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The Eustace Family of Ireland
Eustace is one of the most distinguished of the names which came to Ireland at the time of the Anglo-Norman invasion. While not multiplying to the same extent as the Burkes, Butlers, FitzGeralds, Powers and other great Hiberno-Norman families, the Eustaces were numerous enough to be classed in Petty's census of 1659 among the principal Irish names in four baronies of Co. Kildare. Yet the name is by no means common today - in 1864 there were 20 Eustace birth registrations, in 1865 and 1866, 18 for each year; while in 1890 the figure was 9, compared with 330 for FitzGerald and 272 for Power or, to take a few less numerous ones at random, Bermingham 40, Comerford 30, Cusack 46. Whatever may be the cause of this numerical reduction since 1659, the elimination of the great, families of the name is due of course to their constant support of the Irish side in the struggles of the late sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. So long as the English connection with Ireland was no more than a suzerainty and the effective control of the country was, in the hands of the Hiberno-Normans, as was the case up to the middle of the sixteenth century, the name Eustace was prominent in the sphere of goverment. There were many of them sheriffs, constables of castles and the like from 1200 onwards. In the fifteenth century, Sir Richard Eustace was Lord Chancellor (a position held at different times by four other Eustaces); in 1454 Sir Edward FitzEustace was Lord Deputy; his son, Sir Roland, also Lord Chancellor, was created Baron of Portlester: he founded the Franciscan monastery of New Abbey in Co. Kildare. A century earlier, In 1356, another Eustace founded the Dominican priory at Naas. Sir Roland died in 1496, having occupied the positon of Lord Treasurer for 38 years.
In the next century the first of the many Eustace attainders occurred: James Eustace 3rd Viscount Baltinglass who with the Gaelic septs of Co. Wicklow had signally defeated Lord Grey in 1580, shared in the general ruin following the collapse of Desmond's rebellion . The 1642 attainders include about 20 Eustaces mostly of Co. Kildare, with a few on its eastern border in Counties Dublin and Wicklow. On the Kildare-Wicklow border the name is perpetuated at Ballymore Eustace. One who always notably loyal to Charles I and Charles II who escaped any penalty for his public activities was Maurice Eustace (c. 1590-1665). Maurice was speaker of the Irish House of Commons in 1639 and Lord Chancellor in 1660. His nephew and co-heir, Sir Maurice Eustace (d.1693) commanded one of the infantry regiments in James II’s army, in which there were six officers named Eustace, as well as several in other regiments. Sir Maurice was one of the 22 attainders and forfeitures in 1691 (on this occasion 12 were in Co. Kildare, 8 in Co. Carlow and 2 in Co. Wicklow. Many of these whole-hearted Jacobite Eustaces followed James II to France.
The Eustaces have been notable chiefly as soldiers, lawyers and administrators. Rev. John Chetwode Eustace (c. 1760-1815) who was one of the first professors in Maynooth College, is worthy of mention in the field of literature.
Eustace, primarily a christian name, is derived from the Latin eustachius of Greek origin, meaning fruitful. It is written Iustas in Irish.
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