Tipperary author announces launch of book about historical agent William Rochfort

Margaret O’Sullivan will be launching her first book, Lismore estate under William Robert Hood Rochfort, 1891-1902, in Counties Cork, Limerick and Tipperary, in Cahir House Hotel on 30 October 2025 at 7pm.

Using the words of both the land agent, William Rochfort (1847–1940), and the tenants on the Lismore (O’Callaghan) estate in Counties Cork, Limerick and Tipperary, the land agent–tenant relationship between 1891 and 1902 is explored.

The techniques employed by Rochfort to investigate the personal circumstances of his tenants, his treatment of them and his ability to occasionally provide discreet assistance to those in need are all examined.

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Issues of most concern to the tenants, as told in their own words, are also considered.The book includes tenants from Roscrea, Fethard, Clonmel and Cahir in county Tipperary along with tenants from north county Cork and south county Limerick.

Viscount Lismore’s estate, the largest in county Tipperary in the nineteenth century, had its seat at the John Nash designed Shanbally Castle just outside Clogheen in south Tipperary.

Unfortunately, the castle along with its extensive archive were destroyed by the OPW in 1960. Tim Looney, Cahir managed to rescue some documents before they were destroyed, and it is these records that form the basis for this book.

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Margaret has strong south Tipperary roots. Her grandfather was Tim Looney from Cahir and her grandmother, was Mary ‘Molly’ Clancy form Kilcarroon, Ballyporeen. Tim was a well known historian, correspondent for the Nationalist,trade union official
and very active in the GAA. Both Tim and Molly fund raised extensively for the Little Willie fund in the 1950s.

Margaret is following in the footsteps of other Tipperary authors, Miriam Lambe, Helen O’Brien and Lisa McGeeney who all have had books published in the Maynooth Local History Series by Four Courts Press, The book is available to purchase from local bookshops and from Four Courts Press and it will be available to purchase on the night.