My ancestors - Cashel - Contents

Cashel of Co.Kerry

Our Cashel family is of Co.Kerry, probably of the Tralee area (since they got together with the Blennerhassett family, most of whom are from the Tralee area).

I descend from the Cashel family, who descend from the Blennerhassett family of Ireland, though from what branch is not clear. This is my possible connection to the western family tree. See graph summary of the evidence so far.

• References:
  • Our family:
    • Papers of Patricia Lavelle.

  • The Rowan Cashel family:
    • Black Jack's Book
    • [Ms 4112]
    • "Where's That - Kilmore", Flann Ó Riain, Irish Times, 7 Feb 2000.

  • Miscellaneous
    • CASHELL records collected by R. Searby Cashell.

    • Cashell genealogies abstracted from wills, [Betham abstracts]
      • vol.8 p.72-4, [NLI] GO Ms 230, [NLI] microfilm POS 1220 (illegible)
      • vol.4 p.278,282, [NLI] GO Ms 226

    • CASHEL in the Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society, [NLI] Ir 794105 c 1
      • 1918, 24:172
      • 1919, 25:116
      These are just notices: "Information sought about Cashel of Kerry and Tipperary" (wonder who by - perhaps Emily Cashel?)

  • Francis Ledwidge:
    • Francis Ledwidge: A Life of the Poet, Alice Curtayne, 1972.

• Sources yet to be consulted:
  • Madden genealogies, pre-1703 (described as "the principal families in Ireland at the close of the 17th century"), [TCD] Ms 1217 (formerly called Ms vol. F.4.18), may only be consulted on microfilm at [TCD] Ms
    • [O'Hart, 1884] says this has genealogy of CASHELL, but can't find in index. Anyway the genealogies (in the microfilm version at least) are illegible. They need to be decoded by an expert and published.

  • Genealogies, early 1600s, [TCD] Ms 1212 (formerly called Ms vol. E.3.2)
    • [O'Hart, 1888] says this has genealogy of CASHELL.

Sketch of the Cashel / Blennerhassett descent in the notes of Pat Lavelle.
Note that Pat gives credence to an offhand remark that our Blennerhassett ancestor "must have been" the daughter of the famous Sir Rowland Blennerhassett, 1st Baronet (who Pat erroneously writes as "Ronald"). No evidence was provided for this remark, and I do not take it seriously.

---

Cashel of Co.Kerry and Co.Tipperary (married Blennerhassett) (our family)

Our family starts with:

Edward Cashel,
or Edward George Cashel, or George Philip Cashel [Pat Lavelle],
possibly Cashell (his grandson listed as William Henry Cashell in 1869, though all other spellings are "Cashel"),
Catholic,
mar Letitia Blennerhassett [born est c.1785, Protestant, poss. descendant of Edward III]
and had issue:

1. George Cashel,
   George Blennerhassett Cashel,
   born 1807, Co.Kerry, Catholic,
   some of Pat Lavelle's notes list him as "George Edward", but the only contemporary record is his son's wedding 1869 which lists him as "George Blennerhassett Cashel",
   went to Co.Tipperary.

George Cashel's RIC record.
Showing that he was recommended by "A. Blennerhassett, J.P." when he joined the County Constabulary in 1828.
See full size.

George Blennerhassett Cashel's middle name displayed on mar cert of his son Blennerhassett Cashel in 1869.
See larger and full size.

Detail from grave of Blennerhassett Cashel.

---

Cashell (or Cashel) of Co.Kerry and Co.Tipperary (married Blennerhassett)

The following are a Cashell (or sometimes Cashel) family of Co.Kerry (and Co.Tipperary) who descend from Blennerhassett through a marriage in the 1720s. This could be our family, or it may be just a coincidence. One major problem is that this family are Protestant. If Cashel were Protestant, and Blennerhassett were Protestant, then how did my Cashels become Catholic?

