongendricke, Gragalabane, Tonnlagihie, the castle of Menlagh, &c. in the barony of Tyaquin, Tyrnekille and several other lands in Iar Connaught; of which he enfeoffed Jasper Ffrench, Patrick Firench, Marcus Lynch and others of Galway, to the use of his son Nicholas, junior.-Patrick Begg French, died 6th February, 1630, seized of the Castle of Monyvca, with the lands of Plenemoedra, Derryadda, Knocketobber, Carraleagh and Gortemerrin, which descended to his son and heir, Robert Ffrench.-Inq.

On the map, an ermine spot.

with his fleet at Thomond in Munster, where he married Onorah O'Brien, daughter of the chief of that district; from thence, putting to sea, he directed his course to the western part of Connaught, where he acquired considerable tracts of territory, which his posterity still inhabit. While on the voyage, his wife was delivered of a son, whom he named Mac Mara, son of the sea, he extended his father's acquisitions, and from him descended the sept of the Joyces, a race of men remarkable for their extraordinary stature, who, for centuries past inhabited the mountainous district, in Iar Connaught, called, from them, Duthaidh Sheodhoigh, or Joyce country, now forming the barony of Ross, in the County of Galway, and for which they were formerly tributary to the O'Flaherties." Walter Jorse, Jorz or Joyce, brother of Thomas, Cardinal of Sabina, of this name and family, was Archbishop of Armagh, he resigned in 1811, and was succeeded by his brother Roland. The former was confessor to Edward II. and was author of

"Mac Mara Joyes was first married to the daughter of O'Flaherty, prince of Iar Connaught, the most remarkable of his descendants, besides the above, was William Joyes, who was married to Agnes Morris, being on his travels from Italy to Greece, he was taken prisoner by the Saracens, and brought to Africa, from whence, after a variety of adventures, and undergoing a captivity of seven years, he escaped to Spain; while here, his exalted virtues were rewarded by heaven, according to the pedigrees of this family, in an extraordinary manner; for, as they relate, an eagle flying over his head, pointed out to him a place, where he discovered vast treasures; with which returning to Galway, he contributed large sums towards building the walls, church and other public edifices of the town, he died, leaving three sons, James, Henry and Robert, and was interred in the Franciscan friary.

Heaven was again propitious to another of this family; Margaret Joyes, great grand daughter of the above named William, who was surnamed, Margaret na Drehide, Margaret of the Bridges, from the great number which she built. The story of this singular woman is still current amongst her descendants, they relate that she was born of reduced but genteel parents and was first married to Domingo de Rona, a wealthy Spanish merchant, who traded to Galway, where, he fell in love with, and married her; and soon after departing for Spain, died there, leaving her mistress of an immense property. Upon his decease, having no issue by him, she married Oliver Oge Ffrench, who was Mayor of Galway in 1596. So far the narrative is probable and consistent, but what follows will try the credulity of the reader. It relates that this lady, during the absence of her second husband, on a voyage, erected most part of the bridges of the Province of Connaught, at her own expense! and, that as she was one day sitting before the workmen, an eagle, flying over her head, let fall into her bosom, a gold ring adorned with a brilliant stone, the nature of which, no lapidary could ever discover. It was preserved by her descendants, as a most valuable relique, in 1661, (the date of the MS. from which this account is taken,) as a mark supposed to have been sent from Heaven, of its approbation of her

good works and charity!! This fable, though still piously believed, by some of this family, was humorously ridiculed by Latocnaye, an incredulous french traveller, who visited Galway about the end of the last century.

Cornet Joyes commanded the guard that conducted Charles I. to the scaffold, but it does not appear that he was of this descent.

