Home

Histories Menu

        In the course of time, Dermod Mor, the great grandson of Dermod the first ruler of Ivagha, died in 1327. Before his death he had arranged that Rosbrin and 18 townlands at its foot should be given to his younger sons, Donal and Dermod Oge. But Finghin (or Fineen), his eldest son, refused to carry out this provision for his younger brothers, so they decided to leave Ivagha. Donal went to Barretts country, then subject to the MacCarthy Mor as overlord, where he obtained a grant of land, and Dermod to Desmond¹ where he received a hospitable welcome and a grant of land from MacCarthy Mor.

        He thus founded the "Sliochod Dermod Oge," or the Kerry Branch of the O’Mahony’s (or Mahonys as they are mostly called in that county) which forms the subject of this paper. Dermod Oge appears to have been the common ancestor of all the Kerry Mahonys. So states Sir Ross O'Connell in a note to "The Last Colonel of the Irish Brigade" (though strange to say he calls that Chieftain's father Lord of Kinelmeaky"). Canon O'Mahony seems to have held the same opinion. This is, however, a fact which the compilers of the various Mahony pedigrees (except that of the Kilmornas) published in "Burke's Landed Gentry" up to the present, have overlooked or not been aware of. At all events they make no reference to it.

        Dermod Og's descendents gradually acquired more possessions, and, in time, came to wield a good deal of power and influence. The sept survived the downfall, in the 17th century, of the parent septs of Ivagha and Kinelmeaky, and have had for several centuries a prosperous career, and have lived in good repute. In the Penal days it contributed a large number of officers, some of high distinction, to the Irish Brigades in the French and Spanish services. Even at the present day it maintains a good position, though its numbers have considerably dwindled away, and during the past few years have no less than three of its branches have become extinct in the male line.

        The principle Kerry branches are those of Dunloe, Dromore, Castlequin, Cullina and Kilmorna, though the first, second and fourth are now represented only in the female line. Amongst branches wholly extinct we may mention those of Cappanagrown and Valencia.

        Dermod Og must have left Ivagha in 1327 or soon afterwards. It is known that he was alive in Desmond in 1355, but there is no record showing the date of his death. His only son Seán (or John) married the daughter of Aodh O'Conbnell,² and had a son Dermod, who was alive in 1442, and married Sabia, daughter of O'Sullivan Mór of Dunkeron. He had two sons, Conchobar (or Conor) and Donal. Conor appears, from a document of 1471, to have been then living, and to have married a daughter of Geoffrey O’Donoghue, grand-daughter of a former MacCarthy Mor.

        His son was Tadg, or Teig, a notable member of the family, who was known as Teig Mergach.³ He was Seneschal of Desmond under the Earl of that name, and was one of the Irish chieftains who, in 1536, signed with Lord Deputy Grey a treaty of peace and submission, renewing their engagements to the English Government. Amongst others who signed that treaty was Donal-an-Dromin MacCarthy Mor, Prince of Desmond. O'Hart says that he then delivered into the Lord Deputy's hands, as hostages for future fealty, "Teig and Dermod O'Mahony, his kinsmen." Could those have been Teig Mergach and his eldest son Dermod? It is not clear, however, how they were kinsmen of MacCarthy Mor, but they may have been. Teig Mergach was the ancestor of most if not all of the Kerry Mahonys. He married Honora, daughter of Dermod O'Sullivan Beare, by Lady Eleanor DFitzgerald, daughter of Gerald Earl of Kildare, and left eight sons, namely: (1) Dermod, (2) Conor, (3) Donal, (4) Fineen, (5) Maolmuadh, (6) Eoghan, (7) Donogh, and (8) Seán.

        Dermod, the eldest son died before 1588. Conor, the second son, died in 1578, according to an Inquisition held in 1626, which declares that Cnogher MacTeig Mergeach was seized as of Fee of the Plowland of Ballyaher,⁴ and that John was his son and heir, and was of full age.

        Donal, the third son, was called "Donal-na-Tiobraide," from the property he held in the Tubrid,⁵ a district of Iveragh. By reason of the death of his two elder brothers he had become head of the Kerry Branch in or before 1588. In that year he is referred to in a State Paper under the name of "Donal Mac Tybert "as head of the popular sept called the "Mergies" (recte O’Mahony Mergeach), the chief officer of the MacCarthy Mor’s territory, and the foster-father of the "young ladye" (Ellen, daughter of the Earl of Clancar) who soon afterwards married Florence MacCarthy." Her marriage, though opposed by the English Government, was, according to Sir Warham St. Leger, favoured and abetted by certain parties, amongst whom he mentions O’Sullivan Mor, Seneschal of Desmond, MacFinnin (Lords of lesser countries) and Donal na Tubride, head of the O’Mahony Mergeaches. A few weeks later, on the 1st July, 1588, when the dreaded marriage had taken place, Sir Thomas Norreys, the President of Munster, wrote to say that he had apprehended the Countess of Clancar, MacFinnin and Teig Mergach—meaning no doubt his son Donal, as Teig himself died in 1565—as being privy to the practice. In the book of the Survey and Distribution we find that one of Donal’s grandsons named Cnogher, with Donal Oge Carthy of Dunguil, had, in Iveragh, 1596 acres between them, which they lost by confiscation. Several of Donal-na-Tubrid’s grandsons were living in 1680. From one of them descended Bartholomew O’Mahony (of whom further on), and his uncle, Dr. O’Mahony, "Medicin du Roi" (temp Louis XV), and a great benefactor of his exiled countrymen. Their family had settled in Knockavola in Co. Kerry.

