ó MURTHUILE

ó MUIRTHILE HURLEY

   The most curious fact regarding this family name is that it should never have been anglicized Hurley at all but rather Murley. The surname Hurley properly belonged to the Uí Urthuile of Knocklong, Co.Limerick, who are given a Dalcassian descent by genealogists, though they may have been descended from Aurthuile of Uí Chonaill Gabhra (bar.of Connello, Co. Limerick).

    Unfortunately the pedigree-compilers of the 19th century united the two family groups by making Randal ó Murthuile - whose initials, R.M. (not R.H.), appear on a window-embrasure in Ballynacarriga castle - a son of Thomas O Hurley of Knocklong. There may well have been a marriage connection, if Lodge was correct in stating that Juliana, daughter of Dermod O Hurley of Knocklong Edmund Oge de Courcy of Kinsale, since we know that Edmund's grand-daughter married Randal Oge Duff Hurley of Ballynacarriga, but otherwise the two families were not connected. (Even among the 18th century poets there was a Seán mac Donnchadh Uí Mhurthuile with surname distinct from that of Seán mac Muiris Uí Urthuile.)

    The surname ó Murthuile existed in west Cork several centuries before Ballynacarriga castle was built but its origin is not adverted to by genealogists except for the early 14th century Duan Catháin which derives 'the nobles of the Uí Mhuirthile' from one Murthuile Mor (described as 'the pupil of Colman') of Uí Eachach stock. The suggested origin is, however, exthremely dubious, since Murthuile Mor's father, Duilghin, is named elsewhere as son of Beannt, progenitor of the Beanntraighe, a sept nowhere else regarded as connected with the Uí Eachach. (There was, incidentally, an ó Muirrthaili family name among the Fir Sceinde of Connacht but it is unlikely that any of these came as far south as Co Cork.)

    As early as 1260 Gillerenav Omurthyle (Giolla-na-naomh ó Murthuile) accompanied Fínghin Mac Carthy of Carbery in raid on Norman lands.

   The name was prominent in ecclesiastical circles during the following centuries. In 1391 John Omurchily, a priest of Ross diocese, was declared to be in wrongful possession of the vicarage of Lislee. In 1411-13 mention is made of Renaldus Omurchali (o Murrchuyle), a canon of Cork diocese. This name Raghnall (Randal) was the favourite personal name in the family for long afterwards. In 1421 Donaldus Omurchile who had, apparently, transferred to Killaloe diocese, nominated his relative, Johannes Omurchile as vicar of Fanlobbus parish (Dunmanway). John died in 1464, in which year Reginald Imurhyle, who had lectured in canon law at Oxford University for over a year and a half was reinstated as rector of Cursruhara (probably Ballymoney). No doubt he was the Renaldus Omurhily who was a canon of Ross in 1469 and 1471 - and a canon of Cork in 1470! In 1494 Reynaldus Ymirtaly was perpetual vicar of Fanlobbus and in 1510 Renaldus Ymurhuly, junior, was a canon of Cork, while John and Donaldus Ymurli held several benefices in the diocese. From 1517 to 1519 John O Murrilly, who had previously been abbot of the Cistercian Abbey mahon, was bishop of Ross. John was nephew of the previous bishop Edmund de Courcy, who resigned in his (John's) favour. Bishop O Murrilly was buried in Timoleague friary.

   A friar named Donatus O Muirhily was sacristan of Muckross friary Killarney, in 1589. Hearing of attacks on other abbeys, he hid some of the saced vessels on an island in Loch Lein. He and a companion were later captured but though tortured to death refused to reveal the hiding-place of the valuables.

    It is interesting that a Raghnall ó Murthulie was rector of Ballymoney in 1464 since the castle of Ballynacarriga is in that parish and the ó Murthuile owners of the castle appear to have always been Randals. Beal Atha na Carraige, the castle site itself, seems to have been originally in the townland of Ardea-referred to as'Ardea Ranell oge' in a Mac Carthy document of 1593 (there being a head-rent on it payable to the lord of Carbery). In 1633 it was called the castle and 2 plowlands of Ardea, alias Bealnicarrigie. Later, however, it became a townland in its own right.

   The first of the family mentioned in the Fiants was Randolph O Hurrely of Nedineagh, gent., pardoned in 1576. This is also the first time we notice the 'Hurley' version of the surname although it was presumably the same Randal who, nine years later, put his initials R.M., on the newly-built Ballynacarriga castle. The full inscription is '1585 R.M.C.C. The C.C.refer to his wife , Catherine O Cullane of Ballincourcey. Randal appears to have resided at Nedineagh (par. Fanlobbus) prior to the building of the castle. Florence Mac Carthy of Enniskeane married Marianne, daughter of Randal Hurley of Nedineagh. In 1615 Randal óg Hurley was granted the right to hold a fair at Nedineagh More on 25th July and the day following. This became the celebrated fair of Beal Átha Buidhe, formerly known as Aonach Randal óg.

