In his book Eigse na hIarmhi, Padraig O Fagain, in the chapter "Amhrain na nUaisle", relates that it was Westmeath man Daniel Malone who collected Caitlin Triall for James Hardiman. Here also we are told that Margaret Malone, Cartrons, Athlone, and John Malone, Ballinahown/Barronstown, had pieces composed in their honour by the blind harper Carolan (1670-1738). These are listed among the 170 compositions in Donal O'Sullivan's Carolan, under the names Margaret Malone and Mr Malone and Ballynahown and Barronstown are the places wherein one largely found Malones of Westmeath thereafter.
Stating that Ballynahown is a village five miles south of Athlone, Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837), adds that "for more than nine centuries this was the residence of the Malone family, whose ancient manor, built on the site of an old castle and now unoccupied, is the principal object of interest. The estate, together with the old family mansion, called Ballynahown House, has at length passed into other hands."
Baronstown was the residence of Malone esq. on Taylor's & Skinner's 1778 Maps of the Roads of Ireland, whereon also were Malones at Shinglas, north-east of Athlone, Co Westmeath; at Pallas, near Frankford, Co Offaly; at Oran, Ballintobber, Co Roscommon, and at Dunsink, Co Dublin. The 1814 Directory has Edmund Malone esq. at Ballinahown, with other Malones, esquires, at Pallas, Co Offaly, and at Bryanstown, Co Kildare.
Moving on to the 1876 Owners of Land of One Acre and Upwards, we find modest Malone holdings in Co Clare (47), Limerick (63) and Tipperary (102), with a 296acre Malone holding at Gortnascreeny, Whitegate, Co Galway. In the province of Leinster there were four acres in Co Dublin; holdings of 123, 104, 31 and three acres in Co Kildare; nine and 29 in Co Meath; 5,678 acres in Co Offaly, and finally in Co Westmeath a substantial 12,564 acres, the property of John Malone, Baronstown, Ballynacargy.
William Malone, Titulado of Toberrory, Co Roscommon, was the only Malone bearer of this title in the "census" of 1659, though the Malones were widespread among the principal Irish names in Leinster and Munster. They were in one barony each in counties Dublin, Westmeath, Waterford and Clare; in two baronies each in Offaly and Laois, and in six baronies in Kildare.
(O) Malone, is the anglicised form of O Maoileoin (devotee of St John). This sept had been closely associated with the monastery at Clonmacnois in the 12th and 13th centuries, Aedh O Maoileoin, who died in 1153, was the abbot here and others of the name who served in this position were Giolla Chriost O Maoileoin (died 1127); Maoil Mhuire (died 1130), Tighearnach (died 1172), and Maoil Chiaran (died 1263). Ruairi O Maoileoin, bishop of Ardagh, died in 1540.
Persons of this name feature widely in the Irish Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns (1521-1603), being mainly among the pardoned in counties Dublin, Kildare, Meath, Offaly and Westmeath. The earliest listed was Hugh O Malone of Dublin, labourer, pardoned in 1565. Very likely Edmund Maloyn of Killgavan (Kilgarvan in the parish of Kilcleagh?) Co Westmeath, pardoned in 1601, was ancestor to the Malones of Ballynahown, both townlands being in the parish of Kilcleagh.
A quarter of the 23 in these fiants retained the "O", though in one case the "O" was replaced by "A". Today there are 1,180 Malones listed in the telephone directories of the Republic, most numerous in the 01, 04 and 05 areas. There are five O Maoileoin and four Ni Mhaoileoin entries. North of the Border there are c. 120 Malone entries.
And as we started with one Malone musical connection, let us finish with another. A document of the late 1660s mentions a Richard Malone, a blind harper who lived in the Co Meath barony of Moyfenragh.
And Baronstown? Baile Bhorain, "the town of Boran or Borran", Boran/Borran being a personal name.