My ancestors - O'Rahilly - Contents
Richard Rahilly
(Left to Right): The O'Rahilly, Ellen Mangan, Richard Rahilly, Nell, Anno.
Photo c.1887.
See larger and full size.
Richard Rahilly,
highly successful businessman, shop-keeper and entrepreneur in Ballylongford and N Co.Kerry,
"a patriarchal figure not only in his own family but also in that of his younger brother" [Gaughan, 1986],
born Ballylongford, Co.Kerry, bapt 31 Dec 1839,
educ boarding school, Ennis, Co.Clare, Aodogán had his French exercise book from this school, beautiful copper plate writing,
he sp bapt of his 1st cousin Mary Ann Hickie's child 1857,
he took over family business in Ballylongford c.1860, in the old Rahilly house, Ballylongford,
"Richard Rahilly" (note not Mrs. Rahilly) is listed as baker, draper, fish curer and merchant, grocer and one of the principal farmers in Ballylongford in 1861 ["Memory Lane", The Shannonside Journal, 1994, p.121],
he may have had a previous marriage with a child born 1862,
he sp the bapt of his 1st cousin Edward McEllistrem 1863,
his mother died 1866,
described as "merchant", living Ballylongford at marriage,
mar 1868 to Ellen Mangan [bapt 24 Nov 1835],
he sp bapt of David Joseph Hickie 1872,
built up his father's business,
grocer, shopkeeper, publican, general merchant, draper,
baker, miller, fish curer,
farmer, landowner, importer, inventor,
post office and shipping agent,
became the wealthiest man in the area,
these were prosperous times for Ballylongford
at the mouth of the Shannon,
naval craft
were frequent visitors to Ballylongford Bay,
and the port served much of the outlying area,
even Limerick (the town is much reduced in importance today),
by 1874 he was wealthy enough to build
a fine
new 3 storey Rahilly house, Ballylongford,
beside the old Rahilly house,
at corner of main crossroads, the only 3 storey house in Ballylongford,
attended Daniel O'Connell
centenary celebrations in Dublin 1875
[Bourke, 1967],
listed as "grocer" at Margaret's death 1877
[GROI],
[Slater's, 1881]
lists him as the postmaster for Ballylongford,
and also lists him under "bakers"
and "grocers and spirit dealers"
and "linen and woollen drapers",
[letter by Eliza Patt, 1881]
says:
"you never saw such a deserted place now as Ballylongford.
It's Richard Rahilly that holds the Post Office there now ...
He is the only person that is doing any business in Ballylongford now",
he was very progressive, he wanted machine to record sales in the shop,
no such device on the market, proceeded to invent one of his own,
said to be the first cash register
seen in Munster,
story that English salesman saw this,
and his company started to design one of their own,
Richard considered taking legal action, but was advised not to in the end,
other version of story is that Richard was inventing cash register,
got into trouble with someone else's patent, stopped him,
Rahillys were
the first people in Ireland with a domestic fridge,
he brought it from America,
he wanted to install an ice plant
- could have shipped salmon, rail to Dublin, fresh for London market - but
wife wouldn't go for it,
years later The O'Rahilly said if they had put in the plant,
he might never have left Ballylongford,
Ellen put down almost every idea he came up with,
she was against everything,
family story that she stopped him patenting something
- he always held that against her,
Aodogán asked
Alfred
about her, Alfred said he could sum her up in one word -
"she was a bitch",
Alfred said Richard was terrified of her, used take refuge with
their family,
he was involved in setting up of the co-operative creamery in Listowel,
[Gaughan, 1974] and
[Gaughan, 2004]
show that after many amalgamations
Listowel co-op became Listowel Dairy Company,
then Kerry Co-op,
now Kerry Group
(which owns Dennys),
invoice letterhead
of 1885
describes him as
"R. Rahilly, Insurance, Steamship, Flour and Commission Agent",
on 22nd June 1886, he wrote to his son Michael Joseph
(age 11)
regretting his own recent behaviour,
"I allude to my having" [perhaps "drunk more"?]