   Also in the 1576 Fiant two of the sept were pardoned at Ardea Donald mac Teige mac Coyne, yeoman (later described as Donell roo mag Teig mac Qwyne y Hurrily, kern) and Cormac mac Conoghor mac Ronell. By 1584 Ranell Oge O Hurley was described as of Ballynacarriga; Donell roo and Dermod mac Shane mac Hurryly, kerns, were also there. Presumably this was while the castle was in the course of erection; it was completed by 1585. Another pardon was granted in 1587 to 'Ranell Hoorley, junior, gent'. But we cannot be sure that this was a son of Randal of 1576 since his father may also have been Randal. There is a reference in 1594 to ' Reynold oge O Hurley, th'elder' who was a follower of Florence Mac Carthy.

    A branch at Phale (also in Ballymoney parish) retained the ó Murthuile from somewhat longer. Thady mac Donoghe lea (liath) and Donald mac Donogho lea O Murhillie were there in 1579 with Donogh roe mac Donoghoe lea at nearby Enniskeane. In 1584 we have Donell leigh mac Diermod O Huryly but two years later Dermott mac Donell oge O Murhilly.

    Fínghin (Carrach) O Driscoll, who died in 1600, was married to an O Hurley (Onóra Ní Raghnaill) and in the year before he died he entrusted to David Hurley of Ballynecurrigg (?Ballynacarriga) probably her brother the castle of Dún na Long for the use of Onora.

    Quite a number of O Hurleys received pardons in 1601 (before the battle of Kinsale). These included a contingent from Ballynacarriga Ranell oge O Hurlie, Ranell oge beg Morhelly, Donell mac Donogh O Morhelly, Teige row O Morhellie, Donogh mac William, Donell mac Teig O Murhely, John mac Teig O Murhely, Donogh mac Donell oge O Murhely, Donell roe mac Teig O Murhely, Dermod mac Donell oge O Murhely. There was a further group in Templebryan, headed by William mac Ranell Hurlie and his wife, Ellen ny Learie. Others were to be found in the Kilbrittain area Kilbrittain, Ratharoon, Garranereagh, Ballynabooly (near Sandycove), Carriganass and even Dundanier (Downdaniel near Innishannon) where there was a Leaffe mac Conoghor mac Teige Murly. These, no doubt, were followers or tenants of Mac Carthy Reagh.

    Yet despite their submission, Carew had no scruple in instructing the Earl of Thomond as follows on 9th March 1602: If Teg O Norsy's castle (Togher) and Rannell Duff's shall in your opinion be meet for the servive, do you take them into your hands and have wards in them But let not your intent be discovered until you be possessed of them.

    The O Hurleys do not seem to have suffered any loss of lands at this time, although mention is made (in an inquisition taken in 1631) of a royal grant of the lands of Ballynacarriga to Arthur Chichester of Belfast. Reinald Hurley and William Hurly were among the freeholders of Carbery who protested against the exaction of the Earl's Beeves' tax in 1610. In 1615 Randal óg of Ballynacarriga, in company with Florence mac Donell Mac Carthy of Benduff (par. Ross), assignees of Sir James Semple, as a result of a 'surrender' received a grant from James I of extensive lands in Carbery, including those of several of the O Crowleys of Kiltallowe and the castle of Dún an óir on Clèire. Later it was discovered that much of this land had previously been alienated to them by the O Crowleys and they had to pay fines to receive pardons for same.

    This Randal óg is also credited with the building of Ballinvard castle, near Rossmore. That castle was occupied in 1641 by William mac Randal Hurley who in his will, dated 11th August of that year, named William óg as his son and heir. To his second son, David, he left Cashelisky, Letter and Cahirconvory (Caher), with further bequests to a third son, Maurice, with his six daughters and wife. Another son, James, he disinherited. He desired to be buried in the parish of Kilmeen, and while this wish may have been carried out, his heirs never enjoyed their inheritance since all the estates were swallowed up in the Cromwellian confiscations. Ballinvard castle is said to have been garrisoned by the English and subsequently dismantled by order of Cromwell.

    Randal óg was dead by 1631, the year in which an inquisition was held into his lands. These included the castle and town of Ballynacarriga. Randal óg (II) was declared to be his son and heir. It was probably this second Randal óg who, in 1620, married Ellen, daughter of John Lord Courcy (by Mary, daughter of Cormac O Crowley). Their fathers drew up an indenture to the effect that Ellen was to have the use of the lands of Buddrimeen and Kilcaskan (par. Ballymoney) and Ardcahan (par. Fanlobbus). But Randal mortgaged the lands to William Wiseman and in 1633 Ellen's brother, Gerald Lord Courcy, made him sign a bond to hand over for Ellen's use the castle and lands of Ballynacarriga in the event of his not redeeming the mortage within three years. Randal must have failed to redeem his mortgage since after his death in 1637, Wiseman (a crown official who operated from (Bandon-bridge) was found to be still in possession of the lands in question. It was in 1633 also that the couple presented to the church a chalice with the inscription 'Dns. Ranaldus Hurly et Dna. Eulina de Curcy'. It is now kept at St. Mary's Cathedral, Cork. It is interesting that the de Courcy connection was kept up a century later, when during the Penal day in 1731, it was reported that Teige mac Shane O Murley, priest was maintained by the Lord Courcy.

