Baltrasna, Oldcastle, Co Meath 

Mark Bence-Jones. A Guide to Irish Country Houses (originally published as Burke’s Guide to Country Houses volume 1 Ireland by Burke’s Peerage Ltd. 1978); Revised edition 1988 Constable and Company Ltd, London.

p. 30. “(O’Reilly/LGI1912) A house with a gable-end which is possibly a fragment of an earlier C18 house, of two storeys with quoins and shouldered architraves round the windows.” 

Record of Protected Structures: 

Baltrasna House, townland: Baltrasna. 

The present house with its gable end is a fragment of an earlier 18th century house of 2 bays, 2-storeys, quoins and shouldered architraves on windows. Incl. gates and Gate lodge (derelict). 

Casey, Christine and Alistair Rowan. The Buildings of Ireland: North Leinster. Penguin Books, London, 1993.  

p. 120. – is this the same? In Louth. See Louth. 

https://meathhistoryhub.ie/houses-a-d/

Baltrasna is located to the south of Oldcastle in the parish of Moylough. Baltrasna House was erected in 1764 by James O’Reilly, who lived there till his death. In 1836 the house and out buildings were in a ruinous state. The present house of two storeys incorporates fragments of the older house. 

Myles O’Reilly, Myles the Slasher, died, defending the bridge of Finea in 1644. His son, John, fought at the Battle of the Boyne for Catholic King James but was allowed to keep his lands. He died in 1717 and was buried at Kill. John O’Reilly of Cavan established himself at Ballymacad, Co. Meath. He was a supporter of James II and was M.P for Cavan in 1689. He raised a regiment to support James II. His youngest son, Thomas, was the ancestor of the O’Reillys of Baltrasna. Thomas served in his father’s regiment in support of James. Thomas had eight sons and was succeeded by his third son, James. Both Thomas and James had difficulty surviving financially and the estate was held by the Chancery for a period of seven years when it was let to Mr. Vaolley of England who put the demesne under tillage.  Eighth son of Thomas was Alexander who was born in 1722. 

Alexander became a general in the Spanish Army and Governor of Cadiz. Because of his service to Spain he was created a count and a Grandee of Spain of the First Class. In 1769 Alexander was appointed Governor of Louisiana. Louisiana was named after Louis XIV of France and was a French colony until taken by Spain in 1763.  Alexander landed at New Orleans and invited all the French leaders to a banquet. Full with wine and food the leaders were arrested. Executing five of the six men earned him the nickname “Bloody O’Reilly.” A descendant of his, Alexander O’Reilly, was surgeon general of the US army 1902-1909. 

James O’Reilly of Baltrasna married Catherine Tuite of Newcastle and was succeeded by his son, Thomas. Thomas was an officer in the army and he was succeeded by his son, James in 1805. James married Henrietta Nugent and was High Sheriff of Meath in 1803 and High Sheriff for Cavan in 1804. In 1836 the townland of Baltrasna was in the possession of Anthony O’Reilly who resided in Dublin. 

James was succeeded by his third son, Anthony, in 1853. Anthony married Alicia Fortescue of Newtown, Meath and was succeeded by his son, James William Fortescue O’Reilly who was born in 1841. High Sheriff of Cavan in 1845 James married twice. His daughter Olivia Blanche O’Reilly married William Wade of Clonabreaney. James was succeeded by his nephew, James Watts-Russell in 1855. He took on the name O’Reilly in order to inherit the estate. In 1883 James O’Reilly of Baltrasna held an estate of 4,589 acres in Meath and Cavan. His daughter, Harriet, married Matthew Weld O’Connor, son of Rev. George O’Connor, rector of Castleknock. The couple lived at Baltrasna. A land agent, Matthew, was unpopular among the local tenants. 

The Murdock family purchased the estate in the early twentieth century. Samuel and Annie Murdock were recorded in the house in 1911. Samuel was an auctioneer. The family sold it in 1946 to Mrs Crocker. The state was then divided. 

There are two tombs to the O’Reilly’s of Baltrasna in Kill graveyard, Kilnaleck, Co. Cavan. Both record the founder of the family, Colonel John O’Reilly who died in 1717. In one of the vaults there are two coffins said to float when the water table rises with heavy rainfall. The coffins which are probably lead lined would not float. The two coffins are said to belong to a woman who married into the O’Reilly family and her child. It is said that the vault was erected over a spring and that following rain the water rises in the vault covering the coffins. This can be viewed through openings in the vault.