"than I ought on our trip to Queenstown,
but which I trust that you will never again see from your father"
[Aodogán's papers],
a loyal British subject, he was a
Justice of the Peace
in Co.Kerry,
Aodogán said he was JP
from c.1880,
but [Thom's]
only lists him from 1892,
he is listed as a JP when he signs a group letter
in the
Irish Times,
February 12, 1891,
from many JPs and
notable figures of Co.Kerry,
urging John Adye Curran,
County Court Judge of Kerry,
not to leave the county, and praising his work in reducing crime,
he was JP until his death 1896,
though an
anti-Parnellite,
he rescued a Parnellite candidate from a mob at a meeting in Astee, nr Ballylongford,
July 1892
[Bourke, 1967],
this would be in
general election, 1892,
the first since Parnell's downfall and the split,
think his younger brother's brilliant children
were helped through school and college by their rich uncle in Ballylongford,
owned boats, sailed Shannon and Atlantic coast;
went to race meetings; trips to England;
summer vacations, mainly in Co.Clare,
unlike the Humphrys,
the Rahillys and Mangans were very much interested in this world
- comfort, beauty, gardens etc,
[Guy's, 1893]
lists him as JP, emigration agent, grocer,
baker, draper, farmer,
and agent for Bannatyne's flour and meal stores,
Richard's last will dated 14 Mar 1893, minor codicil after,
he was a magistrate,
sitting on the Board of Guardians in Listowel
(Listowel Poor Law Union),
on Thur 19th Mar 1896, he attended meeting of Board of Guardians in Listowel,
called to appoint a new solicitor to the board
[The Kerry Evening Post, Sat 21st Mar 1896],
he cycled home to Ballylongford in torrential rain for 9 miles, got pneumonia,
died Ballylongford, Tue morning 24th Mar 1896, age 56 yrs
[The Kerry Evening Post, Sat 28th Mar 1896],
bur Lislaughtin Abbey
nr Ballylongford,
estate valued for probate at £24,945
[NAI],
this is about £10m in
today's money,
Aodogán said he was worth over £100,000
(£40m in today's money),
left his entire estate to Ellen, estate granted to her
3rd Sept 1897 [NAI],
probate granted at Limerick to his widow, of effects in England valued at £621,
sealed at London 23rd February 1898
[National Probate Calendar, England],
their son Michael Joseph
took over business in
Ballylongford,
but he was anxious to marry,
and he quickly sold it off 1898,
|
Ellen left Ballylongford 1898
and moved closer to her dau Nell (in Limerick city)
by purchasing a grand country house,
Quinsborough House, Co.Clare, Quinsborough was purchased by [Deed, Nov 1898], conveyance to her dau Anno for £3000 (about £1m in today's money), house and lands, Ellen and her dau Anno lived Quinsborough, Ellen always wanted to be gentry, never liked being shopkeeper's wife, no matter how wealthy (even though Mangans only small farmers, they looked down on shopkeepers), after Richard's death, Ellen continued supporting the education of T.F.'s brilliant children, see entry 
at Quinsborough
in
[Census, 31 Mar 1901],
see also here,
Ellen described as "Farmer";
Dick and Sighle staying at Quinsborough
that night with grandmother and Anno,
without their parents;
children not yet living there (each listed as "Visitor");
they have 3 servants living with them
- a nurse, a female general servant and a coachman,
