The Shane Supple Website

IGHTERMURRAGH or IGHTERMORROGH, a parish, in the barony of IMOKILLY,
county of CORK, and province of MUNSTER, 2½ miles (S. E.) from Castlemartyr,
on Youghal bay; containing 2627 inhabitants. It comprises 5362 acres valued
at £4452 per annum. The soil is excellent, being a light loam based upon
limestone, and in a good state of cultivation. Here is a considerable manufacture
of straw plat. The principal seats are Carew’s Wood, an excellent villa, the
property of the Earl of Shannon, and now the residence of Rev. J. Leslie ;
Knockane, of T. Garde Esq., M. D. ; Lisquinlan, of the Rev. C. Harte, A. M.,
situated on the summit of a peninsula, in the midst of beautiful and extensive
plantations ; and Castle Richard, of R. Fitzgerald Esq., near which are the
remains of the ancient castle of Inchicrenagh, a fine old tower of excellent
masonry in good preservation ; on the wall of one of the arches is an inscription
bearing date 1592, with the initials T. G. ; it was built by the great Earl of
Desmond, and was the seat of the seneschals of Imokilly, ancestors of the present
occupier of Castle Richard. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Cloyne,
and in the patronage of the Crown : the tithes amount to £651. 13. 2½. There is a
glebe of four acres, but no glebe-house. The church is a plain ancient building,
and contains monuments of the Supple and Pitman families. In the R. C. divisions
the parish forms part of the union or district of Ballymacoda and Ladiesbrdge, at
which latter place is a neat chapel. There is a national school in which 60, and
a private school in which 40, children are educated. Here are some remains of
Ightermurragh castle, which has been the property of the Supples or De Capells
since 1172. Near Ballendinis is an extensive cavern in the limestone rock. The
river Dower flows underground for a considerable distance, and there are other
subterraneous rivers.

DE CAPELL BROOKE or SUPPLE (of Northamptonshire and Killeagh)
Most sources seem to agree that the name originated in Normandy, came to England
with the conquest, and arrived in Ireland with Strongbow around 1170 (some say
from South Wales, others Kent). There are various versions of the name around
this time including de la Chappelle, Des Chapelles, and De Capella but later
it was corrupted, at first into Irish as Sheapallh, then English as Supple.

It is apparent that all branches of the family start with that which established
itself on land near Killeagh, in approximately 1172, later known as the Ahadoe
estate. From there they branched out to Kerry and Limerick but the name was never
numerous. As well as the Ahadoe estate they also held land at Dromadda (South of
Castlemartyr, also known as Supple’s Court); the Castle of Ightermurragh which
they built around 1641; Kilmacow, near Tallow; and Knockgrasse, near Clonakilty.

Much of the Supple land was confiscated following the collapse of the Desmond
rebellion, including that at Kilmacow, further confiscations occurred in the
years that followed. Ahadoe, however, was spared when William, son of William
FitzEdward Supple of Ahadoe, was made ward of Richard Boyle, Earl of Cork, and
later married Boyle’s niece, Catherine Smith. In this way the Boyle family gained
control of the estate, and, the Supple family avoided the fate that befell many
‘old English’ families, indictment for treason at the Youghal Sessions of 1642.
The Ahadoe family probably converted to Protestantism at this time but the
Ightermurragh family remained catholic and it was their support of James II that
brought about the loss of that estate.

In the 1750s Richard Supple of Ahadoe married Mary Brooke dau. of Arthur Brooke,
of Great Oakley, Northamptonshire. Their son, Richard Brooke Supple (born Jan 6,
1758), inherited the Great Oakley estate from his great-uncle, Wheeler Brooke.
Upon succeeding to this estate, 23 Nov. 1797, he assumed by sign manual and in
obedience to the testamentary injunction of his great-uncle the surname BROOKE
at the same time the original surname of his family, DE CAPELL. He was created
a Baronet June 20, 1803. He was a bencher of the Inner Temple, and for 30 years
Col. of the Northamptonshire Militia , died Nov 1, 1829

Sir Arthur De Capell Brooke, Bart: eldest son and successor of the 1st baronet,
born 1791, succeeded 1829, and incumbent at the time of Griffith’s valuation.
Author of “A Winter in the North Cape” and other works of Travel. Died s.p. 1858.

Sir William De Capell Brooke, Bart.: second son of the 1st baronet, born June 12,
1801, married 1829, succeeded to his brother’s title and estate 1858. Barrister
at Law, died 1897. The title became extinct in 1947 but members of the family
are still to be found in Corby.

The Ahadoe estate was based at Ahadoe House, located above Glenbower Wood,
near Killeagh (a full description is given by Samuel Lewis in his 1837 ‘Topographical
Dictionary’). In 1881 it consisted of 2132 acres, including Glenbower Wood and
most of the town of Killeagh. The bulk of the land was located in the civil
parish of Killeagh but it also included most of Inchinabacky and one townland
in each of Dungourney and Mogeely. The De Capell Brooke family were absentee
landlords after 1797, they were normally resident at Great Oakley Hall, Corby,
Northamptonshire.

The estate was broken up and the land sold to the tenants after 1903, the
exception being Glenbower Wood which was acquired by the Forest and Wildlife
Service in 1933.