         Finin, the 4th son of Teig Meirgeach, had four sons. Of these Dermod and Conor "went to Spain with all their families." John, who remained in Kerry, had a son known as James the "Provincial."

         Maolmuadh, the 5th son, and Eoghan the 6th, went to Spain with all their families. Eoghan, however, appears to have been a man with a history. He was an intimate friend of Florence MacCarthy, son-in-law of the Earl of Clancar, and it was to his house in Kerry that Florence sent his eldest son, when George Carew was looking out for the boy to retain him as a hostage. From the "Pacata Hibernia" it appears that Florence was about to yield to Carew’s importunity to produce him, and wrote to Eoghan to bring him to Cork, but subsequently countermanded this order, on getting an encouraging message from O’Neill, and directed Eoghan to convey the boy back to Desmond. Eoghan joined O’Neill, and in consequence was reported to the Government as a "notorious rebel" by one Teig Hurley, in a lengthy affidavit which he made on the subject of Florence MacCarthy's "Treasons and Intentions" on the 27th March, 1617. He states that Eoghan, despairing of pardon, had fled into Spain with O'Sullivan Beare "where being entertained into the King's service he was made his prisoner."⁶ He then goes on to say that Eoghan (probably after his return from Spain) came into London, and two or three times visited Florence in the Marshalsea, and at the end of a "sennight or thereabouts," leaving a son of his with Florence, he managed to obtain a pass from the Custom House and "went for the Low Countries." Teig Hurley adds that the son whom he left with Florence Mccarthy died "a quarter of a year" afterwards of the "plague." Tghese facts go to show that Eoghan Mac Teig must have been a man of energy and enterprise.

        Donogh, then 7th son of Teig Meirgeach, is stated to have had two sons:—Conor, who went to the Low Countries, and Kean, who became the ancestor of the Mahonys of Brosna-Kilmorna. An Exchequer Bill of 1709 speaks of kean's grandson, "Cornelius Mahony, gent," as settled in Brosna in 1699. This was the first of the O'mahony families who settled outside the MacCarthy Mor's portion of Kerry. Pierce Mahony of Woodlawn nad Kilmorna (b. 1792, d. 1853) M.P. for Limerick and Kinsale, purchased Kilmorna and Gunsboro from Robert Gun-Cunningham, D.L., about 1840. Then his eldest son married the daughter of the vendor. When their son, George Philip Gun Mahony, D.L., died in 1912, he left Kilmorna, &c., to his half-sister, Mrs. de Janasz, who is the present owner of the property. His younger brother, Pierce Charles de Lacy, J.P., D.L., assumed the title of "The mahony of Kerry" in 1812.

        Seán (John) the 8th son of Teg, was the ancestor of the families of: (1) Dunloe, (2) Dromore and (3) Dromadisert. As regarding these families we have more information than of the rest, we propoase to deal with them in the first instance.

        Seán, the 8th son of Teig Meirgeach, who is said to have married a daughter of Lord Muskerry (which Lord Muskerry  we are not informed), had two sons:--Donchad (Donogh or Denis) and Sean Og. The elder is said to have married a daughter of the Lord of Coshmang, and had a son John, who became known as "John of Dunloe." He married firstly Honora, daughter of Maurice O’Connell of Cahirbarnagh, by whom he had two sons, Donogh or Denis the founder of that of Dunloe.⁷ He married secondly Gillen, daughter of Dunloe, then passed to him. For his elder son Denis the Dromore Estate was acquired in 1686, and the latter became the founder of the Dromore line. By his second wife John Mahony had three sons, John, James, and Philip.

        The Castle of Dunloe was built by the Fitzgeralds in 1215, and afterwards came into possession of the O’Sullivans. It was, until the Desmond rebellion, one of the chief fortresses of the latter, but was then razed by Ormonde, who left standing only the north, west, and south walls of a flanking tower. O’Sullivan then removed to Dunkerron, where in 1595 he built the Castle, of which the ruins now remain. Some 70 years afterwards Dunloe passed to John Mahony, on his marriage to his second wife Gillian, daughter of a subsequent O’Sullivan. It is even said that Mahony had leased it from O’Sullivan before the marriage. Anyhow he rendered the castle habitable by building an east wall in place of that leveled by Ormonde, and thus the Castle stands to this day, the 17th century wall being easily distinguishable from those built four centuries earlier, which are of immense thickness.

        John Mahony died in 1706. His second son, Daniel, inherited the estate and castle of Dunloe. He appears to have been a very remarkable personage, with exceptional force of character. He greatly extended his possessions by following a course initiated by his father, of obtaining middle interests from the new landed proprietors, who had got large grants of confiscated estates, and who, being mostly English and absentees, were ready to lease their lands on easy terms. He took the lands as Trustee for a number of his neighbours, to each of whom he made a sub-lease, and in this way got an interest in an enormous tract of country, for which he paid head rents amounting in the aggregate to about £1500 a year, equivalent to about three times that amount at the present day.

