Finavara House,

County Clare

Documenting our Heritage

In 1768, the Finavara estate is recorded as being owned by Hyacinth Skerrett Esq.

On the 20th July 1763, Hyacinth Skerrett of Finavara, married Mary Byrne of Cabinteely, co. Dublin. The Skerrett family were one of the thirteen families which formed the ancient tribes of Galway. It is stated that the family name started as Huscared, and that Robert Huscared, of English origin, held lands in Connaught under Richard de Burgo in 1242. By 1378 the family name had become Scaret; Richard Scaret was Provost of Galway in that year. Later, the family name became Skerrett; John Skerrett was Mayor of Galway in 1421. The Skerrett's continued to be mentioned as Mayors and Sherriffs up to the year 1642, when they are recorded as Irish Papists in the return made under the Act of Settlement of proprietors. Twelve years later, two Skerretts were among those townsmen who refused to sign the articles of capitulation at the end of the siege of Galway.

Finavara House was a fine, large and imposing house overlooking Muckinish Bay in the Burren region of county Clare. The house was two-storeys over basement, three wide bays at the front and five bays at the side. The front of the house featured Venetian style triple windows on the ground floor, with the entrance by a central Venetian style fan and side lit doorcase. A large courtyard was found at the rear of the house, with the utility buildings constructed of cut stone. The house was originally approached along a lengthy drive through fine parkland. The driveway lead through cast iron gate piers, past a cut stone gate lodge and a cut stone summer house before eventually arriving at the main house.

Hyacinth Skerrett, the builder of the house, was succeeded by his son, Major William Skerrett. On the 12th October 1803, the Major married Mary, daughter of John Roche of Limerick. They had three daughters and one son, Captain William Joseph Skerrett, who was born six months after his father’s death. In 1878 Captain William owned more than two-thousand acres in county Clare. Captain William had fourteen children but the Skerrett's would eventually die out in the male line. His third son, Reverend Hyacinth Heffernan Skerrett, born on the 2nd November 1845, became a priest of the Catholic church and was the last of the family to live at Finavara.

When the Reverend Skerrett died, Finavara was inherited by his younger sister, Elizabeth Mary Skerrett, who lived in England.

The 1901 census records just three rooms of the house occupied by the housekeeper Bessie Clohessy, aged 45 and a border, Joseph Scully, age 17. In the 1911 census, Finavara House is recorded as the property of Mrs Skerrett and occupied by just the general domestic servant, Elizabeth Clohessy, age 66 and a visitor, Sarah Walle, age 17.

Elizabeth Mary Skerrett died in 1912. Finavara House was later abandoned and eventually fell into total ruin.

The Skerrett family mausoleum can be found in the remains of Corcumroe Abbey, co. Clare.

This article is the copyright of Tarquin Blake, Abandoned Ireland, and may not be reproduced in any form without permission.