My ancestors - O'Rahilly - Contents

Michael Joseph Rahilly

The old O'Rahilly house, Ballylongford (now Finucane's pub).
Photo 2006. See full size.

Michael Joseph Rahilly, born 1810, bapt 6 Sept 1810,
grew up Ballylongford, Co.Kerry,
shopkeeper in Ballylongford,
listed as "shop keeper" and "merchant" (deceased) at his sons' marriages in 1868 and 1871,
he received a testimonial dated 30th Jan 1833 from John O'Donoghue, "scholar, TCD", see [Fitzelle, 1986],
"Michael Rahilly" and "Margaret McEllistrum" (maiden name) sp the baptism of Michael's nephew John Hickie 1834, that is, they were probably going out or engaged at this time, but not yet married,
mar est c.1836 to Margaret McEllistrem [born 1812],
her family (also shopkeepers in Ballylongford) didn't want her to marry him,
she stayed in Ballylongford, set up shop with him (i.e. continued Rahilly family business), just down road from her own family shop (McEllistrem's),
she had a great head for business, and took all the local business from McEllistrem's shop down to Rahilly's shop, the McEllistrems grumbled about this into the 20th century,
he might be "Michael Rahilly" who wit marriage of John Fitzpatrick and Honora Hanrahan of Tarbert, 31st Jan 1837 [Ballylongford],
in [Aodogán's papers] there is an 1843 collection book for Daniel O'Connell's Repeal fund (repeal of the Act of Union by peaceful means, quite a moderate cause for Catholics),
when Richard Rahilly was later carrying out repairs to the old house in Ballylongford, getting rid of thatch roof, replacing with slate, he found date in the rafter - 1847,

Michael Joseph died early, 7th Mar 1849, age 38 yrs, leaving wife with small children,
he is bur (without inscription) in the vault of his brother-in-law Richard Mac Ellestrem (who had just died 1848), in Lislaughtin Abbey, nr Ballylongford,
"your grandpapa Rahilly took a place for a tomb in the Abbey after his brother in law dying. They buried him in the ground until the tomb would be made" [Mary Barrett, née Patt],
[Aodogán's papers] had application to take out probate by Margaret Rahilly, widow, 1849,

Margaret carried on the business in Ballylongford, while bringing up children,
after the Famine (1845-50) the shop ran a ticket agency for people emigrating to America,
she pushed the children to go to school, university,
managed to send her children to good schools in Ireland and France, Michael Joseph to university, and set up Tom in Tarbert,
it seems probable that her unmarried sister-in-law Margaret Rahilly helped run the shop,
"Mrs. Margaret Rahilly", 4 Main St, Ballylongford, listed as head of household in [Griffiths Valuation, 1852], leasing it from St.John T. Blacker,
she was also renting out 84 Main St, Ballylongford, for use as the police barracks,
she was also renting 89 Main St, Ballylongford, from St.John T. Blacker,
she might also be "Mrs. Mary Rahilly" renting 8 Well Rd, Ballylongford, from St.John T. Blacker,
she might also be "Margaret Rahilly" renting 1 acre of land (no house) at Ballymacasey in Aghavallen par, listed in [Griffiths Valuation, 1852], leasing it from St.John T. Blacker,

her son Richard took over the shop in Ballylongford c.1860,
she is listed as "shopkeeper" at death [GROI], note not "shopkeeper's widow",
she contracted lung tuberculosis c. Oct 1863 [GROI],
died 20th Jan 1866, Ballylongford, Co.Kerry, age 54 yrs [GROI],
she is bur (without inscription) with her husband and brother in the "Mac Ellestrem" vault, Lislaughtin Abbey,
their children Margaret and Dr. Michael Joseph were also bur there (without inscriptions), the McEllistrems remembered that some Rahillys "came down from Dublin" to be bur there,
the McEllistrems resented this, Michael McEllistrem (died 1930) used say: "I'll die a happy man if my affairs are settled and all the Rahillys are out of the tomb" (his father was also bur in the tomb but he himself got a new grave),
had issue:

1. Dr. Michael Joseph Rahilly,
   surgeon in Royal Navy,
   bapt 27th Jan 1838 [Ballylongford RC par records],
   another reading has it as 27 Feb, (todo) see original.

