The Sarsfields have a pedigree in Togher which stretches back over 2 centuries and only ended as recently as 1947! They were unique in that at one time or another they lived in 3 big houses in the townland of Doughcloyne of which only one remains in its original state* ; Doughcloyne House , Philippine House and *Sarsfield House. The map below shows the 3 houses ( at that time all known by their townland name .i.e " Doughcloyne " rather confusingly ) in the early 19th Century when they dominated the landscape. Each house had its own private gardens and orchards with the remainder given over to farming and tenants. This article will focus on the last generation to hold sway over that part of Togher including their home , Sarsfield House now part of White Oaks housing estate.
The Sarsfields history in Ireland and indeed Cork is a long and convoluted one with the following a very distilled version to aid in understanding their lineage in Togher. The first of the Sarsfields traveled over from England with King Henry II in the late 12th Century in search of fortune. However the Togher connection didn't surface until 1712 when a dispossessed Dominick Sarsfield luckily married a Catherine Ronayne , niece of Anthony Ronayne owner of Doughcloyne. Of course this brought with it land and property which passed to the Sarsfields when Anthony died. The couples youngest son Edmond , became a Colonel in the Irish Brigade in France where he died unmarried ; their second son Thomas went on to become a Doctor - he died in 1790 but not before marrying a blood relative , Mary Ronayne thus ensuring the Sarsfield/Ronayne bloodline. The eldest son of Thomas and Mary was Dominick Ronayne Sarsfield who became a barrister and married Mary Bonwell , daughter of a banker , thus enlarging the coffers of the Sarsfield estate yet again. They would have 4 children , James . Dominick , Philip and their eldest , the infamous Thomas Sarsfield ( 1793 - 1865 ) , forever linked to the Great Famine of 1845 - 1852. He was the stuff of legend when as a member of the Board of Guardians often made trips to the workhouse in Cork City during the famine years. Tiring of the long commute by horse up the full length of Togher Road to
reach his destination , he suggested that peasants be put to work
building a connecting road between Togher Road and Pouladuff Road , thus
enabling him a shorter journey to and fro. It was the practice at the time that workers were paid in Indian corn for their labors. However , when passing one day to inspect the progress of the new road , he saw men feeding dogs. This so angered him that he threatened to fire everybody unless they stopped feeding the animals when they were supposedly so destitute and hungry. The men not wanting the animals to go though hunger and pain instead hung them from nearby trees , thereby giving the new road a chilling name - Hangdog! This name would not be removed until 1960 when the Corporation by general consensus renamed it Tramore Road. In addition to this local tale , it was also well recorded in newspapers of the time , that Thomas Sarsfield as one of the members of the Togher relief committee , held the honor of being one of the worst in the Country , with a reputation for being mean and empty handed when it came to providing food for the hungry. Thankfully his descendants were much better in character!
1828 - 1892
Died 1914 World War I
( Centre Left )
*Research Acknowledgments :
Richard Henchion
Tom O'Keeffe
W.A. Hill ( old portraits / photo of Major Stopford )
