My ancestors - Blennerhassett - Contents

Mahony

• References:
  • MAHONY in [Burkes Irish, 1976, pp.774-779]

  • Blennerhassett Mahany family tree by Bill Jehan

• Sources yet to be fully consulted:
  • [McCarthy, 1923]

Descent of Sarah Mahony.
Extract from [Burkes Irish, 1976, p.776].

Tiegue O'Mahony Mergagh.
He signed a treaty with the Lord Deputy Leonard Grey, 1st Viscount Grane in 1536.
He mar Honora O'Sullivan.
[Burkes Irish, 1976] says Honora is dau of Dermod O'Sullivan Beare, Lord of Dunboy, by his wife Eleanor FitzGerald, dau of 8th Earl of Kildare [descendant of Edward I]. However this is not confirmed on the Earl of Kildare side and it seems wrong.
Tiegue and Honora had issue:

Sean Mahony,
had issue:

Donagh Mahony, or Denis.
See wikitree.
He mar Honora McCarthy.
They had issue:

John Mahony.
He mar 1stly to Honora O'Connell.
He died 1707.
He had issue by 1st wife:

Denis Mahony, or Donogh,
of Dromore Castle, Co.Kerry.
He mar Alice O'Connell.
He died 1724-1725.
They had issue:

James Mahony.
See wikitree.
He mar Catherine Conway [poss. descendant of Henry I].
Through her he came to Cloghane (or Clahane), near Tralee, Co.Kerry.
They had issue:

1. Kean Mahony.
   He mar Elizabeth Cotter.
   He died 1764.
   [Burkes Irish, 1976] says he is father of John of Blennerville. Wikitree says that is not proven. But the DNA now proves it.
   [McCarthy, 1923] says Kean is grandfather of Sarah who mar Blennerhassett.
   Kean and Elizabeth had issue:
   1. John Mahony,
      of Blennerville, Co.Kerry,
      mar Mary Delahunte,
      had issue:

      
      

      1. Sarah Mahony,
         born 1808, Catholic.
         See wikitree.
         She mar 1826 to Sir Arthur Blennerhassett, 3rd Baronet and had issue.

         
         

      2. Kean Mahany,
         born 1815, Blennerville.
         Emigrated to USA 1841.
         He adopted spelling "Mahany".
         He mar 1842 to Catherine Reynolds.
         They had issue:
         1. Rowland Blennerhassett Mahany,
            American politician, born 1864.
            He would have been named in 1864 as a tribute to his 1st cousin Sir Rowland Blennerhassett, 4th Baronet (born 1839, succ 1849, died 1909).
            He died 1937.
            The Mahony/Mahany family continued to use Blennerhassett as a name, though they do not actually descend from Blennerhassett.

   
   

2. James Mountain Mahony,
   of Killarney, Co.Kerry.
   See thepeerage.
   He mar Mary Trant.
   He died Killarney, 1809.
   They had issue:
   1. John Mahony,
      bapt 20 Aug 1801, Killarney RC church. See bapt entry from here.
      He died before 1868.
      He had issue:

      
      

      1. Elizabeth Mahony,
         Bessie.
         See wikitree.
         She was born 1840 (by 1911 census) or 1842 (by 1871 census) or 1843 (by 1881 census, arrest and trial).
         She was born Killarney [according to 1871 census, 1881 census, prison record, 1911 census].
         Her prison record says she is Catholic.
         She might be the Elizabeth Mahony who was bapt 17 February 1837 [Killarney RC par records], dau of John Mahony and Honora Hurley.
         See entry in tree by Simon Armstrong. This says she is "Elizabeth Jane". No surname. "Jane" could be a mis-reading by someone of "Jeune".
         See entry in tree by Teresa Le Jeune.
         She mar 4 July 1868, London, to Anthony Le Jeune [Anthony John Le Jeune] and had issue.
         (todo) See mar of Antony John Le Jeune, [GRO.UK], 3rd qr 1868, St. Giles, 1b 889.

Marriage of Elizabeth Mahony and Anthony John Le Jeune, 4 July 1868.
Shows Elizabeth's father and grandfather.
It says "John" Le Jeune, but [GRO.UK] index confirms it is Anthony John Le Jeune, who we know married an Elizabeth of Killarney.
So this is him. He married Elizabeth Mahony, not Elizabeth Blennerhassett.
From Saunders's News-Letter, 8 July 1868.
See also notice in Morning Post, July 8, 1868.

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"Elizabeth Blennerhassett" error

The following 1959 profile of James Le Jeune thought his grandmother was "Elizabeth Blennerhasset" not Elizabeth Mahony.
James Le Jeune's wikipedia says his grandmother was "Elizabeth Blennerhasset", maybe from a similar source. It thinks she was from Galway.

We know this is false.
We have the marriage above of Anthony John Le Jeune, and he married Elizabeth Mahony, not Elizabeth Blennerhassett.
We even know which Mahony family, and we know why that Mahony family explains the DNA.

So why was "Blennerhassett" remembered?
It must be some confused memory of Elizabeth's cousin Sarah Mahony, who married the Blennerhassett Baronet, and maybe also some memory of Elizabeth's cousin Rowland Blennerhassett Mahany. As noted above, the Mahony family were so proud of the Baronet marriage that they used Blennerhassett as a name, even though they do not descend from Blennerhassett.
It does seem odd that Elizabeth's family thought they were Blennerhassett. They are a bit distant to Sarah.
But we know it is false. The ancestor is Mahony.

Extract from profile of James Le Jeune.
From Irish Independent, September 2, 1959.

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• Mahony site by Tom Mahony. Has transcripts of books and articles.