Ardfinnan - Dermot O'Halley & Katherina Roch 162x Graveslab

By Author

I recently visited Ardfinnan graveyard in South Tipp in search of the possible resting place of a Hugh O’Mulrryan from the 1600s. I thought it would be unlikely that there would be any evidence of a gravestone. I knew there was also a graveslab from the 1600s so worst case I figured that would be of interest.

There was no evidence of the O’Mulryan burial there but I was satisfied based on the fragments and the O’Halley / Roche gravestab that this is most likely where he would have been buried.

 

Now to the O’Halley / Roche graveslab

By Author

It is recorded on archaeology.ie as follows

“In the SE corner of the graveyard, adjacent to the boundary wall, there is a large altar tomb. The upper slab commemorates Dermot O'Halley and has wife Katherina Roche/Rochester. The slab (dims. 2m x 1.17m; T 0.19m) is decorated with a large wheel-cross with fleur-de-lys terminals and a plain shaft which terminates in a calvary mount. Both sides of the shaft are decorated with plain heater-shaped shields. The perimeter of the slab bears the following latin inscription in plain raised lettering: 'Hic Jacet Dermicius O Halli Propria Cum Uxore Katherina Rocheecer Unt Fier Marmoris is Udopus Anno Domini 162?' (Farrelly and FitzPatrick, Field Report 1993).”

This translates roughly as

“'Here lies Dermicius, O Hall's own, with his wife Katherine Roche, who will be turned into marble in the year of our Lord 162?'?'

The 3^rd photogrammetry suggests the transcription on archaeology.ie is accurate.

By author 

https://skfb.ly/pKCMW

What archaeology.ie doesn’t mention is the more modern inscription on the restored sides of the table tomb (the sides date to this period I would say as well).

By Author

The following inscription is engraved (taken from the inscriptions record on the Tipperary Studies website https://tipperarystudies.ie/digitisation-project/gravestone-inscriptions/)

“Per varios casus, per tot discrimina rerum. Hoe Monumentum, Clade Cromeliensi dirutum, tandem restauratum est AB Eorum progenie, ADM Reverend O Dermitio O'Hally, Paracho De Dungarvan, In Comitatu Waterfordiensi, Anno 1874”

Thanks to google translate this can be translated as follows

“Through various accidents, through so many crises of events. This Monument, destroyed by the Cromwellian disaster, was finally restored by their descendants, ADM Reverend O Dermitio O'Hally, Of Dungarvan, In County Waterford, In the Year 1874.”

So it is obvious that Dermot O’Halley was well know locally, does anyone know any more about the history of the possible Reverend and his wife Katherina Roche?

 

Thanks to Dave Kidd who helped me with the 3d model as my own crappy laptop couldn’t process the file size. Dave runs a lovely Airbnb in Killea in Mid-Tipp https://www.airbnb.ie/rooms/29046206

 

1766 Census for Abington

1766 Census for Abington, Co. Limerick.xlsx

Ryans with more than one hearth in the Hearth Money Rolls

We nearly all know the story about the Fourcourts being burned down during the Civil War in 1922 and the priceless loss of records.

However in Tipperary we are extremely fortunate in that in 1911 Dr. Thomas Laffan made a copy of one such record that was destroyed in 1922 - known now as the Hearth Money Records - 1665-6-7.

It records a tax that was imposed on every fireplace in the country and was "payable by practically all the householders in the country. The exemptions, applicable only to the poorest of the people, were granted too freely which led to amending the Act of 1665. Copies of the rolls have been wholly or partially preserved for eleven counties in the north and east of the country and for Co. Sligo, but for the rest of Ireland there are none extant except those for Co. Tipperary". ( MacLysaght, North Munster Studies, 533).

Out of interest I have combed the Hearth Money Rolls to see which Ryans had more than one Hearth or fireplace and therefore were in theory wealthier, the idea being the wealthier you were, the more likely you were connected back to Chiefly line of the Ryan Clan. 

Pg 65

Thomas Ryan, Esq - Donaskeagh Townland 

Pg 141

Teige Ryan, Thurles Town. 

Probably part of Thurles Town? 

Pg 152

Richard Ryan, Cooleeny

Pg 165

Don Ryan, Lower Pallas (Glenkeen)? 

Pg 179

Thomas Ryan, Dolla

 
Pg 183

Bar. Ryan, Nenagh

Pg 189

Owen Ryan

Pg 113

Doctor Rian, Fethard

Pg 116

Mathew Rian, Clonebricke

Teige Rian, Cauteen

Pg 118

Dermod Ryan, ?

Pg 126

Giles Rian, ?

Pg 126

Thomas Ryan, Donaskeagh

Pg 158

Teige Ryan, Newtown

John Ryan, ?

Pg 159

Teige McConnor Rian, ?

Pg 161

Connor Rian, Commanealine?

Pg 162

Phillip Ryan

Pg 164

Thomas Ryan, Shevry

Pg 166

William Ryan, ?

Pg 78

John Mullraine

                                                                         Original research by author

All screenshots are from Laffans Hearth Money Rolls which is available to download for free here. 

https://www.askaboutireland.ie/reading-room/digital-book-collection/digital-books-by-county/tipperary/laffan-tipperarys-familie/

Fiddlers Rock, Glenafelly in Co. Offaly

By the author

A recent post about a stone chair in Co. Limerick made be recall a visit to Fiddlers Rock at Glenafelly in Co. Offaly.

