Visiting Co. Kerry: local advice sought!

[Chris497]

Ggg-grandmother Charlotte Morphy (nee Gallwey) was born c1785 in Killarney and died in 1839 at Mount Prospect, Co. Kerry.

Do you have any information about the Morphy family that Charlotte married into.  We're interested in a Margaret Morphy, who married Cornelius Groves of Ballymacelligott, Co. Kerry in the late 19th Century.

Chris

[awormald]

I may be a bit late for you but I was in Ireland a few years ago and found Ballivariscal (Mountprospect)  There is a book called "Houses of Kerry" I think.  It has a diagram and a short history of the house.  It was in a local genealogical library in Sydney and you may be ble to track it down.  If not,  I can send a photo.
Aly

[RCF]

Hi Ros,

I read your post about Charlotte Murphy being your great grandmother.  I am researching this family at the moment.  I have come accross a will for John Morphy Killarney where he speaks about his son leaving for New South Wales.  I am going to attach it to this post.  I have never used this chat room service before so I am a little unsure about whether you will recieve this message and copy of will.  If you could get in contact with me I will let you know more about the gallwey/murphy/mahony connection

[Anthony MJ]

I'm not surprised that Mount Prospect couldn't be found.  It was built by the Morphy family in the 18th century, it was occupied by a Walter Morphy in Grffith's valuation about 1850 but now no trace remains.  If anyone wants to visit the site it was in the townland of Ballynamaunagh in the civil parish of Kilcummin on the Krnmare estate.  The Morphys were middlemen on the estate, that is to say they leased large areas from the head landlord (Earl of Kenmare) and then rented it out to smaller tnants.  Three sons of the John Morphy who lived in Mt. Prospect emigrated to NSW in the 1830's and married 3 Styles sisters when they got there.  One of my great grandmothers was a Catherine Gallwey, a niece of the Charlotte who married John Morphy.  The Gallweys were Agents of the Kenmare estate for 3 generations.  The Gallweys were Catholic and the Morphys Protestant but there don't seem to have been any hard feelins all round.  I suppose you could class them all as half-gentry.

[Anthony MJ]

Just a note on the above.  Griffith (1853) shows Mt.Prospect being vacant and in possesson of Dr Walter Murphy, one of the executors of John's will. (One of John's daughters had married Thadee Murphy of Killarney)   It is described as having a gate-lodge, stabling etc. clearly a Gentleman's residence.  Not a single Morphy in Ireland in the 1901 census or perhaps they had all been recorded as Murphys.  As for burials, the Gallweys are buried in Muckross Abbey, I presume Kilcummin for the Morphys.  Kilcummin is about 4 miles from Killarney on the Millstreet road.  If you have a large-scale map, look for the townland of Ballynamannagh

[piedstilt]

Hi Anthony,

I'm so sorry I never got back to you or the others about your useful and interesting information. It has been some time since I was on Rootschat. My wider family demonstrated little interest in all my discoveries and with earthquakes etc (Christchurch) I more or less dropped my research. Now I am all fired up again and planning (well, dreaming about) another trip to Ireland!

Many thanks,

Ros   

[jarchive]

Hello Ros

A few years have passed since you were looking for Mount Prospect, and you may by now be aware that there was a Mount Prospect in Killarney, associated with many names including Morphy.  There is a lengthy note about Mount Prospect Killarney and associated names in the book The Church of Ireland in Co Kerry a record of church & clergy in the nineteenth century (2011) pp349-358.

All the best.

Jarchive

[hallmark]

1762

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSN1-8YM2?i=63&cat=185720

 

[piedstilt]

Thanks so much for the link, Hallmark. It will take me some time to decipher the document, but it looks intriguing. And Jarchive – I'll follow up your reference and look forward to gleaning new information. Very grateful for your input too.

All the best,

Ros