        Daniel Mahony, by reason of the fact that he had constantly to be travelling about the country for the collection of his rents, applied to the Lords Justices and Council of Ireland for permission to carry arms for his protection, as he ran the risk of being robbed by Tories and Rapparees, who continually scoured the country, and knew that he frequently carried about with him, large sums of money. Having obtained permission, he, under shelter of this personal concession, armed his numerous retainers, He used every stratagem to defeat the provisions of an Act, passed in 1665 imposing on "Innocent Papists" restored to their estates quit rent, from which they had been previously exempted. Donogh McSweeny, an ancient proprietor, having been dispossessed by one Maurice Kennedy, a quit rent collector, a whisper of this went forth to Daniel Mahony, who thereupon brought all his power to bear upon Kennedy. The result was that the latter got a petition drawn up to the Privy Council in Dublin purporting to come “ from an unknown friend.” This remarkable document was of great length, and contained a series of allegations against Daniel Mahony, which we may summarise as follows:―

                That Daniel Mahony, being tenant various Iandlords over a large tract of country in the Baronies of Dunkerron, Iveragh, and Maganihy, mostly inhabited by Papists, had for seven or eight years, "contrived a way to make himself great an dreadful in this country, wheresoever he or those under him had any disgust or animosity."

                That his tenants, numbering about 4,000, all Papists, assemble in great numbers at night, "smocked, with their faces blackened" so as to escape recognition, and "give an onsett in the nature of Fairesses"⁸ going where directed by Mahony; being known as his "Fairesses," and ready on all occasions, day or night, to "answer his expectations."

            That, in consequence of this, none dare execute any judicial orders against them, or Mahony himself, and hearth-money collectors and other civil officers are in danger of their lives.

            That he, Mahony, conceals between himself and his adherents £100 per annum of land.

            That he lives in his Castle of Dunloe "well-fortified and the strongest hold in the county except Rosse Castle."

        This extraordinary document winds up by a suggestion that a foot company be ordered to garrison the said Castle in order to "civilise the said Mahony and his mobb of Fairesses."

        No notice being taken of this petition, Maurice Kennedy had to dare all hazards, and lay one signed by himself openly before the Privy Council, backed by sworn information given before a magistrate. There is nothing to show, however, that this appeal had any more effect than the former anonymous one.

        The immense power that Daniel Mahony wielded, at a time when the Penal Laws were in full operation, seems to have made a deep impression on Mr. Froude, the historian, who speaks of him as "the great and terrible papist who ruled South Kerry with his 4,000 followers." As he observes, the Viceroy might be supreme in Dublin Castle, but Daniel Mahony was sovereign in Kerry. It is hardly necessary to say that a Dublin Lord Lieutenant in 1717 was no match for Daniel and his Four Thousand. And in all probability the Government desired to hear as little as they might about administrative weakness.

        Daniel died in 1747. In a note in "The Lat Colonel of the Irish Brigade" Sir Ross O'Connell quoting apparently from Froude, states that he left, with other issue, a daughter to whom "as the only person in the Barony worthy to wear them" he bequeathed his velvet breeches. Sir Ross adds that "this daughter was the wife of Donal O'Donoghue Duhv, and the mother of Maur-ni-Dhuv, Count O'Connell's mother." I see no reason to doubt that such a bequest may have been made, but as it appears from the record of the Bill of Discovery already quoted that Daniel Mahony's first marriage took place in 1704, he could not possibly have been the grandfather of Maur-ni-Dhuv, who married in or before 1725.

        We now give the genealogy of the Dunloe family up to the present date:―

         On the other hand, in the edition of Burke's "Landed Gentry" for 1875, under the head of "Mahony of Castlequin," the lineage of that family runs as follows:―"The Mahonys of Castlequin are descended from Kean, the son of Kean O'Mahony of Kinalmeaky, Chief of Carbery, who forfeited his possessions in the reign of Elizabeth, on suspicion of being implicated in O'Neill's rebellion. He removed into Kerry with his seven sons, from one of whom, Denis, are descended the families of Dromore and Dunloe. The families of Upper and Lower Cullina spring from Florence, the second son of Kean, the great-great-grandfather of the late Kean Mahony, of Cullina, who died 11th September, 1862."

        It will be seen that this lineage is quite inconsistent with the later theory first mentioned, according to which the branches of Dromore, Dunloe and Castlequin, instead of having a common ancestor living in Queen Elizabeth's time, would have to go back some two and a-half centuries to find one in the person of Dermod Mór O’Mahony, who died in 1327! Now it is certain that in the 16th century Teig Mergach Mahony was seated in Kerry, and that he had eight sons, one of whom was the ancestor of the Dromore and Dunloe branches. Could it be that the compiler of the lineage of 1875 had in his mind these eight brothers, and somehow was erroneously led to think that their father had only recently come to Kerry, instead of being the descendant of one who had settled there in the 14th century?