This could be our family:

• This could be our family, but they wouldn't suddenly start adopting Blennerhassett as a name in 1807 unless there was another, later connection to the Blennerhassetts. Quite likely, this is our family, and the reason that the early 19th cent Cashel and Blennerhassett got together was because they were already connected.
• This Cashell family are connected to Blennerhassett since the 1720s, and stayed in touch with their Blennerhassett relations through the 18th cent, notably with the Ballyseedy branch. This would have provided lots of opportunity for a Cashel to get together with a Blennerhassett:
  1. 1720s - Marriage of Cashell and Rowan (mother Blennerhassett).
  2. Around 1756 - Francis Cashell seems to have served under Col. John Blennerhassett (his mother-in-law's 1st cousin) around 1756.
  3. 1761 - George Cashell seems to have witnessed the marriage of Agnes Blennerhassett (his mother's 2nd cousin) in 1761.
  4. 1782 - In the Spring Assizes, 1782, think at Tralee [Hickson] we find "George Cashell" and George Rowan of Castlegregory and Rowland Blennerhassett all serving together on the Grand Jury.
  5. 1798 - There was another Rowan-Blennerhassett marriage 1798.
  6. Around 1806 - Our supposed Cashel-Blennerhassett marriage.

• This Cashell family lived in and near Tralee, Co.Kerry, and also had an estate at Shallee, N Co.Tipperary. Our George Blennerhassett Cashel was born in Co.Kerry and settled in Co.Tipperary (though near Mullinahone, S Co.Tipperary, right across the county from Shallee).
• Cashel / Cashell of Listowel, Co.Kerry are also linked through Bevan to Cashell / Cashel of Bushfield, Co.Tipperary.
• How did our Cashel become Catholic? Interestingly, Jacobie O'Leary Cashel thought her great-grandfather Rowan Cashel was Catholic. Rowan was defended by the Catholic Daniel O'Connell. Could Ellen Alton have been Catholic, and this is where the Catholic line came in, and then Rowan's brother be the Catholic who married the Blennerhassett? Not very likely. See below.

This could be just a coincidence:

• This could be just a coincidence. There could be two Cashel families connected to Blennerhassett.
• The biggest problem is that these are Protestant. Apart from Jacobie O'Leary Cashel, there is no sign that any of these Cashels are Catholic. Rowan Cashel's marriage licence 1816 would surely have mentioned it.
• His sons by different marriages Rowan Francis Cashel and Frederick Knipe Cashel do not look Catholic either. Their marriages seem to be normal C of I.
• Also Rowan's brother George seems to inherit Shallee, and have a son George of Shallee, so this cannot be our line. Unless there is another brother Edward.

We start this family with the following. The Ballynevan area of Co.Clare seems to be the ancestral home:

Patrick Cashell, or Cashel, gentleman,
of "Ballynavin", Co.Clare, NOT Co.Kerry,
think this is Ballynevan (N of Sixmilebridge), Kilfinaghta par, SE Co.Clare [not far from Co.Limerick border, Limerick city and Co.Tipperary border],
since this is prob. the same family as that of Sixmilebridge below,
so think this is NOT Ballyknavin (NW of O'Briensbridge), O'Briensbridge par, SE Co.Clare [closer to Co.Tipperary border, just across the far side of the River Shannon from Shallee area, Co.Tipperary],
also, it may be coincidence, but Ballynevan is near the "Mountcashel" area N of Sixmilebridge, this Cashell family may have taken their name from this place,
will dated 24th Jan 1734,
died 1734-5,
will proved 17th Mar 1735 [Index to Irish Wills, vol.3], think burnt in Four Courts 1922,
this also noted in [Betham abstracts] vol.8 p.73, [NLI] GO Ms 230, [NLI] microfilm POS 1220 (illegible),
had issue:

1. Francis Cashell.

2. Henry Cashell.

Must be the same as:

Patrick Cashell,
"colonus" (farmer),
had issue:

1. Francis Cashell,
   born 1697, Sixmilebridge, Kilfinaghta par, Co.Clare,
   educ at Mr.Cashin's school, Limerick,
   educ TCD,
   went up 13th May 1715, age 18, "Pensioner" (i.e. paid normal fees, from family of middling means),
   BA Spring 1719 [TCD Alumni].

And this is probably the same Francis Cashell that married Rowan, for three reasons, (a) the date of birth is about right, (b) then Patrick is the great-grandfather of Rowan Patrick Cashell and must be the origin of his middle name, and (c) later, as of 1760, Ballynevan seems to be connected with Henry Cashell:

1. Francis Cashell,
   of Shallee, N Co.Tipperary [near E Co.Clare and NE Co.Limerick],
   married 1720s to Rowan of Co.Kerry [whose mother was a Blennerhassett],
   family lived in both Co.Tipperary and Co.Kerry.