Several individuals of this name have long felt grateful to the memory of William III. from the following circumstance, on the accession of that monarch to the throne of England, one of the first acts of his reign was to send an ambassador to Algiers, to demand the immediate release of all the British subjects detained there in slavery, the dey and council, intimidated, reluctantly complied with this demand. Among those released, was a young man of the name of Joyes, a native of Galway, who, fourteen years before, was captured on his passage to the West Indies, by an Algerine Corsair; on his arrival at Algiers, he was purchased by a wealthy Turk, who followed the profession of a goldsmith, and who obserying his slave, Joyes, to be tractable and ingenious, instructed him in his trade, in which he speedily became an adept. The moor as soon as he heard of his release, offered him, in case he should remain, his only daughter in marriage, and with her, half his property, but all these, with other tempting and advantageous proposals, Joyes resolutely declined; on his return to Galway he married, and followed the business of a goldsmith with considerable success, and, having acquired a handsome independance, he was enabled to purchase the estate of Rahoon, (which lies about two miles west of the town,) from Colonel Whaley, one of Cromwell's old officers. Joyes having no son, bequeathed his property to his three daughters, two of whom only were married, one, to Andrew Roe French, ancestor to the late Andrew French of Rahoon, to whom, in addition to their own, the unmarried sister left her third; the second daughter was married to the ancestor of the late Martin Lynch, a banker, who, in her right, inherited the remainder of the estate. gratitude for this act of King William, this family long after solemnized his accession to the throne by bonefires, and his victories in Ireland by exhibiting orange lilies, on

In

several works. The families of Joyes-grove in the County of Galway, Oxford in Mayo, and Woodquay in the town of Galway, with that of Merview, near the town, are the present descendants of this old family.

Arms. Argent, an eagle displayed, with two necks, gules, over all Fess Ermine. Crest. A demi wolf-rampant, argent, ducally gorged, or. P Motto. Mors, aut honorabilis vita.

Kirwan.

This name and family are Irish, and the heralds have gone very far back indeed to deduce their origin. They tell us, that Maoldabhreac, son of Fiobhrann, son of Finghin, descended from Heremon, second son of Milesius, was father of Ciorrovan or Kirrovan, from whom the Kirwans are descended. They appear

r

to have settled in Galway, in the reign of Henry VI. about which time, the name first occurs in its modern form, mention being then made of William Kirwan and his children. Some think them much more ancient, supposing them to be the family of Kirwicke, already enumerated amongst the more early inhabitants of the town; and this supposition is very probable, as the orthography of the name has undergone various changes, viz. O'Quirivan, Kyrvan, Kerovan, Kirevane, &c. but it is now generally written Kirwan. To this name and family, Ireland is indebted for two individuals, of the first order of genius, men whose splendid talents have raised their native country to a most elevated point in the scale of literature and science; by those the reader may easily anticipate, are meant the celebrated Dean Kirwan, and his distinguished relative and friend, the late Richard Kirwan, Esq. of Cregg; the former, acknowledged to have been the first christian orator of his day, and the latter, one of the greatest philosophers of the age in which he lived. Biographical accounts of these eminent men, will be found in another part of this volume. The families of Blindwell, Castlehackett, Cregg,'

the 1st and 12th of July. Some of Joyes' silver work,
stamped with his mark, and the initial letters of his name,
are still remaining. A very curious pedigree of this
family, is recorded in the Office of Arms, Vol. 10.
• Ware and De Burgo.

This is the crest on the map, that now used, is a
Demi Griffin, segreant.

I. Vol. Pedigrees, Office of Arms.

The following record seems to support this opinion In the year 1432, Alex' Lynch, Henry Blake, Richard Styven, and Walter Kervyk, or any three or two of them were appointed the king's justices, to enquire of all treasons, felonics, &c. as well within the franchise and liberty of Hanry, (Athenry,) as within the franchise and liberty of the town of Galvy in Connaught.-Kot. Pat. 10 Hen. VI.

The estate of Castlchackett, belonged originally, as the name imports, to the Hackett family, by whom the

castle was erected, from them it passed, at an early period, to a branch of the Burkes, who were afterwards expelled by Cromwell, and transplanted to Ower near Lough Corrib, Castlehackett was parcelled out to one of his officers; who disposed of his interest to Sir John Kirwan, (a gentleman, who amassed a large fortune in the West Indies, and was Mayor of Galway, in the reign of James II.) from whom the present respectable family is descended. The name of Mr. John Kirwan of Castlehackett, will be long remembered in the annals of racing and horsemanship, he stands distinguished for preserving the best breed of racing cattle in the empire.

Sir John Kirwan, was the first who (in 1689,) introduced glass windows, in the modern form, in Galway; in place of the small leaden lattices then used, and many of which remain to the psesent day.

Piers Kirwan Fitzclement, died 17th April, 1618, scized of the lands of Creggan, Lavally, Ballytrasny,