        Myles Mahony of Dromin, the earliest of the Castlequin family of whom we have any authentic information, in his will, made in 1726, after disposing of the various portions of his estate, appoints his "cousin Daniel Mahony of Dunloe" as one or the persons who should settle any disputes arising between his (testator's) wife and children. Had their common ancestor been Teig Mergach, one might understand the use of the word "cousin"; but it would be rather surprising in the case of persons whose common ancestor lived some 400 years previously!

        There is also a notice of the Castlequin family in Burkes "Landed Gentry" for the year 1844. It is merely a general statement that the head branch of the Mahonys resided formerly in West Carbery, and owned many castles there, and that in more ancient times they possessed some portion of the modern barony of Muskerry.

        Miss Cusack, in her "History of Kerry," says they are sprung from Kean O'Mahony of Kinalmeaky, who forfeited his lands in Elizabeth's time for taking part in the Desmond rebellion and removed to Kerry. O’Hart's account is similar, except that he calls the dispossessed chieftain Conor instead of Kean O'Mahony.

        Most of these accounts go to show that the branches in question have sprung from the Kinalmeaky sept, whilst according to the more recent theory, they descend from the Rosbrin sub-branch of the Ivagha sept. Further, we may state that no persons bearing the Christian names mentioned in these various accounts can be traced amongst the dispossessed chieftains or their immediate offspring, as given by Canon O'Mahony.

        It has been suggested to the present writer by a gentleman well informed in these matters that the Castlequins and Cullinas may be descended from Teig Mergach's fourth son, Fineen. This Fineen (or Florence) had a Maolmuadh (or Myles), who had three grandsons, Shane, Fineen, and Maolmuadh.⁹ The suggestion is that the third of these may have been the Myles Mahony of Dromin (sometimes called Tinnehalla) already mentioned, and is apparently based solely or principally on the fact that the two names "Myles" and "Florence" which so frequently recur in those two families are also found amongst the descendants of Teig Mergach’s fourth son. This, however, is not very much to go on.

        It is possible that the claim now set up of the descent of the Castlequins and Cullinas from Fineen, the eldest son of Dermod Mor, may have been the result of research, and that the compiler had some documentary or other evidence to go on, of which we are not in possession; but in the absence of such evidence we may at least say there is a good deal of uncertainty on the point.

        But whatever doubts may exist as to their earlier genealogy, we think there can he none from the time of Myles Mahony of Dromin downwards. We now proceed to give the pedigree of him and his descendants.

        MYLES MAHONY, of Dromin (will dated 9th January; 1726), had at least four sons:―

        KEAN, eldest son of Myles, md. Miss O'Sullivan Beare, and had a son Myles, who md. Alice, dau. of John O'Connell of Darrynane, and had:―

        KEAN, son of Myles Mahony, md. Johanna, dau. of Donogh McCarthy Garaloch, and had:―

        MYLES, eldest son of Kean Mahony, md. in 1788. Mary, dau. of Charles Geoffrey O'Connell, of Portmagee, and had a son, Kean Mahony, B. L., who md. Mary Anne, dau. of Daniel Duggan Cronin of the Park, Killarney, and had―

        FLORENCE, 2nd son of Myles Mahony of Dromin, md. his cousin, Miss Mahony of Dingle. He made his will in 1751, and left two sons:―

        The second son, KEAN, md. his cousin Mary Mahony of Castlequin, and had―

        DANIEL, 3rd son of Kean, md. his cousin, Gobinet, of Castlequin, and had―

        JOHN, 3rd son of Daniel, md. Frances, dau. of Charles Sughrue of Fermoyle, and had―

        KEAN was father of David and John. The older son, David, had a son Cornelius, who was father of David, of Derra Brosna. David's son, Cornelius (4th in descent from Kean), md. twice. By his first wife he was the ancestor or of the Mahonys of Batterfield, to whom we shall refer later on. By his second wife, Mary, dau. of Gerald Fitzgerald, Knight of Glynn, he had, besides a dau. Ellen, who md. Daniel Duggan, of Knocknaseed, a son,

        DAVID MAHONY, of the Castle, Newcastle, Co. Limerick, who md. Catherine, dau. of Pierce de Lacy, a General in the service of King James II, by Annabella, dau. of Robert Goold, of Knocksaun, Co. Cork, and had issue :―I. Cornelius, d.s.p.  II. Pierce.

        The second son, PEIRCE MAHONY, of the Castle, Newcastle, and of Woodlawn, Co. Kerry, J.P. Cos. Kerry and Limerick, b. 1750, md. Catherine, dau. of Bryan Sheehy, of Gardenland, Co. Limerick, by whom he had issue:―

        Mr. Peirce Mahony md. 2ndly, 21st Feb., 1792, Anna Maria, dau. of John Maunsell, of Ballybrood House, Co. Limerick, and by this marriage had issue:―

        Peirce Mahony d. 1819, and was succeeded by his eldest son,

II. Maria, md. 1844, Lt.-Col. Francis W, Johnstone. He d. 9th Aug., 1888, She d. 24th May, 1901, leaving issue:―

        Peirce Mahony d. Feb. 1853. He was succeeded by his eldest son,

        PEIRCE K. MAHONY, of Kilmorna and Gunsboro, High Sheriff, 1844, b. 1814, md. 1839, Jane, dau. of Robert Gun Cunningham, D.L., of Mount Kennedy, Co. Wicklow, and had issue:―

