About Máire ní Mahon
Maire Rua Red Mary (1615 - 1686) was the Chatelaine of Lemeneagh. She was born in 1615/1616 in Clonderlaw County Clare, Ireland; probably died at Dromoland Castle, near Newmarket-on-Fergus, County Clare [fn1]; and may be buried at Coad church in Kilnaboy parish, County Clare, Ireland.
Parents: Torlach Rua MacMahon, Lord of Clonderlaw and Mary O'Brien, daughter of the third Earl of Thomond.
Married:
- Daniel Neylon of Dysert O'Dea in north Clare; 4 children
- Around Oct 1639 to Conor O'Brien of Leamaneh (1617-1651) son of Donogh O'Brien & Honora Wingfield; 8 children [fn2][fn3]
- in 1653 to Cornet John Cooper, a Cromwellian soldier [fn4][fn5][fn6]; 1 or two children.
- William
- Daniel
- Michael
- unknown son died in infancy
- Donough (or Donat) O'Brien, 1st. Baronet Leamaneh+ d. 1676 m. Lucia Hamilton
- Teige
- Turlough
- Murrough
- Honora
- Mary
- unknown daughter # 1 - may have died of the plague ca 1651
- unknown daughter # 2 - may have died of the plague ca 1651
- Harry (or Henry)
- daughter?
Maire Rua "Red Mary"
Conor O'Brien's wife was red haired Maire Rua. (Maire ni Mahon - daughter of Turlough MacMahon). She is said to have gone with her husband on raids against English settlers. Conor O'Brien was killed in 1651 while fighting against Cromwell's loyalists. Maire then married a Cromwellian soldier to preserve her son's inheritance. She was indicted for murdering this husband, John Cooper, but was acquitted.There are many tales about the formidable Maire Rua. It is said that she hung her disobedient men servants by the necks and her maids by the hair from the castle's corbels and used to accompany her husband on raids upon English settlers. When Conor was mortally wounded in a skirmish with Ludlow's army in 1651, she is said to have refused to open the gates to receive her stricken husband, declaring "We need no dead men here", but having found that he was still alive nursed him until his death a few hours later.
It was her son, Sir Donat O'Brien, who improved the property. In addition to work on the gardens, a canal was added and the carriage drive lined with trees. In 1705 Sir Donat left Lemaneagh Castle for Dromoland, ancient stronghold of the O'Breins. He took with him a fine stone fireplace and the impressive gate which now rests in the garden of Dromoland. After he left Lemaneagh Castle fell into ruins.
Of the many stories that surround the property, one is of a particular area near the fish pond. Inset into an entrance to a walled garden are 2 niches. Legend has it that they were built for a blind stallion belonging to Maire Rua. He was supposed to be so wild that when let free in the yard, his grooms had to jump up into the niches to keep from being trampled.
It was told that Maureen Rhue was taken by her enemies, after killing the last of her 25 husbands, and was fastened up in a hollow tree, of which the site and, I think, the alleged roots were still shown. Her red-haired ghost was reputed to haunt the long front avenue, near the 'Druids' altar' when I was a child.
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