The Waterford Archaeological and Historical Society 2025 – 2026 lecture series concludes at 8 pm on Friday, May 29th, when Donie O’Brien, will deliver a talk titled ‘Thomas Badnedge and His World: Power, Land, and Legacy in West Waterford and East Cork’, in St Patrick’s Gateway Centre, Waterford (Eircode X91 YX61).
This illustrated lecture is broadly based on the recently published book Thomas Badnedge and His World, it explores a transformative period in the history of West Waterford and East Cork during the Munster Plantations of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Centred on Tallow and the baronies of Coshmore and Coshbride, the talk brings to life a turbulent era shaped by ambition, colonisation, rebellion, and survival.
The story begins with the speaker’s own journey of discovery. While researching his family history, he became intrigued by a rare maternal surname of Barnidge. This led him to the 1641 Depositions, where he encountered the name Thomas Badnedge. The similarity of the name, combined with Badnedge’s association with lands in the Knockanore area, where the speaker’s ancestors also lived, sparked deeper investigation. That investigation revealed Thomas Badnedge to be a key historical figure, a senior servant and trusted agent of Richard Boyle, the First Earl of Cork, one of the most powerful men in the early 17th century.
From this personal starting point, the lecture broadens into the wider historical landscape of the Munster Plantations. It outlines the background to the Desmond Rebellions, the destruction of early settlements such as Tulach Rath (Tallow), and the First Plantation of Munster. Attention is given to Sir Walter Raleigh’s grant of 42,000 acres, the establishment of Tallow as an Elizabethan plantation town, and the eventual collapse of this first colonial experiment following renewed conflict and destruction.
The focus then shifts to the Second Plantation of Munster, which began in earnest after Raleigh sold his Irish estates to Richard Boyle in 1602. Under Boyle’s careful management and the oversight of the Munster Commission, the region reshaped economically, socially, and politically. At the heart of this transformation was Thomas Badnedge. Rising from servant to landholder and a military commission, Badnedge was granted the lease of lands, in Knockanore, Youghal, and Castlemartyr, from the Earl. His remarkable social ascent sealed through marriage into a noble family associated with Lisfinny Castle, an extraordinary achievement in the rigidly stratified society of the early seventeenth century. Badnedge’s career as Captain of the Youghal town guard, with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the local militia, places him at the centre of events of the 1640s. The lecture follows the unravelling of the Munster Plantation during the 1641 Rebellion and culminates with the siege of Youghal. Drawing on contemporary sources, including the diary of Captain William Penn (later Admiral Penn), it records the details of Thomas Badnedge’s death. The talk concludes with the wintering of Oliver Cromwell’s army in Youghal in 1649, and his arrival in Tallow in January 1650.
Rich in local placenames, families, and lived experience, this lecture uses the life of one man to illuminate a defining chapter in the history of the region.
Donie O’Brien worked in finance for a number of multinational companies throughout his professional career. He has had a long-standing interest in genealogy for over thirty years, which developed into a deeper engagement with local history. As retirement approached, he undertook formal study in the field and completed an Honours M.A. degree at University College Cork.
Over the past seven years, Donie has written several articles on various aspects of local history, some of which have been published in the Knockanore Annual Heritage Magazine, of which he is an active member. He has also delivered talks to historical societies in West Waterford and East Cork.
He recently published his first book, Thomas Badnedge and His World, which explores the second plantation of Munster in West Waterford and East Cork. He is currently working on a more comprehensive local history of Tallow, tracing its story from earliest times to 1925.
**************** SUMMER OUTINGS *****************
Thurs. June 18th, 17:30 – Woodstown Viking Settlement a guided tour of the excavations by Neil Jackman
Sun. July 5th, Medieval Meath: Town and Country coach outing to Bective and Trim, evening meal in the Lord Bagenal Inn, Leiglinbridge
Sun. July 18th, 14:00 – Historic Tallow : A walking tour led by Donie O’Brien
No comments:
Post a Comment