   
   

2. Richard Rahilly,
   Dick, born Ballylongford, Co.Kerry,
   bapt 31 Dec 1839 [Ballylongford RC par records], (todo) see original,
   though [photo of old gravestone, Lislaughtin Abbey] says born 31st Oct 1840,
   named after grandfather Richard McEllistrem.

   
   

3. Joseph Rahilly,
   not mentioned in [King],
   but listed in [O'Rahilly family tree],
   died in infancy.

   
   

4. Margaret Rahilly,
   educated at a French convent,
   wrote to her brother Richard in 1853, wrote in French, "as I know how much you love the French language", signed herself "Margaret Raleigh" [Aodogán's papers],
   "a lovely young lady with a head of hair the very colour of sugar and candy" [Mary Barrett, née Patt],
   died unmarried, 17th May 1862, "very tragic",
   bur Lislaughtin Abbey with her father [Mary Barrett, née Patt].

   
   

5. Marianne Rahilly,
   Marie Anne, Mary Anne,
   born c.1845, (todo) search Ballylongford par records,
   her emigration record in 1892 has her age 40, but this is impossible as her father died in 1849,
   sent with her sister Margaret to convent school in France, had perfect French,
   mar 1 April 1868 [Ballylongford RC par records],
   (todo) see mar of Marianne Josephine Rahilly to Robert Morris, Listowel, 1868, [GROI] vol 20 p 273,
   to Robert Morris and had issue.

   
   

6. Thomas Francis Rahilly,
   Tom, born 8th Jan 1849, Ballylongford, Co.Kerry, just before his father's death [diary of Richard Rahilly].

Mac Ellestrem vault, Lislaughtin Abbey, Ballylongford.
Burial place of Michael Joseph Rahilly and his wife.
See full information.

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O'Donoghue

• Daniel O'Donoghue,
  of Co.Kerry, farmer,
  had issue:
  1. John O'Donoghue,
     born 1812, poss. a cousin or in-law of Michael Joseph Rahilly,
     educ TCD, Barrister-at-Law,
     author of Historical memoir of the O'Briens (Dublin, 1860),
     later editor of the leading newspaper in Ireland, the Freeman's Journal,
     died 1893, age 81 yrs [Fitzelle, 1986].

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The RIC story

There is a story among the McEllistrems that McEllistrem married Rahilly, an RIC man, who was stationed in Ballylongford, and the McEllistrems disapproved since the RIC was considered below business.
But Michael Joseph Rahilly is not found in [RIC records]. Also he is described as a "shop keeper" and "merchant" (deceased) at his sons' marriages in 1868 and 1871.

There was another story [O'Rahilly, 1991] that Thomas Francis (born 1849) was in the RIC ("a sergeant in Longford").
But he is not found in [RIC records]. Also he lived in his home county, Co.Kerry, 1873 through 1898. But RIC did not station you in your home county.
Note Morris children went to a school in Longford.

[RIC records] list the following:

• Michael Rahilly, born 1832,
  labourer, from Co.Limerick,
  joined RIC Feb 1851, no. 14154, age 19,
  died Feb 1851, age 19 yrs.

• John Rahilly, no. 20342 (joined 1855)
• John Rahilly, no. 20756 (joined 1856)
• John Rahilly, no. 25931 (joined 1860)
• John Rahilly, no. 51307 (joined 1885)

Maybe this is just confusion with the following:

1. The police in Ballylongford rented their barracks from Rahilly. Michael Joseph Rahilly's widow Margaret McEllistrem is shown as their landlord in [Griffiths Valuation, 1852].
2. Richard Rahilly was a JP.
3. Dr. Michael Joseph Rahilly was in the Royal Navy.