II. George Philip Gun, b. 1842, succeeded his grandfather, 1853, was High Sheriff 1876, d. unmd. 14th Sept., 1912.

COUNT DANIEL O'MAHONY

        Amongst the many notable members of the Mahony Clan there is none, at least in modern times, who has attained so much distinction as Daniel "Ie brave O'Mahony," the Hero of Cremona, who died a Count of Spain, General, and Commander of St. lago. His ancestry is rather uncertain. While in Dalton's "King James' Army List" ghe is referred to as "of Rosbrin," in Burke's "Landed Gentry" and in a note by Sir Ross O'Connell in "The Last Colonel of the Irish Brigade" (Vol. I, p. 51) it seems to be suggested, or assumed though not expressly stated that he belonged to the Dunloe-Dromore line. The late Canon O'Mahony in his "History of the O'Mahony sept" states that Count Daniel was descended from Donal, a brother of Teig Mergeach, the head of the Kerry Branch in the 16th century. The Canon gives as his authority for this statement, a pedigree of the Herald's office made out in 1712 for John, a son of Coh Dermod, a captain in the Army of the Low Countries. If he is right we may claim the Count as a Kerryman, and he and John of Dunloe who died in 1706 would have been related to one another as something like third cousins. We must, however, mention that in a MS. book of Mahony Pedigrees, kept at Dromore Castle, which we had the advantage of perusing some years ago, we found a special pedigree of Count Daniel, wherein his descent is traced down from Finghin, a brother of Dermod Spaineach, Lord of KinaImeaky (circa 1450). Further on we give a copy of this pedigree for what it may be deemed worth, with a continuation of it up to the present time.¹⁰

        Daniel O'Mahony appears to have originally joined the French-Irish Brigade, and was an officer in Dillon's regiment. Even before his great achievement at Cremona he had earned a fighting reputation in the Wars of the Low Countries and was at Landen in 1693 when Patrick Sarsfield was slain. We shall now proceed to give at some length an account of that obstinate combat, and the important part taken in it by our hero.

        We will premise it by recalling the fact that the opening years of the 18th century were marked by the war of the Spanish succession, when France with the Spanish following on Philip of Anjou who claimed the throne of Spain was arrayed against England, Germany, Austria, Portugal, and the Spanish faction which refused to accept Philip as king.

        At the time we speak of, Cremona was the headquarters of the Marquis de Villeroi, then in command of the French and Spanish Forces. Situated on the left of the Po, it was strongly fortified by a wall pierced by five gates, one of which, leading to a bridge of boats over the river, was known as the "Po gate." Under the Marquis de Villeroi were, amongst others, Count de Revel, Marquis de Praslin, &c. The garrison consisted of 4000 men, all French, except the two battalions of Colonels Arthur Dillon and Walter Bourke, which made up in all no more than about 600 men, As the capture of such an important place, with its garrison, military stores, and so many of the principal officers of the Confederate forces, would enable Prince Eugene of Savoy, who commanded the Austrian forces, to drive the French and Spaniards out of Italy, he gave his particular attention, during the winter of 1701-2, to forming plans for the surprise of the town which, from what he had heard of the general laxity of things in the garrison, he had every hope of effecting. Marshal Villeroi, though personally brave, was not a good tactician, and no necessary precautions were taken, by those under him, to guard against a surprise.

        At that time there was, in Prince Eugene's army, a native of Cremona named Antonio Cozzoli, whose family were partisans of the House of Austria. His brother was a priest in Cremona, whose church and residence stood near a sewer for carrying off the foul water and other impurities or the town into the trenches surrounding the walls. At the entrance to this sewer was a grating, which, if removed, would allow of the entrance of the Austrian troops into the town. Gozzoli, tempted by the promise of a heavy reward, offered to facilitate this, and applied to the Governor of the town, Don Diego de la Concha, to have the grating removed, on the pretext of getting the sewer cleared of impurities. This was done, and Eugene then commenced slipping into the town by degrees a number of experienced officers, with a considerable number of picked men, to pave the way for the entrance of a large force. When everything was in train, Prince Eugene started, on the night of [Tuesday] the 31st January, 1702, from a place some 18 miles distant, with a force of between 5,000 and 6,000 men, all of whom, by daylight next morning, he had got into the town. Before any alarm could he raised, the Austrians were in possession of the leading positions of the place. In the first. skirmish, between the French and the Austrians, Marshal Villeroi was wounded and taken prisoner, and would have been killed but for the intervention of Captain Francis McDonnell, an Irishman in the Austrian Service, who saw that he was comfortably cared for.

