we are still thinking that george phillips is a connection to john kerr despite the age.
You seem to be determined to connect George Phillips to your family but the known details don't support this in any way.
Going back to that newspaper article-
"George is a member of the local Archaeological and Historical Society, and his fellow historian, Richard Brennan, draws my attention to the public house just behind us. ... A man called John Kerr, who took over the local bar after the McIvor family, was the first person in the village to have a car, and was the proud owner of one of the first Fords ever produced, and yes, it was black. His grandfather George Phillips was the second man in the village to get himself some wheels, only he had a big Austin 12."
"His grandfather George Phillips" is the grandfather of George that is speaking about the area not the grandfather of John Kerr who he mentioned earlier in the same paragraph.
As Shaun says, the dates don't match up. John Kerr (according to 1911 census was born c1855).
www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Londonderry/Glendermot/Ballyore/605273John Kerr's grandfather could have been born c1800 or even a little earlier which makes it virtually impossible for him to have been "the second man in the village to get himself some wheels, only he had a big Austin 12" (a car which began being manufactured in 1921).
