Murphy and Lynch Family History News and Updates
New material not yet integrated
Item N2106A: Patrick Lynch
Research has started on the family history of Patrick Lynch! Patrick was born in Hodgestown, Killucan, Co. Westmeath on 2nd April 1876. A recent visit to the Killucan area included a visit to the local churchyard where the grave of his brother Matthew (1870 – 1955) is located. The new headstone (pictured below) appears to replace an older stone, judging by the condition of the plinth.
Item N2105A: Postal
British Postal Service records have been made available online. This has provided us with another little piece in the Murphy family history jigsaw. Edward Murphy was appointed to the position of Postman (Rural) in Monaghan in January 1913, and you can see a record of the appointment below.
Item N2104A: Johanna Phelan’s Family History
Johanna Phelan’s family history is now available as a PDF document. This will be integrated into the site as the "Johannah" part of "Patrick and Johannah Lynch Family History" to stand alongside the already existing "Edward and Ellen Murphy Family History". Read it here.
Item N2011A: A new headstone
An exciting find in the churchyard in Roslea! Catherine Murphy has found a broken headstone which was not re-erected when the churchyard was renovated. The writing on the headstone is in very good condition and says “Erected by Thomas Murphy of Corragunt in Memory of his Brother John who dep’d this life March 28th 1837 Aged 44 years”. It originally had a fine decoration on the top.
Thomas Murphy is Ellen Murphy’s paternal great grandfather; this is the first definitive link in her family history reaching back before 1800.
Item N2007A: The Derrynasell Connection
A new photograph has come to hand! Ellen Murphy’s Aunt Isabella married Joseph Rooney and lived in Derrynasell West (also known as Dernasell), Co. Monaghan. Isabella’s grandson Hugh shared this photograph taken at Dernasell about 1952. The baby is Hugh, with his mother Nan McGinnity. His father, Peter Rooney, is the man immediately behind him. The two women in the typical aprons of the time are Hugh’s two grandmothers; Isabella Rooney née McAloon is on the left beside the clergyman, and Anne McGinnity is on Hugh’s left. Sitting on the steps is Hughie McAree, son of Bridget McAree née Rooney.
Item N2006A: Murder and mayhem in Monaghan!
Edward Murphy’s uncle Edward was murdered during the Monaghan Riots of 1886. He was just 17 years old when he was caught up in the riots, which were a response to the defeat of a Home Rule Bill that year. Amanda Baxter has compiled the full story of the murder and subsequent inquest. You can read the PDF version here.
She has also assembled transcripts of a surprisingly large number of newspaper articles about the killing, one from as far away as Canada. Read them here.
Item N2005B: The McAloon Family from Corragunt
A story of Irish emigration, that of a family founded by cousins of Ellen Murphy. Joseph McAloon was the son of already covered Hugh McAloon. After the untimely death in 1917 of his wife Catherine at the age of 27, he was left with eight children under the age of 9. One of the children died young, and five emigrated to the US. You can read the story of this family here.
Item N2005A: Mary Murphy’s sorry tale
Ellen Murphy’s older sister Mary was briefly married in the 1920s before being abandoned by her husband. The story is a tale of interconnected families and emigration which you can read here.
Item N2004A: Roslea village seen from 1973
A curiosity – a documentary about Roslea created in 1973, available as a podcast. Find it on RTÉ Radio 1's Documentary on One series" under the keyword “roslea”, or however else you find your podcasts.
Item N2003A: Military service of Edward Murphy's uncles
Thanks to some new records we can fill in a bit more information about the military service of Edward's uncles Peter, Edward and Francis. In March 1883 the three Murphy brothers signed up to the Monaghan Militia (the 5th battalion of the Royal Irish Fusiliers). Regular soldiers in the militia were drawn from poorer families who needed money. You can read their story here.
Recent site updates
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