        The Irish were the first to offer effective resistance to the Austrian troops. When the Baron de Mercy, an Austrian officer, attempted to master the Po gate, so as to leave it open for the second corps of Austrian troops, under the command of the Prince de Vaudemont, he was foiled by a small body of some 35 Irishmen, led by a captain whose name is not recorded, who were too quick for De Mercy, and succeeded in shutting if in time. This handful of men (who indeed were the only Irish troops ready for action when the Austrians surprised the town) with incredible valour, and protected by their barrier before the Po gate, succeeded in holding out against the enemy, until the arrival of the two, Irish Battalions of Bourke and Dillon, the former led by Lieut.­Colonel, Wauchope, and the latter by Major Daniel O'Mahony¹¹ in the absence of Colonel Lally. These two battalions received De Mercy's Infantry, who advanced against them supported by a detachment of Cuirassiers with such a galling fire, and charged them with such fury, that they had to fall back. About this time Prince Vaudemont's Corps of 5,000 Austrians were seen approaching, but their commandant seeing how matters stood, gave orders to them to halt preparatory to a regular attack.

         Meanwhile, Prince Eugene, hearing of this defeat, determined to try if the Irish were as proof against gold as against steel, and despatched to them one of their own countrymen, namely Capt. Francis McDonnell, who had treated Marshal de Villeroi with such consideration on his capture. McDonnell, on arriving at the Po gate, made an ardent appeal to his countrymen, whom he exhorted to change sides and join the Austrians, promising them higher pay, and offering various other inducements. These offers were sternly rejected by O'Mahony, who there and then caused McDonnell to be arrested as a "suborner."

         Our space does not allow of our recounting all the achievements of O'Mahony and his brave countrymen on that, eventful day.

        We shall, however, mention one dramatic episode.

         After this O'Mahony took on himself the responsibility of returning to the Po gate, and, in doing so, acted well, as a fresh body of Austrians had arrived. Stationing himself by the battery, he played the artillery at the building occupied by the enemy, and swept their troops away whenever they showed themselves. It was not, however, until about 3 p.m., after the destruction of the Bridge of Boats over the Po, that Cremona was finally secured on that side. The achievements of the Irish on this memorable day were concluded by the remainder of the troops at the Po gate at last fulfilling the order to penetrate to the gate of Mantua. And though so much weakened by fatigue, fasting, and wounds, the few surviving effective Irish troops followed the retiring enemy beyond it.

         Eugene's contest with the French at St. Margaret's gate was maintained till a late hour, but ultimately, after a contest which had raged in various parts of the town for some eleven hours, the fate of Cremona was decided about 6 p.m. by his having to abandon that stronghold "taken," as it was said, "by a miracle, and lost by a still greater one!"

         The conflict during the whole day seems to have been of a most obstinate nature. According to the most probable accounts the losses on Prince Eugene's side came up to 1,500 or 1,600 men, of whom 1,200 were killed or wounded. Of the French and Irish infantry, there was a loss of 1,429 men and officers. Of these the Irish alone lost 350―a large proportion out of 600 men!"

         There can he little doubt that Prince Eugene would have carried the town but for Mahony's vigilance. The Count de Revel was convinced that it was to the obstinate courage of the Irish, in defence of the Po gate, that the preservation of Cremona was maintained, and appointed as their own most distinguished representative, Major O'Mahony, to carry the despatches to Paris. St. Simon, who knew the Major, describes in his " Memoirs" the excitement caused by the news at Marly on [Thursday] the 9th February, 1702. He was in the antechamber, which was crowded with courtiers, whilst Mahony was closeted with the King for over an hour. On coming out, the King declared he had never heard so good an account of a military event, told as it was with great dearness, and an agreeable manner. lt is said that, during Mahony's interview with the King, the latter said to him: "You tell me about the French, but say nothing about my brave Irish!" "Sire," rejoined the Major, "nous avons suivis leur rapidité guerrière." Louis rewarded him with a brevet as Colonel, and a pension of 1,000 livres, besides a present of 1,000 Louis d'or by way of defraying the expenses of his journey.

         The rest of Mahony's career was spent in Spain, he having, by desire of Louis XIV, entered the service of the King's grandson, Philip V, with the Tank of Brigadier­General. Philip, for his signal services, appointed him, in 1705 Major-General, and in 1706 Military Governor of Carthagena, and soon afterwards Lieut.-General.

        At the battle of Almanza on [Monday] the 25th of April, 1707, where the French Army was commanded by the Duke of Berwick, a son of King James II, and the English by Ruvigny, a French refugee, created Earl of Galway, the French cavalry, including the Irish Dragoons, were led by Count Daniel O'Mahony, whose skill and bravery contributed in no small degree to the annihilation of the Allied Forces. The victory decisively paved the way to the ultimate establishment of Philip V on the Spanish throne. Referring to O'Mahony's action in that important engagement, his contemporary, the Chevalier de Bellerive, the French Military Historian relates that "he performed at the head of his Irish Regiment of Dragoons astonishing actions." In the campaign of 1710 he was made a Count of Castile. At the close of that year, at the battle of Villa Viciosa, where Philip V was present, the King was so pleased with the part which he took in bringing about that great victory, that he appointed him a Commander of the Military Order of St. Iago, with an annual revenue of 15,000 Louis.

        The Chevalier de Bellerive already referred to summed up his career as follows:―"His whole life has been a continual chain of dangerous combats, bold attacks, and honourable retreats." Count O'Mahony died at Ocana, in Spain, in January, 1714.

