Mick Murphy Family from Whitechurch, Cork Emigrates to Canada in 1881

My great-grandmother Mary Murphy was born in Whitechurch townland, Co. Cork, Barony of Cork, Munster Province in 1870. Her sister Ellen, [Nellie], was born there as well in 1868. Their brother Edmond was born there in 1866. In 2016, NLI microfilm of Blarney Parish Baptism Register uncovered a third daughter Margaret born in 1872. Their parents were Michael Murphy and Margaret Hassett. Michael might have been a cattle dealer.

However, as the Baptism Register records actual townland locations for other baptized persons, and as the register records only 'Whitechurch' for all the Murphy baptisms, it is not clear if the family was located in the village, [more properly 'crossroads'], of Whitechurch or the townland of Whitechurch, comprising some 533 acres and bounded by the townland of Ballinvarrig to the south, Farranastig to the west and Ryefield West to the north.

In 1881, Mary, Nellie Michael and Edmond emigrated from Queenstown, Co. Cork, [Cobh], to Quebec City, Canada aboard the S.S. Scandinavian along with their father Michael. They were married In Orillia, Ontario, Canada; Mary in April 1890 to William Heitzner, Udney, ON and Nellie in February 1889 to John Aloysius O'Connor, Pickering, ON. Michael and Edmond then returned to Ireland and we have lost track of the family in Ireland since then.

Mary Murphy died in Canada in Udney, Ontario in 1926 at age 56 but Nellie had a long life and died in Toronto in 1960 at 92. We can only guess that Edmond might have lived into his 80s and might have died in the 1950s.

My quest is to locate my relatives in Ireland where we visit every year, residing in south Kilkenny, my wife's relatives homeplace. We were in Whitechurch in September 2015, our 15th trip there.

One death record for an Edmond Murphy indicates a death in 1950 at age 87 and a home in the townland of Dromgarriff. Other possibilities are Gortdotia South and Ryefield West.

Try as we may, in many trips to the St. Patricks Church, Whitechurch cemetery, we have been unable to locate any obvious family headstones. Does anyone in the parish know of the current day relatives of Michael, Edmond or Margaret Murphy and where they live so that we can contact them on our next trip in September 2016?

Years ago, during our early family searches, we became friends of Father Tom Browne, PP., St. Patrick's Church, Whitechurch and his housekeeper, Breda Beirne but we lost that contact after Father Tom retired. We also spent some time with the John Buckley family, the publican at Whitechurch Cross.