I first read about this rock in John Feehan's book - The Landscape of Slieve Bloom. 

https://www.offalyhistory.com/shop/books/the-landscape-of-slieve-bloom

There isn't a whole pile of folklore that I am aware of regarding it other than than its association with a fiddler. 

It is marked on coillte's map for the Glenafelly loop walk.  

https://www.coillte.ie/site/glenafelly/

Stone chairs like this can often be linked to Gaelic inauguration practices, some are natural stones that are used, some have been worked by man to become more chair-like.  

By the author

It is described on archaeology.ie as follows 

"Large conglomerate glacial erratic almost rectangular in plan (H 1.3m; 1.7m x 0.6m) aligned NE/SW. Doubtful standing stone due to its location and shape and not marked on any editions of the OS 6-inch maps. According to Feehan (1979, 208-10) this standing stone known locally as the 'Fiddlers Rock' located in centre of possible enclosure (OF039-016001-) of which no surface trace survives"

Despite the description saying it wasn't marked on the old OS maps it actually was! 

From 1840s OS map

Ryans of Kilkenny and their link to the Butlers

I started off this article with the idea to review the various Books of Survey and Distribution to see if there were any "stray" Ryan landowners out there. 

From the Book of Survey and Distribution for Kilkenny - dated to circa 1680

These records show who owned the land in a particular area circa the mid 1600s and who was to receive the same lands after they had been confiscated by Cromwell. 

I had a look at the Carlow version of this document but there were no Ryans included in it which was unusual considering this was supposed to be the original home of the Ryans, however it appears that the Gaelic Kavanaghs and Anglo-Normans such as the Bagnals had taken much of their land prior to the 1600s. 

I then went on to review the Kilkenny Books here - not expecting to find much in those either. 

Books of Survey and Distribution: County Kilkenny: Gowran Barony - Virtual Treasury

I had reviewed all the books up to the last one - Gowran Barony. 

There I found a large number of Ryans in this barony which came as a bit of a surprise. In total they had a share in over 2700 acres in Kilkenny! Many of the Ryans seemed to share land with a Sr Edw. Butler. 

I had a look online to see if he might be famous enough to have an entry on the internet and yes there was an Sir Edw. Butler. 

He was the High Sheriffe of Kilkenny circa 1640 and also attended the Confederation of Kilkenny so would have been Catholic and considered a rebel. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Butler,_1st_Viscount_Galmoye

His father was James Butler - the 9th Earl of Ormond. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Butler,_9th_Earl_of_Ormond

Portrait of James Butler

By Hans Holbein the Younger - https://www.rct.uk/collection/912263/james-butler-later-9th-earl-of-ormond-and-2nd-earl-of-ossory-c-1496-1546, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6384506

What was interesting is that James Butler was known as "The Lame" or Bacach in Irish. 

Have a guess what the name of one of the Ryans was in the very first record I came across in the Book of Survey and Distribution? 

Teige Baccagh Ryan. 

From the Book of Survey and Distribution for Kilkenny - dated to circa 1680

Surely he must have been an illegimate son of this James Butler or perhaps Sr Edw Butler for him to have gotten the name "Baccagh" or lame also? 

It also called to mind a reference in O' Nolan - History of a People - pg 88

“In this way Sir Peter Carew, a knight from Devon, a descendent of the Carews who had been granted lands in Carlow in the 13th. century, now claimed his lands (some three hundred years later). The lands in question were mainly in Idrone and were in the possession of five septs of the Kavanaghs, namely the septs of Garryhill, Ballyloughan, Ballyloo, Polmonty and the Rower. Most of the lands were bounded by the Barrow, the Burren River and the Blackstairs mountains. The case was fully examined by the Chancellor, Lord Weston in 1568, who found that the Kavanaghs could offer no proof of title. Carew took up residence as an officer of the Crown, in Leighlin castle, for a short time and endeavoured to get possession of the disputed territories. However, instead of using coercion he tried to use diplomacy and persuasion, offering the Kavanaghs the option of continuing as tenants. This offer was apparently accepted though somewhat reluctantly.
Carew’s claim caused a rift between the Ryans and the Kavanaghs because the Ryans now discontinued paying their rents to the Kavanaghs and sought to pay them directly to Carew. One outcome of this dispute was the granting of Borris Idrone, formerly a Ryan stronghold, to Morgan McBrian Kavanagh, the descendent of Cahir McArt, in 1600. After this many of the Ryans move westwards into Tipperary which was under the protection of the Earl of Ormonde. (385)

So these Ryans in Kilkenny may have been the descendants of this incident? 

It also called to mind another link 

A high-status tomb at Fethard commemorating a Thomas Butler (son Edward Butler) and a Johanna Ryan. 

It is dated 1524 so over 100 years before the Book of Survey and Distribution but it still shows links between the Butlers and Ryans. 

From the Thesis - Medieval Graveslabs of Tipperary 1200-1600AD by Denise Sheehan - pers comm via email. 

Its inscription is said to say "Here lies Thomas, son of Edmund le Buttler and Johanna, daughter of Dermot O'Mulryan A.D. 1524". 

So this post is just the starting point on hopefully more research on the Ryans of Kilkenny.