Those old records, like the hearth tax, are the types of sources that we need. My latest are not quite so old but I did find a Thomas Halbert in Newcastle and two Cotters, one at a very interesting date of 1781.
Extracts from A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland by Samuel Lewis,
1837, freely made available online at
http://www.libraryireland.com/topog/.
NEWCASTLE, a parish, in the barony of NEWCASTLE, county of WICKLOW, and province of LEINSTER; containing, with the post-town of Newtown-Mount-Kennedy (which is separately described), 4517 inhabitants, of which number, 130 are in the two villages of Upper and Lower Newcastle.
Of the numerous other seats and villas, that add so much to the charms of this delightful district are .... Kilmullen, of
Thos. HALBERT, Esq.
*RATHNEW*, a parish and village, in the barony of NEWCASTLE, county of WICKLOW, and province of LEINSTER, at the junction of the roads from Dublin, Rathdrum, and Bray to Wicklow; containing, with the post-town of Ashford and village of Bolinalea (both separately described), 3718 inhabitants, of which number, 544 are in the village of Rathnew.
The principal seats are ..... and Coolawinney, of
R. COTTER, Esq. It is a rectory, in the diocese of Dublin and Glendalough, forming part of the union and corps of the prebend of Wicklow in the cathedral of St. Patrick, Dublin: the tithes amount to £377. 1. 6 1/2.
I think I have found elsewhere that this man's name was Richard Cotter. I don't think he was a churchman. It must have been an old rectory
[Found by Cara from records of Wicklow Gaol]
http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/irl-wicklow/2003-05/105324802615th May
1781On Wednesday evening, the 9th, prisoners in the upper gaol at Wicklow set
fire to their straw in the hopes of escaping from their confinement in the
confusion which would naturally be a consequence. In a few minutes the
volunteer company of Wicklow foresters were assembled and following the
sample of the officers Captain Foulkes and
Lieutenant COTTER at the risk of
their lives extinguished the flames, which has with alarming violence burst
out of the front windows, secured nine prisoners who were on the point of
escaping and safely lodged them in the lower gaol.
Bill