---

Other miscellaneous Cashels

---

Links

• Discussion groups
  • genealogy.com
    • Cashel surname discussion forum
    • Cashell surname discussion forum
  • ancestry.com
    • Cashel surname discussion forum
    • Cashell surname discussion forum
  • rootsweb.com
    • no list yet

• Cashel and Cashell
  • Heather Cashell says the story in her family is that: "The story behind the different spellings of this last name is a feud between 2 brothers. They hated each other so much that one added another L onto the end of his name so no one would know they were related."

• The Irish novelist, Charles James Lever, wrote a novel, Roland Cashel (this is the name of the hero), 1849.

• Our Cashels:
  • Eithne O'Mara thought our Cashels were somehow related to Stack of Listowel, Co.Kerry. No evidence for this has been found.
  • There was a story that the poet Francis Ledwidge (and search) is somehow related to our Cashels. No evidence for this has been found.
    • Francis Ledwidge was born 1887, Slane, Co.Meath, the son of Patrick Ledwidge [born 1840], a migrant labourer, and his wife Anne Lynch [born 1850, dau of Nicholas Lynch, of Slane].
    • His patron was Lord Dunsany.

---

The Mountcashel area, N of Sixmilebridge, Co.Clare

The family above seems to be from the area of Sixmilebridge, Co.Clare - probably from Ballynevan, Kilfinaghta par, N of Sixmilebridge.

It may be a coincidence, but N of Sixmilebridge, near Ballynevan, in Kilfinaghta par, are:

• Mountcashel
• Mountcashel Tower House (or "Kilmurry Castle", built 1466 by O'Brien, still inhabited, was a restaurant in 1970s)
• Castle Lake
• the townland Castlelake
• Mountcashel (19th cent house, on lake side)
• Ballymulcashel ("the town of the partly-levelled stone fort")
• Ballymulcashel Lough (Loch Bhaile Uí Mhaolchaisil)
• Ballymulcashel Bridge

This Cashell family may have taken their name from this place.

---

The titles of "Mountcashel"

• References:
  • MacCarthy, Viscount Mountcashel
    • MACCARTHY in [Burkes Extinct]
    • CLANCARTY in [Burkes Peerage]

  • Davys, Viscount Mountcashel
    • DAVYS in [Burkes Extinct]

  • Moore, Earl Mount Cashell
    • MOUNTCASHELL in [Burkes Peerage, 1832]
    • PERCEVAL-MAXWELL in [Burkes Irish, 1976]
    • PERCEVAL-MAXWELL in [Burkes Irish, 2002]
    • HOLROYD-SMYTH in [Burkes Irish, 1976]

• Sources yet to be consulted:
  • MacCarthy, Viscount Mountcashel
    • MACCARTHY-MORROGH in [Burkes Irish, 1976]

  • Moore, Earl Mount Cashell
    • MOUNT CASHELL in [Burkes Peerage, 1915]

All 3 titles refer to Co.Tipperary, not Co.Clare. No known connection with the Cashel(l) surname either:

1. MacCarthy, Viscount Mountcashel
   • Donogh MacCarthy, 1st Earl of Clancarty (or McCarty, or Clancarthy), had issue:
     1. 3rd Earl of Clancarty (see below).
     2. Justin MacCarthy, 1st Viscount Mountcashel (or Mountcashell),
        title refers to Co.Tipperary, cr by James II in exile 1689,
        not recognised, extinct anyway 1694.

2. Davys, Viscount Mountcashel
   • Paul Davys, 1st Viscount Mountcashel, of LEIXLIP,
     mar Catherine MacCarthy, dau of 3rd Earl of Clancarty (see above),
     cr 1706, title name chosen from her family, refers to Co.Tipperary,
     extinct 1736.

3. Moore, Earl Mount Cashell
   • Stephen Moore, 1st Viscount Mount Cashell, cr 1766,
     the entry for CASHEL in [Lewis, 1837] confirms that this title refers to Cashel, Co.Tipperary,
     family seat at Moore Park, Co.Cork,
     his heir was cr Earl 1781, title extinct 1915.