The 1904 revision of the 1840 Ordinance Survey six-inch to the mile map of the Co Tipperary parish of Tipperary, shows a field in the townland of Greenrath that is a perfect circle, albeit gapped on the north-east by about a third of its circumference. Its diameter was about 500 yards. A straight ditch ran from north to south - just east of the circle centre, from which eastwards ran another straight ditch at right angles to the circumference, somewhat south of the centre. What was the reason for a field so shaped, and who shaped it - and when?
Situated on the circumference on the south is Greenrath House. Locally some recall that this was once the property of "the Newport Whites". Owners of Land of One Acre and Upwards (1876) lists Newport White, Tipperary, with a single acre. We have never come across Newport as a first name, so we wonder was it the surname Newport? Owners shows the Misses Newport with 162 Co Kilkenny acres. There are but four Newport telephone entries north of the Border, and of the 25 Newport entries to its south 21 are mainly in Leinster.
Surnames created from names of places are among a numerous class in England, though comparatively rare in Ireland. Newport, ("new town", especially one with market rights), which names places in many English counties, is one such. Though it names four townlands in Ireland, the surname Newport found in this country is the English surname.
In 1427 Richard Newport was sworn in as clerk or keeper of the hanaper (the department into which fees were paid for the sealing and enrolment of charters and other documents) of the Irish Chancery. It was noted in 1634 that the ministry in Elphin had totally changed and was dominated by English names, with just a scattering of Irish names. The five graduates from Trinity all bore English surnames, one of whom was William Newport. In the period 1711-14 John Newport, Dublin, was one of two speculators who purchased the whole housing stock in Co Tipperary's Carrick-on-Suir.
In 1790 the Newports were among the business community and the local landed gentry in Waterford, and it was from these that a committee was formed with the purpose of building a wooden toll bridge (to be known as "Timbertoes") linking Co Kilkenny with Waterford city in 1794, replacing the ferries of Granny and Ferrybank. Among the 11 committee members were Sir John Newport Esq., Newpark, Co Waterford (created a baronet in 1789) and Sir Simon Newport. The most influential families on the corporation of Waterford at the time of the campaign for the Act of Union were the Newports and the Alcocks.
When the Bank of Ireland expressed willingness in 1795 to accept a few Catholics on the board, some lawyers expressed the opinion that this would not accord with the 1793 relief Act. Sir John Newport tabled a motion to enter a declaratory clause giving the legislature a power of intervention in favour of Catholics. Again when the president of Carlow College asked the Protestant Bishop of Leighlin and Ferns for exemption from the window tax introduced in 1799, he was refused on the grounds that were he to do so it would not reconcile with his conscience to defraud the revenue. Sir John Newport introduced a clause into the Bill empowering the magistrates to grant a licence "and he got from them what the Bishop's conscience had not allowed him to grant". In 1812 Sir John introduced his population Bill for the purpose of ascertaining the population of Ireland. He deprecated any distinction being made in regard to religious adherence, which would be "ranging in hostile array those who being kindred in blood and nation differed only in religious creeds".
When Simon Newport made his will in 1818 at the age of 86, he was residing at Adelphi Terrace, Waterford. He then possessed estates and interest in lands of Bishopshall, Ballykilboy, Carrigloney, Farnoge and Rahard. "Whereas there is a considerable arrear of rent due to me out of the said lands of Newpark [Co Kilkenny?] by my son said Sir John Newport . . ."
He also had property in Michael Street, on the Quay, "and premises near demised to said Thomas Quan by name of Widow Cook's house, and premises in the lane called Roger's Lane. Greenrath is rendered Greyenrath in the 1654 Civil Survey, but the authenticated Irish for this is Fearann an Phaghanaigh, Pyne's land. Pyne was a reasonably numerous surname in the Co Tipperary barony of Iffa & Offa in the early decades of the 19th century.