Kitty Tuohy
Kitty Tuohy.
1st cousin of
Mary O'Connell.
Her cousin Mary married in 1802 to barrister
Daniel O'Connell.
Tragic relationship:
In 1805, Kitty accepted the hand of
James O'Regan [born 1782], a young barrister and friend of
Daniel O'Connell.
She had no money, and he had great prospects.
Both of them were pressurised to give up the relationship.
James broke the engagement in 1806.
Kitty fell into deep depression late in 1806.
She stayed with Mary O'Connell late in 1806, and Mary tried to help her.
Death, 1806:
Kitty died suddenly, possibly by suicide, in November 1806, when travelling with the O'Connells
from Kerry to Dublin.
She died suddenly on Sunday evening, 2 Nov 1806,
at
Newbridge, near Rathkeale, Co.Limerick.
Ellen Fitzsimon says she was going from Kerry to Dublin with the O'Connells.
Notice in Limerick Chronicle says she was on her way to Dublin.
See item
in Limerick Gazette or General Advertiser,
Tuesday 4 November 1806.
The tragic story of 1806 about "Miss Tuohy".
This story
is told in
p.1624,
which is a collection of
materials for a biography of Daniel O'Connell, by his daughter
Ellen Fitzsimon.
(She was eldest daughter of Mary and Daniel O'Connell, born 1805, died 1883.)
Ellen Fitzsimon says the following:
- The following events happened in the latter part of 1806.
- "Miss Tuohy" was Mary O'Connell's
"first cousin and most intimate friend, an extremely lovely and interesting young woman".
- She is a young lady
"mentioned in very affectionate terms by my father in his letter of the 13th April 1806 dated Cork".
- About a year before, she had accepted the hand of
"a young barrister of [considerable?] talent and of good expectations as to fortune, a friend of my father".
- Miss Tuohy had no money, and the barrister's friends disapproved of the match.
They worked on both of them,
and managed to break up the match.
- She was deeply hurt and
"the effort to conceal her feelings cost her her life".
She lost her appetite and "daily wasted away".
- Mary tried to help her, and took her to Kerry in the autumn of 1806.
Miss Tuohy "seemed to rally a little.
-
Daniel and Mary set off to go back to Dublin.
She went with them, but when they were half-way to Dublin,
"the poor young lady breathed her last in one of the [Inns?]
where they had stopped for the night".
Mary was disturbed for a very long time after this.
- The young man "never recovered his former spirits"
and though he became wealthy, he never married, and died still young.
Notes:
- It sounds like the girl committed suicide.
How else are we to read it?
-
Ellen would be a baby at the time, so was not a witness to these events.
As the eldest daughter, her parents would have told her about it years later.
But it does seem accurate.
Note when writing it years later she had also read her parents' letters of the time.
- Ellen does not give the girl's first name.
She says she is mentioned in a
letter from Daniel O'Connell, 13 April 1806, from Cork.
- Kitty Tuohy is
mentioned in multiple letters in this period as staying with Mary,
and also having a romantic rejection.
There is no doubt this is Kitty.
But we would like to find this 13 April 1806 letter.
- Ellen does not give the man's name.
But we have identified him.
The story of Miss Tuohy.
From p.99 of
p.1624.
See
larger
and
full page.
Miss Tuohy is the daughter of David Tuohy
Miss Tuohy's death in 1806 was covered in newspapers.
This confirms that she really did die suddenly.
It also shows she is the daughter of David Tuohy.
The death of Miss Tuohy on Sun 2 Nov 1806.
From the Limerick Gazette or General Advertiser,
Tuesday 4 November 1806.
Abstract of notice in Limerick Chronicle, shortly after 2 Nov 1806.
From
p.2439
of [O'Kief, vol.8].
Says she died at "New Bridge" (near Rathkeale).
Newbridge and Rathkeale on p.104 of
[Taylor and Skinner, 1777].
N is to the bottom right.
Newbridge is in Ballyan townland, NW of Rathkeale.
Close to
Riddlestown
and
Alta Villa.
See modern map
and street view.
Miss Tuohy is Kitty Tuohy
O'Connell letters mention "Kitty" many times in 1806.
"Kitty" is the person staying with Mary O'Connell,
suffering from rejection in a romance with James O'Regan.
It is clear from the writing that Kitty is a close relation, but not a sister of Mary or Daniel.
Letters around Nov 1806 have not so far been found.
1807 letters suddenly stop mentioning Kitty. (She had died.)
The editor of
[Correspondence of Daniel O'Connell]
says "Kitty" is Kitty Tuohy, and this is clearly true.
Letter from
Mary O'Connell
to her husband
Daniel O'Connell, 2 Apr 1806.
Kitty is unmarried, and being teased about romantic possibilities.
From the language,
Kitty is not Mary's sister
Catherine
or Daniel's sister
Catherine,
since it says
"her mother".
From p.150 (letter 165) of
[Correspondence of Daniel O'Connell, vol 1].
Maurice Rickard O'Connell,
editor of the Correspondence,
says she is Kitty Tuohy.
James O'Regan
The O'Connell letters show that Kitty's man is
James O'Regan [born 1782], a young barrister and friend of
Daniel O'Connell.
The details of his life fit the
Fitzsimon story.
-
Dr. James O'Regan,
of Mallow, Co.Cork.
He died 1801.
He had issue:
- James O'Regan,
born 1782.
He became a barrister.
He was admitted to
King's Inns, Dublin, in 1801.
He died unmarried in 1821, age 39 yrs.
James O'Regan's entry in
King's Inns
admissions.
Entered King's Inns, Trinity Term 1801.
Entered Lincoln's Inn, Easter Term 1803.
Barrister Nov 1805.
Notes on
James O'Regan's family and life.
From "Sir Teague O'Regan of Ballynacloghy, Co. Cork",
by Francis J. Healy,
JCHAS, 1906, Vol. 12, No 71, pp.121-125.
Shows he died early, unmarried.
As in the Fitzsimon story.