         He married, firstly, Cecilia, daughter of George Weld of Lulworth Castle, Dorsetshire, by whom he had two sons:―James and Demetrius (Dermod), neither of whom left male descendants. He married, secondly, Charlotte Bulkeley, widow of the fifth Lord Clare, by whom, apparently, he left no issue. His elder son, James Joseph, was born in 1699, his sponsor at baptism being James Francis Edward Stuart, known as the "Old Pretender." He inherited his father's title of Count of Castile, rose to the rank of Colonel in the Spanish Army, and of Lieutenant-Colonel in the Neapolitan Army, then under Spain. He died in 1757. He married Lady Anne Clifford, and his only child, Cecilia, married Prince Giustiniani, fourth in descent from whom, in the female line, comes Charles Giustiniani-Bandini, the present Earl of Newburgh, born 1862, as will be seen from the pedigree which follows.

         Demetrius O’Mahony, second son of Count Daniel, succeeded to his brother's title of Count. He had risen to the rank of Brigadier-General in the Spanish Army. About 1760 he was appointed Ambassador of Spain to the Court of Vienna. The following extracts, from the Annual Register for 1766, testifies to his attachment to the land of his fathers and aIl belonging to it:―"On the 17th of this month, His Excellency, Count O'Mahony, Ambassador from Spain to the Court of Vienna, gave a grand entertainment in honour of St. Patrick, to which were invited all persons of condition, that were of Irish descent, being himself a descendant of an illustrious family of that Kingdom. Among many others were present Count Lacy, President of the Council of War; the Generals O'Donnell, McGuire, O'Kelly, Brown, Plunkett, and McElligott; four Chiefs of the Grand Cross, two Governors, several Knights Military, and six Staff Officers, four Privy Councillors with the principal Officers of State, who, to show their respect for the Irish Nation, wore Crosses in honour of the day, as did the entire Court."

         Bartholomew Mahony, Knight of Malta, was born 3rd January, 1749; Captain in Berwick's Regiment, 23rd January, 1771; Second Colonel in Walsh's, 1778; Mestre de Camp and Second in Berwicks, 1st Jan., 1784; Second Colonel from 21st October, 1781 to 1791; Knight of St. Louis, 19th Aug., 1781; Lieut.-General Commander of the Order of St. Louis, 23rd Aug., 1814. He died in 1819. Count Bartholomew had to give up his benefice as Knight of Malta on his marriage, but it seems to have been regranted to his son, who died in 1795.

        The above pedigree has been drawn up from one quoted in one of a series of papers on the "Conway" family by Miss Hickson, published some years ago in the "Kerry Evening Post." The lady whose ancestry it shows is said to have been a noted belle in her day, and to have been married three times. Her first husband was Cornelius McGillicuddy of Gortnascarry, by whom she had a son, and a daughter Ellen, who was great-grandmother of Howard S. Harrington, LL.B., of New York. On the death of her husband, she married secondly Kean Mahony of Valencia. There was no issue of this marriage. Thirdly she married Edward Conway, son of Thomas Conway of Cloghane, by Anne Fitzgerald, and had two sons:―Thomas, Secretary to Lord Cornwallis, who died in 1824, and James, Colonel of the 53rd Regiment―and grand-father of the late Sir Peter Halkett-Bart.¹²

        Amongst other Mahony families, now extinct, was that of Cappanagrown in the parish of Dromod and barony of Iveragh. Our information about this family, unfortunately, does not go very far back. Kean Mahony, in his will dated 31st December, 1787, leaves his lands of Cappanagrown, Cloonaghlin Sronelacane and Coomavannihy (held by him under Denis Mahony, of Dromore), to his brother Daniel, of Emilamore. Daniel, in his will dated 29th January, 1802, speaks of his son Richard, and his daughters Joan and Honora (each of whom was to have £1,000 as a portion), and of his sister, Catherine Segerson.

        These two brothers, Kean and Daniel, were probably sons of James Mahony of Aghagada (will 1761), who therein mentions his nine sons, two of whom bore those names.

        Richard Mahony must have died about 1850. He had married, in 1810, a Miss Sullivan, by whom he had a son, Daniel ("Dan Dick"), who succeeded him, but died unmarried in 1854, aged about 34 years. Of Richard's two sisters, one married Stephen O’Reardon of Killarney and had three sons, namely John (a well-known Solicitor and Coroner), Richard (these two died unmarried), Thomas, a priest, and at least one daughter a nun, well-known as Mother Elizabeth of the Mercy Convent, Tralee, who died there in 1910, aged 93 years. The other sister married ___ Mayberry, and had a son George Mahony Mayberry, father of Dr. F. J. Mayberry, now of Kenmare, and a daughter who married David Jermyn, of Castlecove, by whom she had a son, Thomas M. Jermyn, and a daughter Norah, who married the late Thomas Hoare of Cahirciveen. Richard Mahony, and his son after him, resided at Cappanagrown in a house overlooking Derryana Lake. On the latter's death of course the family became extinct.

         We may mention that amongst the claims on confiscated estates made in 1700, was one by "Kyen Mahony, late of Cappanagrown" and then of Ballyvilla in the Barony of Maganihy, claiming a leasehold interest in the latter place. He put in a deed witnessed in 1698 by Myles Mahony.

