The first Commissioner of the Garda Siochana was Michael Joseph Staines, who was appointed on the 10th of March 1923.
Michael Joseph Staines was born in Newport on May 1st 1885. His father, Edward Staines, married Margaret McCann of Kiltarnet in Newport on the 9th of February in 1883.
When Michael and his brother Edward were still young the family left Newport and moved to Dublin. Michael involved himself in the Gaelic League and Sinn Fein. In 1913 he joined the Volunteers, and soon made his name as an able organizer. He attained the position of Staff Officer in the Dublin Brigade, and subsequently was made Quartermaster. ( Willie Sammon, Michael Staines, First Commisioner of the Garda Siochana, Back the Road Vol 3)

The O’Donels spent large amounts of money in the upkeep of their houses and also repairs to tenants houses. In 1843 £43 was spent on repairs to William Bland’s house in Clogher, £265 on repairs to Melcomb House and £80 on the demesne wall and nursery of Newport House. Improvements were also made to the wool store, Newport Hotel, the wall retaining the Shramore river and drainage was carried out on Nurse Joyce’s holding and in the townland of Kiltarnet. (Mullowney P.C.; THE EXPANSION AND DECLINE OF THE O’DONEL ESTATE NEWPORT, COUNTY MAYO 1785-1852. M.A. Thesis NUI Maynooth November 2002.)

In 1788 James Nixon was renting land in Burrishoole for £2 2s and in 1805 his rent in Burrishoole and Kiltarnet was £9 2s. In 1789 Claud Nixon was renting land in Inishower at £6 and was still renting this in 1805.( NLI, O’Donel Unindexed Papers 1805 rent roll) In 1819 another member of the family Thomas, who was a son of William, had entered the rent rolls and was renting more land in Kiltarnet at a rent of £4 the lease of which he had taken over from a family called Dira.( NLI, O’Donel Unindexed Papers 1819 rent roll) By 1824 John Nixon was having problems paying his rent and owed a total of £72 17s 6d. ( NLI, O’Donel Unindexed Papers 1824 rent roll)
There were five Nixons listed in the tithes applotments for the parish of Burrishoole, Huston in Barrackhill and Knocknadornogue, a Mr Nixon in Inishower, Thomas in Rosgibbleen and William in Kiltarnet. ( NA, Tithes Applotment, Parish of Burrishoole.)
In 1857 in Griffith’s Valuation there were five Nixons in the parish, William Nixon in Inishower, there was also a William having a house in Georges Street in Newport but this might be the same man. Claudius held land in Kilbride, Huston in Castlebar Road in the town of Newport and Anne in Kiltarnet. Anne Nixon was renting two small cottages valued at 5s each to Anne Burke and Catherine Murray and two acres of land and a house to Thomas McDonnell.( Griffiths Valuation of Tenements for the Union of Newport , County Mayo 1857, p66) By 1858 the Nixons had moved out of Kiltarnet. Sir Richard O’Donel drew up a lease for twenty one years with John Bole of Castlebar for all the land of ‘Kiltarnaght’ that had been occupied by Francis Nixon widower containing in total 29 acres for £16. ( NLI, PC263(2)/6)