A newly published book from Four Courts Press, The Lismore (O’Callaghan) Estate under William Robert Hood Rochfort, 1891–1902, in Counties Cork, Limerick and Tipperary, offers a rare glimpse into a transformative decade in Irish rural history that deeply affected communities in north Cork including Bweeng, Banteer, Lyre and Burnfort.
Written by Margaret O’Sullivan, the book explores the complex relationship between the land agent William Robert Hood Rochfort and the tenants of Viscount Lismore’s estate during the 1890s, a turbulent period between the Plan of Campaign and the 1903 Land Act when many Irish tenants finally gained ownership of their land.
What makes this book truly unique is its use of original estate documents that were rescued from Shanbally Castle before it was demolished in 1960. Most of the castle’s records were destroyed by the Office of Public Works, but a small collection was saved by Tim Looney of Cahir whose foresight ensured these invaluable papers survived. The Looney family later donated them to Special Collections at the University of Limerick in 2012.
While Tim Looney lived in County Tipperary, he had strong family roots in the Burnfort, Grenagh and Mourneabbey areas. His father, also named Timothy, was born in Burnfort, and many of the Looney family’s descendants still live locally.
The book’s forthcoming launch will take place at Cahir House Hotel in County Tipperary on 30 October 2025. It promises to shed new light on the social and economic realities faced by local tenant families, many of whom had deep ties to north Cork’s farming heartland.
For readers in the Mallow, Bweeng and Banteer areas, this work offers both a local connection and a window into a defining chapter of rural Irish life.
