O'Hurley (No.1) family genealogy

Lords of Knocklong

[1] THE O'h-Urthailé [2] or O'Hurley family derive their sirname and descent from Urthailé Ard, son of Heber (of the race of Brenan Ban), son of Blad, son of Cas (a quo Dal Cas or the Dalcassians), son of Conall Eachluath, who is No. 90 on the "O'Brien" (of Thomond) genealogy. The O'Hurleys were formerly Chiefs of the territory forming the parish of Knocklong, in the barony of Costlea, county of Limerick, where the ruins of their castle of Knocklong, and of an old church, the foundation of this family, still exist; of the parish of Kilruane, in the barony of Lower Ormond, county of Tipperary, where the ruins of their ancient castle of Rath- Hurly may be seen; of the country forming the parish of Kilcullane, barony of Small county, county of Limerick, where they erected the castle of Kilcullane in 1464; of the parish of Kilnelonahan, in the baronies of Coshma and Pubblebrien, same county, where Dermod O'Hurley, Chief of his Clan, built a strong castle in the early part of the 15th century; and (as we are informed by Giolla na-Neev O'Heerin) of the territory of Triocha-Hy-Bloid, the situation of which cannot now be correctly ascertained.

Commencing with Dermod na Darach, the following is the family pedigree:

1. Dermod na Darach.

2. Donogh an Caladh: his son.

3. Donal Oge: his son.

4. Murchadh Mor: his son.

5. John Mor: his son.

6. Connor an Locha: his son.

7. Thomas: his son.

8. Raghnal: his son.

9. Philip: his son.

10. Maurice: his son.

11. William: his son.

12. Heber: his son.

13. Urthaile: his son.

14. Tadg (or Teige): his son.

15. Donogh Airm: his son.

16. Cormac: his son.

17. Teige: his son.

18. William Ganaig: his son.

19. Cormac: his son.

20. Donal: his son.

From Donal No. 20 Descended:

1. Teige O'Hurley, Chief of his name, and lord of Knocklong: father of:

2. Dermod, of Knocklong, who had a daughter Juliana (who was m. to Edmund Oge de Courcy, of Kinsale, by whom she had John, the 18th Baron of Kinsale), and two sons:—1. John; 2. Thomas.

3. Thomas, of Knocklong: younger son of Dermod; attended Perrott's memorable Parliament of 1585. Had two sons—1. Randal, founder of Ballinacarrig Castle; 2. Maurice.

4. Maurice of Knocklong: second son of Thomas, whose Will, dated 1634, is in the Public Record Office, Dublin. In 1601, he obtained a Patent for a weekly market to be held at Knocklong on Tuesdays; and two fairs each year, to be held on the 28th of May and 1st of Oc- tober. He m. twice: first, Racia Thornton, who d. s. p.; and secondly, Grania, dau, of O'Hogan, by whom he had a son, Sir Thomas of Knocklong, of whom presently. This Maurice d. circa 1632, and was interred in the churchyard of Emly, where a slab four feet long by two and a half feet in breadth, exhibit- ing the inscription, [3]; given in foot Note, was erected to his memory. The inscription is in relief; and at the lower corner of the slab is carved an old tree, in allusion to the ancient seal of Knocklong, the old name of which was Cnoc-na-Daraigh, i. e. the " Hill of Oaks. "

5. Sir Thomas of Knocklong: son of Maurice; m. Joanna, dau. of John Brown, of Mount Brown, county of Limerick, and had:

6. Sir Maurice, of Knocklong, who was a Member of the "Supreme Council" of Kilkenny, in 1647. His estates were seized by Cromwell, who transplanted the old Baronet to Galway, where he d. in 1683. His son:

7. Sir William sat in King James's Parliament, of 1689, as M. P. for Kilmallock. He m. Mary, dau. of Colonel Blount (by his wife, the sister of Walter Bourke above mentioned), and had:

8. Sir John Hurley, who, in 1714, was arrested in Dublin, on a charge of having raised a body of troops for the "Pretender." He made his escape from prison, but of his subsequent career we know nothing. Had a son John. The descendants of this John lived at Drumacoo, near Kinvara, in 1840.

Notes

[1] O'Hurley. Dermot O'Hurley, Archbishop of Cashel, was born near Limerick, about 1519. Educated for the priesthood, he resided at Louvain for fifteen years, and held the chair of Canon Law at Rheims for four years. On the 11th September, 1581, he was appointed by Pope Gregory XIII. to the See of Cashel. For two years govern- ment spies sought opportunities to seize him, but their plans were frustrated by the fidelity of his co-religionists. At length he was arrested and brought before the Privy Council for examination. He was horribly tortured. The executioners placed the Archbishop's feet and calves in tin boots filled with oil; they then fastened his feet in wooden shackles or stocks, and placed fire under them. The boiling oil so penetrated the feet and legs that morsels of the skin, and even flesh, fell off and left the bone bare. The Archbishop resolutely refused to purchase a cessation of his torments by acknowledging the Queen's supremacy in matters of religion. An end was put to his suffer- ings by his being hanged on a tree outside Dublin, 19th June, 1584. He was buried in St. Kevin's, Dublin.

[2] O'h-Urthaile: For an O'h-Urthuile family, see No. 99 on the "MacNamara" (No. 1) Genealogy. O'h-Urthuile also has been anglicised O'Hurley, etc.

[3] Inscription: The following is a true copy of that inscription: