Keogh (No.2) family genealogy
Of Leinster
Arms : Ar. a lion rampant gu. betw. a dexter hand apaumée in the dexter, and a crescent in the sinister chief point, both of the second. Crest: A boar passant ppr. Motto: Resistite usque ad sanguinem; and, by some of the family, Malo mori quam foedari.
EOCHAIDH, who (see p. 421, ante,) is No. 98 on the "Dowling" pedigree, was the ancestor of MacEochaidh ("eachach:" Irish, a horseman or abounding in horses) of Leinster. That Eochaidh was (see p. 391 of the Book of Leinster,) son of Muredach, son of Aongus, son of Felim (a quo Hy-Felimy), son of Eanna Ceannsalach, King of Leinster, in St. Patrick's time in Ireland.
But Eochaidh, brother of Feach, who is No. 108 on the "O'Meagher" pedigree, was the ancestor of MacEochaidh,[1] Chiefs of Uaithne Tire, a territory situated in ancient Owney,[2] which comprised the present baronies of "Owney" and "Arra," in Tipperary; and "Owneybeg," in the county Limerick. In each case the family name in Irish has been anglicised, as in the case of "Keogh" (No.1), MacKeogh, Kehoe, and Keogh.
In pp. 259 (Note) of Cambrensis Eversus, we read: "This (Leinster) branch of the Kehoes or Keoghs occupied the plains of Maghlaighlan and Magh Liffé, about the northern half of the present county Kildare." Their possessions comprised the present baronies of Clane and Salt, and the greater part of Oughteranny, the town of Naas, and the churches of Clane, Laraghbrien (near Maynooth), Donaghmore, Cloncurry, and Feighcullen. (See O'Donovan's Book of Rights.) The Clan Kehoe or Keogh were driven from this fertile territory, about A.D. 1202, by Meyler FitzHenry and his followers, when the Kehoes had to retire into Wicklow.
In Connellan's Annals of the Four Masters, p. 223 (Note), it is recorded that MacKehoe of Wicklow, together with O'Doran, chief Brehon of Leinster, and O'Nolan, the King's marshal, attended at Cnoc-an-Bhoga, when the MacMurroughs (now "Kavanaghs") were inaugurated as Kings of Leinster, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth.
In the Transactions of the Iberno-Celtic Society for 1820, Vol. I., Part I., pp. 143-145, we find mention of Donald McKehoe writing a poem on the Journey of O'Byrne, 1584.
Among the attainted in 1642 were Thomas MacMaolmuire MacKehoe, [3] and William MacShane MacFarrel MacKehoe of Knockandarragh, county Wicklow. But the Laws against using the distinctive Irish prefixes O' and Mac in Irish sirnames were so rigidly enforced in the counties of Carlow, Wicklow, and Wexford, that the Mac was abandoned in this family name after that period. The family estates were confiscated by Cromwell; but portions of them were restored by Charles II., who, according to the Down Survey, gave Rathgarvan (now known as Clifden) to Arthur, Earl of Anglesea.
In the List of the "Persons Transplanted in Ireland" under the Cromwellian Confiscations we find (see our "Irish Landed Gentry when Cromwell came to Ireland") the name of Mahon Keogh, gent., of Cloncleafe, co. Limerick, and other members of the family from the same county; and (ibid.) the names of others of the family appear among the "Connaught Certificates" of the Commonwealth period, in Ireland.
Among the Irishmen who served in the Spanish Netherlands, in 1660, we find the name of Don Theodoro Keogh.
In 1693, Thomas Kehoe (grandson of Thomas MacMaolmuire MacKehoe of Knockandarragh, co. Wicklow), who had served as a Captain in the Army of King James II. (see Dalton's Army List, Vol. II., p. 404), and fought at the Boyne and Aughrim, settled in the co. Carlow. The family subsequently intermarried with those of Coughlan, Doyle, Brewster, and Blanchfield—a family resident in the co. Kilkenny since the time of the Tudors. Sir Edward Blanchfield married Elizabeth Butler, daughter of the second Earl of Ormond.[4]
We also find that in 1703 the Blanchfield properties were again confiscated by William III.; in which alone 2,903 acres were forfeited, and a portion of them sold by the Crown to W. Edward Worth, of Rathfarnham.
The lands of Rathgarvan (or Clifden) continued to be leased by the Blanchfields until the death (in 1874) of Miss Mary Blanchfield, when they came into possession of her nephew the late Myles W. Keogh, a Lieutenant-Colonel of the 7th Regiment, United States Cavalry, of whom hereafter. Colonel Myles W. Keogh gave his right and title of Clifden to his sister Margaret Keogh, the present occupant.
1. Captain Thomas Kehoe [5] (b. 1660, d. 1720), who, as above mentioned, fought in King James' Army at the Boyne and Aughrim, and afterwards settled in the county Carlow, married and had:
2. Patrick [6] (b. 1697, d. 1760), of Ballywilliamroe, co. Carlow, who m. Bridget Doyle, and had:
3. James (b. 1723, d. 1779), of Orchard and Ballywilliamroe, who m. Julia Coughlin (d. 1812), and had four sons and three daughters:
I. James Kehoe, of Oldtown.
II. Patrick Keogh, who, according to Cox's Magazine, was on the 9th of June, 1798, hanged at the town of Carlow (on the same morning as Sir E. Crosbie), because of his connection with the United Irishmen of that period.
III. Thomas, who d. unm.
IV. John Keogh, of whom presently.
I. Joanna, who m. J. Ennis.
II. Bridget, who m. W. Cummins.
III. Margaret, who m. J. Donohoe.
4. John Keogh, of Orchard, co. Carlow: fourth son of James; m. Margaret Blanchfield of Rathgarvan [7] (or Clifden), and had five sons and seven daughters:
I. James, who d. unm.
II. Patrick Kehoe, Coroner of the co. Carlow, of whom presently.
III. Thomas Keogh, of Park, Carlow, who in 1870 m. Alice, daughter of Richard Kehoe, of Bagenalstown, and had issue:
IV. John, who d. unm.
V. Myles [8] Walter Keogh, Lieutenant-Colonel, United States Army, who also d. unm.
The daughters were:
I. Julia, who d. unm.
II. Mary, who m. John Sullivan, of the co. Tipperary.
III. Joanna, who m. J. A. Kehoe, of the county Kildare.
IV. Bridget, who married James Kehoe, of Milford.
V. Ellen, who m. M. Donohoe, of Clocristie.
VI. Margaret, the present occupant of Clifden (or Rathgarvan).
VII. Fanny, who m. John Delany, M.D., of Freshford, county Kilkenny.
5. Patrick Kehoe, Coroner of the co. Carlow: eldest surviving son of John Keogh, of Orchard, m. Marion, dau. of L. Nolan, of Tennaclash; and has issue; living in 1886.
Notes
[1] MacEochaidh: Of this family was John Keogh, D.D., a learned divine, born at Clooncleagh, near Limerick, in the middle of the 17th century. His family lost their property in the Cromwellian Wars. He entered Trinity College in 1669, was a scholar in 1674, and M.A. in 1678. Entering into Holy Orders, he was by his relative John Hudson, Bishop of Elphin, given a living in that diocese, and was collated and installed Prebendary of Termonbarry, in 1678. There he continued for forty-seven years, until his death, devoting himself to literary pursuits. His biographer in Walker's Magazine (in 1778) writes of him: "Although the Doctor had a very numerous issue, not less than twenty-one children, males and females, yet he never would take tythe from a poor man."
[2] Owney: Among the ancient families of Irish descent in Munster, Lynch in his Cambrensis Eversus, names O'Loingsigh, as lord of Uaithne-Tire, now the barony of Owney, in Tipperary.
[3] MacKehoe: This name means: "Thomas, son of Maolmuire MacKehoe;" and the next: "William, son of Shane, son of Farrel MacKehoe."
[4] Ormond: See Graves' and Prim's History of St. Canice's; also Tomb in N. W. Aisle of the Kilkenny Cathedral.
[5] Captain Thomas Kehoe: The present representatives of this branch of the "Kehoe" family are—Patrick Kehoe, of Orchard, Leighlin Bridge; the Kehoes of Bagenalstown—two families; Surgeon-Major Keogh, J.P., Castleroe, co. Kildare; James Kehoe, of Milford; James Kehoe, of Blanchfield Park, co. Kilkenny; Thomas Keogh, of Park, Carlow; and Richard J. Kehoe, of Chicago, United States, America.
[6] Patrick: This Patrick had other brothers, from whom descended the Kehoes of Bagenalstown; P. Kehoe, M.D., Cork (family extinct); Anthony Kehoe, Kilcommany and Teninscourt (family extinct); and others.
[7] Rathgarvan: Rathgarvan (or Clifden) was the property of James Blanchfield, who, with Garret, Edmond, and Sir Edward, "Irish Papists," lost their estates by the Confiscations in 1656.—See the Down Survey, in the Royal Irish Academy.
[8] Myles: Colonel Keogh was serving with the Papal Army when the American War (of 1861-1865) broke out. After the capture of Ancona, in Italy, in 1860, Mr. Keogh, then a Sub-Lieutenant, offered his services to President Lincoln, from whom Mr. Keogh received a Lieutenant's Commission. He was afterwards appointed Aide-de-Camp to General Shields, who was then operating in Shenandoah Valley; received honourable mention for his services in the battle of Port Republic; and was transferred to General McClellan's Staff, with whom he served in the battle of Antietam, receiving a letter of thanks for his gallant conduct. A splendid horseman, Colonel Keoeh was appointed to the Cavalry Command of General Buford, on whose personal Staff, Mr. Keogh served at the battles of Madison, Cedar Mountain, Kelly's Ford, and was especially mentioned for gallantry and good conduct. In 1863, Colonel Keogh still served with General Buford in the brilliant cavalry actions in which his division took part at Beverly, Boomboro', William Port, Culpepper, Rappahannock, etc., and, on the death of General Buford, was transferred to the Staff of General Stoneman, with whom he served through the Atlanta campaign; receiving at Reseca the personal thanks of General Sherman, and a Brevet Majority for gallant and meritorious services at the battle of Gettysburg. Colonel Keogh continued on active service until the termination of the War, receiving his Commission of Lieutenant-Colonel by Brevet for "gallant and meritorious services at the battle of Dallas." Some months after the fall of Richmond, and the surrender of the Southern Armies, Colonel Keogh was ordered with his Regiment (the 7th Cavalry) on frontier duty, where he was killed, together with General Custer, fifteen officers, and three hundred men, in the unfortunate skirmish with Sioux Indians, near the Yellowstone River; thus closing a brilliant military career at the early age of six-and-thirty. In recognition of Colonel Keogh's services the American Army have named in his memory an important post in Montana—"FORT KEOGH."—Record on File, War Department, Washington.