Houses of Mayo

Name of House: Aasleagh Rectory

Townland: Srahatloe
Location/Near: Killary Harbour
Date/period of house: ca 1880s
1882, 27 May - Irish Ecclesiastical Gazette:
We understand an effort is now being made to provide a parsonage for the parish of
Aasleagh, near Westport, an interesting district at the head of the Killery Bay,
Connemara. The present temporary parsonage passes with the surrounding property
into the hands of strangers and will very shortly be lost to the church.......Lord Plunket
Bishop of Meath, the Bishop of Tuam, Rev Canon Cory, Clifden, Co Galway or the
Rev Timothy Clesham, incumbent of the parish will gladly receive contributions
towards the erection of a permanent glebe house.
General description of house: Solid square Victorian country style rectory, two
storey, 3 bay block with lower bay to right side; central lean to porch; two chimney
stacks located at right side of roof close together; inside of house with plain cornices,
generally a Victorian style house. Old stable & coach house nearby has been
converted into a dwelling house. Situated at the head of Killary Harbour, with
magnificent views of the surrounding mountains. Originally the residence for the
clergyman of the next-door Aasleagh church.
Anecdotes, stories, personalities associated with house:
Aasleagh Church beside the rectory was used in the film The Field
Current owner: Clesham family
Status/Condition of house: maintained, lived in privately
1900 O. S. Mayo Map: # 116 as Aasleagh Rectory
Original/Associated Families: Church of Ireland Rectory/McKeown/
Perpetual curates and incumbents.
Abraham Jagoe, PC Aasleagh 1853-54
Richard Goodison, PC Aasleagh 1854Robert OCallaghan PC Aasleagh 1861-68
Henry Acton Fleming PC Aasleagh 1868-1872
Edward Sampson Jervois, PC Aasleagh 1872 d. 1872
1 of 2
Houses of Mayo
Aasleagh Rectory, Srahatloe, Killary, Nr Leenane
Patrick Butler 18.07.2008 - 07.09.2010

Edward Stormont 1872-1874

Timothy Clesham, Rector Aasleagh 1874-1894 m. Isabella McKeown of Leenane
Hotel. d. 1894. Rectory built during his incumbency, his son John Albert Clesham
was the first child to be born in the new rectory in 1886, he had 4 boys and 1 girl, they
were Thomas Henry (d. young), Mary Janette, John Albert, the only one to have any
family, Robert, and Claude who (d. young) - 4 boys and 1 girl.
William Morgan OConnell 1894-1916 resident 1901 census
Joseph Connellan 1916-1923
Redmond OConnell 1923-26
Francis Travers Cockle, Curate-in-charge 1926-31
Walter Brown 1932-33 Curate-in-charge d. 1933
1933-37 vacant
Benjamin Irwin, Rector Ballinakill, with Curate-in charge Aasleagh 1937-53
McKeown family of the Old Rectory, formally of the Leenane Hotel.
Robert McKeown had one son, ten daughters, only Isabella who married Rev.
Timothy Clesham; Charlotte McKeown who d. 1970; purchased the rectory after the
family sold the Hotel, ca late1940s/early 50s; Kathleen Costigan, niece of
McKeown family d. 1981
1897 Thoms Official Directory: incumbent W.M. OConnell B.A.
1901 Census: Srahatloe, Aghagower, Murrisk
William Morgan OConnell (47) C of I rector/born co Galway, Kathleen (47) wife,
Margaret Donnelly (79) mother/widow, Alice K. Card (14) visitor/scholar/born Kent
England, Frances Elizabeth Palmer (24) visitor/born Dublin city, Bridget Coyne (17)
servant/born co Galway.
1911 Census: Srahatloe, Aghagower, Murrisk
William Morgan OConnell (57), Rector and Rural Dean, b. co Galway. married
Katie Eleanor OConnell (57), wife, married 35 years, 2 children, 1 living,
Margaret Patterson (16), visitor, b. Co Louth, single,
Matilda Horne (24), domestic servant, b. Co Armagh, married 5 years, 1 child,
Mary Anne Reynolds (19), cook, b. Co Galway, single,
Mary Gallagher (75), retired domestic servant, single

Visit to house on 09.07.2008: Met Johnny Clesham, whose family own the house, he
opened the nearby Aasleagh church for me, which gave me the opportunity to
photograph and record the memorials, also some relevant headstones in graveyard.
Had quick downstairs tour of house, took photos of outside. Suggested talk to Brigid
re history, owners of house.
Photograph of house: see own photo file from 09.07.2008 visit, and brief tour of
house

2 of 2
Houses of Mayo
Aasleagh Rectory, Srahatloe, Killary, Nr Leenane
Patrick Butler 18.07.2008 - 07.09.2010