Ballymackey Castle and the last Chief of the O'Meara Clan

 

Ballymackey Castle in North Tipp.

It is probably best known as the residence of the last Chief of the O'Meara Clan - Morgan O'Meara.
"Morgan O'Meara, the last of the O'Mearas who exercised chieftancy over his sept, was heir to a patrimony which extended from Bennett's Bridge near Nenagh to beyond Toomevara itself, the burial place of the O'Meara's took its name from his family of which, heir male to the name, though not to the property, existed in the person of two nephews less than a century ago.
The O'Meara estates embraced a large portion of Upper Ormond. The residence of the O'Meara was at Ballymackey Castle, and there the old chieftain lived in princely style until he had gambled away his princely estates to a "friend" of his named Kilpatrick, from whom they were afterwards purchased by the Tolers, ancestors of Lord Norbury.
There was high festival and true Irish hospitality always kept up at Ballymackey Castle - the dwelling-house was attached to the old castle during the life of the O'Meara. He used to lay in a store of 30 pipes of claret at a time, and made one prolonged sitting of it while the liquor lasted. He was a first-rate sportsman, but he generally let others enjoy, while he drank, gambled or spent his time in similar enjoyments.
He was in politics a high Tory, and he saved the lawyers a great deal of trouble and his tenants a great deal of expense and annoyance by exercising a summary jurisdiction in cases brought before him in his magisterial capacity, his penalties being all imposed in a truly chieftain-like manner by thrashing the guilty parties with his stick. This stick is always carried in consequence of a lameness arising from having fallen out of a lofty vehicle which he was driving tandem-fashion accompanied by a companion.
O'Meara was perpetual Mayor of Cashel, the duties of which were performed by a deputy. He was also captain in the Nenagh Yeomanry, and his tall figure and attenuated features were remembered by old inhabitants. He always kept a piper to enliven his company, and a very clever artist he was. He was stone-blind and thought so highly of himself that he would drink nothing but claret. The piper's name was Forrester.
The usual change came slowly but surely - almost all the estates were gambled away, and O'Meara was enabled to preserve only a small annuity to support himself in his old age. He lived up to the year 1829, and his remains were interred in Ballymackey. His town house was Barrack Street, the present Garda barracks.
Above Morgan O'Meara was son of another Morgan O'Meara and Eliza Pennefather, who married in 1731. He had a brother, General Daniel O'Meara, commander of the forces in Jamaica, who married in 1798 Mary, daughter of Sir Joseph Peacocke of Barntick near Ennis. The General lived in Thomas Street, Limerick, and had two sons who were well-known and very popular in that city in the middle of the last century. He had a daughter who married Rev. Richard Studdert of Quin, Co. Clare, in 1818.
N.B. Balllymackey Castle mentioned above, originally an O'Kennedy castle, was once the residence of Sir Robert Cole. he acquired the Ballymackey estate from the Ffrank family of Frankfurt, Roscrea by purchase. He was M.P. for Enniskillen in 1661 and was knighted in 1671.
N.B - John Peacocke O'Meara of Castleconnel and Wm. H O'Meara, Surgeon. "Urgent", living in 1887."
Pg 51 & 52 from Sheehans Nenagh and its Neighbourhood: https://askaboutireland.ie/.../sheehan-nenagh-and-its-ne/

The castle looks to be much larger than a regular tower-house in North Tipp (even taking into account a possible residence that was added to it). It is located within a piggery. However it was possible to photograph it recently from the road.
I had searched for the grave of Morgan O'Meara in Ballymackey graveyard before but not been able to find it. If anyone knows its location that would be of interest. The whole story of Morgan O'Meara is fascinating (if true), he sounds like a really interesting character. Sometimes there is a certain myth involved in falls from grace such as this.