    The 1633 bond was signed by, amoung others, Randal óg, Donell mac Dermod Hurley of Cloonkirgeen and Donoghe mac Donell Hurley of Bunanumera. This latter place, near Manch Bridge, was the seat of another branch of the family. Donoghe was the son of Donell mac Teige who in turn may have been a son of the Teig Hurley of Carbery, said to have been 'prejudicial' to Florence Mac Carthy in 1614. The Kilbrittain branch was also prominent in this period. In 1626 Daniel Mac Carthy Riabhach of Kilbrittain granted a 21-year lease of land in Ballymore (par. Kilbrittain) and Carriggynigary to Daniel Oge Hurley, gent., and in 1634 a similar lease of Ratharoon East to Dermod mac Owen Hurley and Cnogher mac Owen Hurley. This last-named had been pardoned in 1624 for his part in breaking into Barry's castle of Timoleague in 1620, an offence for which he was outlawed and attainted.

    Inevitably the Hurleys were swept into the maelstrom of 1641. Among the outlawed in 1643 were Randal and Randal oge Hurley of Ballynacarriga, William of Ballinvard, Donogh mac Donell of Bunanumera, Donnell oge of Kilbrittain, William of Liscubba (par.Kilmeen), James of Grillagh (par. Ballymoney) and James of Ballinbride- all described as gentlemen; also Ellen Hurley, widow, of Grillagh Ighteragh. It was inevitable too that all of these would suffer confiscation of their estates once the war had ended. Randal óg lost his castle and lands of Ardea als. Ballynacarriga, as well as Cloonkirgeen, these going to Benjamin Crofts - as did Donogh mac Daniel's lands of Bunanumera. William oge Hurley forfeited Ballinvard castle which was acquired by the archbishop of Dublin. He also lost Lisnabrinny, Lissinroe and part of Knockea while others of the family lost Liscubba, Kilmeen and parts of Letter and Caher, all in the parish of Kilmeen. Other Hurley land were confiscated in the parishes of Kinneighh, Fanlobbus, and inchydoney, the total confiscated being 3,830 plantation acres.

    These were acquired by men such as Crofts, Richard Dashwood, John Freka, Francis Beamish, etc. No Hurley proprietors were left in Carbery. According to the 1659 census the only 'tituladoes' of the name left in the county were John Hurley and Florence, his son, of Gortnahorna in Kilbrittain cantred (Barleyfield, par. Rathclarin), tenants of James Coppinger.

    One branch may have got a tenancy of some of their former lands, only to lose them again. For supporting King James in 1691 Arthur Hurley of Grillagh was attainted. Three years later we learn that John Hurly, late of Grillagh, and Dermot mac Maurice Hurly were members of a band of rebels 'on their keeping' in the mountains of west Cork, for whose apprehension large rewards were offered.( In1731 James Cox and Gilbert Mellefont were paid £10 for the capture of two notorious tories, John Hurly and Hugh Hurly.)

    According to Cronelly, the Randal óg who was outlawed with his father in 1641 was succeeded, in turn, by four further Randals, the last of whom was succeeded by John Hurly who emigrated to America with his family about 1810. According to O Hart (1883) the Ballynacarriga O Hurleys were then represented by the O Hurleys of Drimoleague, but he also derived the Hurly families of Ballynacarriga and of Farranhavane (near Bandon) directly from the lords of Ballynacarriga castle and says they were styled na carriage.

    Many traditions of the Ballynacarriga O Hurleys were recorded by Rev.P.Hurley over seventy years ago. One such tradition related to the time when the castle was occupied by Cromwellian soldier anxious to capture a noted rebel named Crothur a'ghleanna. Although they took his mother prisoner, Crothur's marksmanship intimidated them into setting her free again. (There may be a confusion here with a later popular hero of the Williamite wars, Séamus 'Atroher', An t-urchar or the marksman.)

    According to Fr. Hurley, the Randal óg of that period fought at Limerick and was later buried at Clogagh graveyard near Timoleague. He left six sons, two of whom were priests. Perhaps one of these was the 'Popish priest John Hurly' for whose delivery to Cork in 1715 Maurice Stack was paid six shillings (or 30p!). Randal's brother was the father of seven sons and three daughters. Two of the sons, James and Jeremiah, were in Limerick during the williamite siege. James (an t-urchar) is credited with having shot six troopers who were sent to arrest him at his house. One of James' sons was Randal who as parish priest of Clontead was responsible for renovating the graveyards of Clontead, Kilmonoge and Ballyfeard where his name is still to be seen inscribed on the gate-pillars. Descendants of James' other sons lived at Desertserges and at Clonakilty.