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I have recently run into a contradiction in my research.  I've been looking in Brosna, where my great-grandfather Daniel Murphy is supposed to have come from.  However, a grandchild of his sister Elizabeth recently told me that he'd always understood that the family had come from Salleywood Crossroads, Castleisland, but I cannot seem to find any place that might match this description to even try to figure out whether this is a valid clue or red herring.  However, my own grandfather's sister did say that her father Daniel taught Irish dancing at a crossroads of some sort.  In trying to find any sort of placename involving crossroads in either the Sliabh Luachra or Castleisland areas, I came across something talking about Reanagowan Cross Roads where there used to be an old dance hall.  So now I'm thoroughly confused.  Either way, I cannot find anything about a Salleywood anywhere in the area.  Years ago I took a bit of Irish, and I'm interested in the Ogham/Ogam script and stones, so I know that "saille" or sally as it's anglicized, usually refers to willow trees.  I even did a small search for willow in connection with Castleisland and Brosna both, hoping to turn something up about Salleywood, but to no avail.

Any light that can be shed upon this mystery would be greatly appreciated!!

Thursday 27th Sep 2012, 06:29AM

Message Board Replies

  • Hi kimberly,

     

    I've forwarded your request to a volunteer for the Castleisland area who may be able to assist you.

     

    regards,

    genealogy support

     

    Friday 5th Oct 2012, 10:18AM
  • Hi, Joan -- thanks for taking a look at this.

    His parents were Mary (O) Connor and Daniel Murphy, his birth date was March 29, 1889 -- I am pretty sure that I have found the index for his baptismal certificate on the churchrecords.irishgenealogy.com site.  The list of his siblings that I've cobbled together between churchrecords.irishgenealogy.com for the children of a Mary Connor and Daniel Murphy of Brosna, the Irish Census of 1901, and the recollections of other family members in no particular order are as follows:

     

    Bridget (-) 
    Denis (-) 
    Elizabeth (-) 
    John (Sean) (-) 
    Joseph (-) 
    Matthew (-) 
    Timothy (-) 
    Patrick (1871-) 
    Ellen (Nell?) (1873-) 
    Catherine (Kate) (1876-) 
    Mary (1877-) 
    Nora (1885-) 
    Daniel Joseph (1889-1960) my great-grandfather
    Johanna (1891-) 
    Ann (Nancy) (1893-) 
     
     
    I've also recently found out from the grandchildren of his sister Elizabeth, that the O'Connors/Connors, his mother's family, owned a dairy farm and that his father, the elder Daniel Murphy, was a farmhand there, fell in love with their daughter Mary, and that they were displeased by this.  The story goes that Daniel Murphy and Mary Connor eloped and that the cook at the farm had to carry her down the stairs in the middle of the night because her shoes squeaked

    Thursday 15th Nov 2012, 06:05AM
  •  

    .My O'connors came from Gurrune Co Kerry long time before that family Gurrune is just up from a cross road

    I have been on Rootsweb Kerry list for more years than I can remember Just gone through all I have to find this emaily addresss and if you email     PeteScherm@aol.com

    This man's life hobby is maps of Ireland

    Very helpful just say Trish told you to ask did you know where this cross road is in Kerry Trish in Sydney

    Sunday 23rd Dec 2012, 02:56AM
  • Hi, Joan --

     

    Thanks so much for looking into this.  I had seen on the churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie site listing birthplaces for the children as Cnocaprichain, Cnocoguail, and Lavalla, also.  I recently got a copy of my great-grandfather Daniel Murphy's birth certificate, which lists him born in "Lahvalla" of Daniel Murphy and Mary Conners.

    And yes, I've seen the 1901 Census entry for the widower Daniel Murphy living in Brosna East with his children Nora, Daniel, and Hannah.  I have been in touch with descendants of Hannah, one of whom says there was some rumor, information, or belief that Daniel and Mary eloped to Marylebone in London, but that she has never actually been able to find any evidence of this.  She has also said that there were close ties between the Murphys in Brosna and Murphys just over the Cork border and that one of the Murphy cousins in Cork once told her that there was a war memorial in Charleville that supposedly listed some sons of the senior Daniel Murphy in Brosna among those commemorated for their efforts in the Irish War of Independence.  My grandfather Edward told me once that he supposedly had an uncle Sean Murphy that was supposedly hanged by the British that was commemorated by a statue somewhere.  His own older brother Jack died young in motorcycle crash during WWII, and so he cited these two cases to me of why no Murphy in our family should be named John or Sean because it was a "bad luck name" for us.  I always thought that perhaps the story of the uncle Sean having a statue commemorating him might be some sort of exaggeration, as my grandfather was at times given to telling tall tales, and he claimed the statue was in Shannon Airport, if I remember correctly, so I didn't give it much credence. Though it seems there may be at least some seed of truth in it as Johanna Murphy's descendant mentioned the bit about Murphys who would have been uncles to my grandfather being named on the memorial in Charleville, Co. Cork.

    A lady on Ancestry.com recently responded to a similar message I had left in multiple Irish message boards there:  "Hi just to possibly help you my Grandpa was John Murphy born 1894 and his father also called John my great grandfather.They were from a place called Ahane Cross which is in Brosna. Grandpa John wed Mary Sexton on 7.1.1922 at Brosna R.C.Church they lived in Brosna all their married life and had 10 kids my late father John 1928 and two other boys being Tom who lived in Charleville with wife Hannah and Denis who left Ireland and wed Wendy. My Great Great Grandparents were Nora Collins born around 1830 and again John Murphy they wed around 1860 Nora appears on the 1911 census still in Ahane Brosna husband John presumably died after their last child in about 1878.Their farm was in Ahane virtually by the Riordan Farm as my family were firm fixtures throughout it may be of use to you good luck Bridget Murphy born 1951 in London."

     

    ~Kimberly

     

    Saturday 5th Jan 2013, 01:24AM

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