         Another family now extinct was the above, which is referred to in the following documents:―

        Exchequer Bill:―Samuel Prosser of Callinafercy, near Castlemaigne, merchant, versus Dermod MacDaniel Mahony and his uncle, Teig Mahony, both of Valencia, tenants of the Earl of Anglesea, dated 1708, having reference to casks of Tallow bought from owner of a wrecked vessel. Also a Bill, Darby Mahony versus Sam Prosser, 1709, and another Lord Shelburne and Mahony versus Mahony.

        Bill of Discovery, A.D. 1753. Edward Shank of the City of Dublin, merchant, declares that a Bill preparing to be filed in his name as a Protestant Diacoverer, against Kean Mahony of Doory, Barony of Iveragh, in the Court of Exchequer, for recovering, under the statutes to prevent the growth of Papacy, all assignment from the said Kean Mahony of a lease of the lands of Dirreen and Kilemlagh, dated 27th May, 1647, by Teige Mahony of Ballyherna in Valencia, to Donogh MacTeig Mahony, Owen Mahony, and Dermod Mac Conogher Mahony, is for the sole use and benefit of the Right Hon. John Petty Viscount Fitzmaurice.

         The only clear information we possess about this family is to be found in the will of Daniel Mahony of Valencia, dated 12th May, 1791, in which he left money to his son, Darby, his daughter Elizabeth, and any posthumous child to be borne by his wife. From other sources we know that his wife was Anne, dau. of Timothy McCarthy of Liss, by Elizabeth, dau. of Daniel O'Connell of Darrynane. Her son, Darby or Jeremiah, died s.p. in 1834, and her daughter, Elizabeth, died in 1865. After her husband's death she married secondly her cousin Charles McCarthy ("na Baillagh") by whom she had two sons, John and Eugene, and two daughters, Anne and Evelina, who both died unmarried. The latter, who by reason of her long residence on the Continent was known as "Madame" MacCarthy, died in 1902, aged 93 years, in the Presentation Convent) Cahirciveen.

         [NOTE:―We should have mentioned, while on the subject of Count Daniel O'Mahony's descent, that, according to the late Canon O'Mahony, he was descended from DonaI, a brother of Teig Mergeach, the head of the branch in the 16th century. The Canon gives as his authority, a pedigree in the Herald's Office, made out in 1712 for John (son of Colonel Dermod), a captain in the army of the Low Countries.

         We may mention that the pedigrees of Counts Daniel and Bartholomew O'Mahony above given, were copied from a book of pedigrees belonging to Dromore Castle. As regards the historical matter we must acknowledge having drawn largely from Canon O’Mahony’s History of the O’Mahony Septs, O’Callaghan’s History of the Irish Brigade, and Mrs. M.J. O’Connell’s Last Colonel of the Irish Brigade.

________

1.  By this name the Southern portion of the present County of Kerry was formerly known.
2.  This may have been the Aodh O'Connell (first of the name) mentioned in the pedigree of the Derrynane family, who would have lived about that period.
3.  Properly "Meirgeach" meaning "rusty" or "musty" or "angry looking." He is sometimes called "Teig the Wanton," but this is an incorrect rendering of the Irish word.
4.  Probably Ballyhar, in the parish of Kilcredane, Barony of Maguinhy. See collection of Genealogies R.I. Academy, classed 23E, 86.
5.  We do not know exactly what constituted the "Tubrid" district, unless it was that in or near Aghatubrid. This place, which is some five miles south of Cahirciveen, adjoins, though it is not part of, the parish of Dromod, where the Mahonys had a considerable amount of property, namely at Cappanagrown, Ballinakilla, Doory, Kilemlough, &c. They also had land at Killurly and other places in the vicinity of Knocknatubber.
6.  Probably intended to be written "pensioner."
7.  Canon O’Mahony states positively, and Sir Ross O’Connell impliedly (by naming him first) that Daniel was the elder son of John Mahony. But in a Bill of Discovery filed on the 23rd September, 1738, by John Phepoe of Dublin versus Daniel McCarthy and Daniel Mahony, the plaintiff states distinctly that Donogh was the elder son. It would be scarcely possible to doubt the accuracy of this statement made in the lifetime of the parties, even if one of the defendants, Daniel Mahony himself, did not confirm it in his answer, as he has done. The fact that Denis was the elder son is also implied in the notice of the Dunloe Family in Burke’s "Landed Gentry" for 1875.
8.  Some think that this is an erroneous rendering of the Irish word "fearraidhe" (plural of "fear" which means man). It may be, however, a misspelling of the word "fairies," which they may have been called by reason of the garb in which they disguised themselves.
9.  See genealogies in R. I. Academy, classed 23E., 26.
10.  Daniel Mahony is sometimes spoken of as having an elder brother Dermod, a Colonel in King James' Army, who fell at Aughrim in 1691, but of whom nothing further is known.
11.  It happened on that morning that Mahony had not been called in time, and was awakened by the trampling of horses, on hearing which he sprang up, gave the alarm, and got his men up in a hurry. They ran out with only their shirts and small clothes, muskets and cartouche boxes, and in this costume they fought, fasting for several hours.
12.  It may be mentioned that according to Miss Hickson, Ellen Mahony was a daughter of of Denis Mahony of Dromore.

Menu