Quinsborough is described as having 13 rooms, 12 windows in front of house, and 11 out-buildings - consisting of 2 stables, 1 coach house, 1 harness room, 1 cow house, 1 calf house, 1 piggery, 1 fowl house, 1 turf house, 1 shed and 1 store, Nell and her family moved in with them at Quinsborough when her husband Dr.David took ill, there by Sept 1902, Ellen attended Dr.David's funeral May 1903, her will dated 16 June 1903, |
she died at Quinsborough
[GROI],
11th Dec 1903 [grave],
[NAI],
age 68 yrs,
poss. died 4th Dec
[GROI],
estate only £1,109,
Richard's estate had been spent, and dispersed to the children,
bur Lislaughtin Abbey,
Dick (age 7) and Sighle (age 4)
were left alone in Quinsborough while everyone went to the funeral,
Sighle told me she remembered
they had a tremendous day sliding down the stairs on a tray,
their stern grandmother would have been horrified to know how they spent her funeral day,
The O'Rahilly drew up plan for new gravestone post-Dec 1903,
"Ór d'ua Rathghaille, Risteárd mac Mhichíl mhac Mhichíl,
d'éag 1896"
(Tomb of O'Rahilly, Richard son of Michael son of Michael, died 1896),
this new gravestone was NOT erected, but the old one WAS changed,
had issue:
- Margaret Rahilly,
born 5th July 1869, Ballylongford [GROI],
bapt 10 July 1869 [Ballylongford RC par records],
died of diarrhoea, 25th Aug 1870, Ballylongford, age 1 yr [GROI].
-
Nell Rahilly,
born Mary Ellen Rahilly (NOT Mary Elena or Mary Ellena),
"Mary Ellen" in Margaret Rahilly's will 1875,
at mar she is written in Latin "Maria Helena" in church records and "Mary Ellen" in [GROI],
born old house, Ballylongford, Co.Kerry,
born 27 Apr 1871, according to family records and par records, though [GROI] says born 28 Apr,
bapt 28 Apr 1871 [Ballylongford RC par records].
-
Anno O'Rahilly, revolutionary,
Aine, think NOT Anne,
born Anna Rahilly,
"Anna" in Margaret Rahilly's will 1875, "Anna" on grave,
born 17th Feb 1873 [GROI], old house, Ballylongford, Co.Kerry,
bapt 19 February 1873, [Ballylongford RC par records].
- Michael Joseph O'Rahilly, "The O'Rahilly",
the 1916 leader,
born Michael Joseph Rahilly, 22nd Apr 1875, new (3 storey) house, Ballylongford, Co.Kerry [GROI],
though Aodogán O'Rahilly said 21st Apr,
bapt 24th Apr 1875 [Ballylongford RC par records],
named after his grandfather Michael Joseph Rahilly.
- Margaret Rahilly (second Margaret), born 12th May 1876, Ballylongford
[GROI],
died of bronchitis, 7th May 1877, Ballylongford, age 1 yr [GROI].
Richard Rahilly (front LHS).
The writing on this looks like "P. Rahilly" but this is obviously "R. Rahilly" (there is no P. Rahilly).
See larger and full size.
(Left to Right):
Anno, Ellen Mangan, Richard Rahilly,
Dr. David Humphreys,
Nell.
Photo would be c.1895.
See larger
and full size.
Richard Rahilly, portrait.
See full size.
Invoice letterhead of
Richard Rahilly, 1885.
See larger
and full size.
Courtesy of Vincent Carmody.
Richard Rahilly sign.
Now in
Finucane's pub, Ballylongford.
Photo 2006.
See full size.
The grave of Richard Rahilly,
Lislaughtin Abbey.
(Left) Photo some time between 1896 and 1903.
(Right) Photo 1985.
The grave of Richard Rahilly.
See full size
and alternative shot
and close-up.
See alternative close-up
(this photo courtesy of Richard Humphreys).
There is a vault underneath this cross.
Photos 2006.
Unidentified Rahilly / Humphrys photos
Unidentified - Did Richard Rahilly have a previous marriage?
Richard Rahilly,of Ballylongford,
mar Ann Murphy and had issue:
- Ann Rahilly,
bapt 1 May 1862 [Ballylongford RC par records].
