Estate: Bernard/Morrogh-Bernard

Associated Families

• Bernard/Morrogh-Bernard
• Morrogh

Description

According to Burke, Edward Murrough married Martha Bernard of the county Kerry family and their son John took the name Bernard on inheriting his mother’s family property. John Morrogh Bernard was one of the principal lessors in the parishes of Kilbonane, barony of Magunihy and Killinane, barony of Iveragh at the time of Griffith’s Valuation. Lands on lease from the Bernard estate to John Shea Lawlor were offered for sale in the Encumbered Estates Court in January 1856. The Morrogh Bernard estate in Kerry amounted to over 7000 acres in Kerry in the 1870s. Edward Bernard of Killarney is also recorded as the owner of over 900 acres in county Wexford. Walter Morrogh was the proprietor of over 500 acres in county Kerry at this time. In the 1940s the Irish Tourist Association survey makes reference to "a nun (Mother Arsenius) , a member of the Bernard family, who founded the Foxford Woollen mills". The descendants of the Bernard family were said to be living in Italy in the early 1940s. Agnes Morrogh Bernard, later Mother Arsenius of the Sisters of Charity, foundress of the Foxford Woollen Mills in county Mayo in 1892, was a member of this family.

Houses

House Name / Description	Townland	Civil Parish	PLU	DED	Barony	County	Map Ref
Gortroe Lodge (H1668) At the time of Griffith’s Valuation, Gortroe Lodge was being leased by John Morrogh Bernard from John C.O’Riordan when it was valued at £22. Lewis records Gortroe Lodge as the seat of S. Riordan. Bary states that, according to John O’Donovan, Stephen Riordan built Gortroe Lodge in 1831. The house is now demolished and much development has taken place in the area.	Gortroe	Aghadoe	Killarney	Killarney Rural 71	Magunihy	Kerry	Lat/Lon: 52.07178 -9.54173 OSI Ref: V943922 Discovery map #78. OS Sheet #66.
Sheheree Cottage (H1706) Captain Denis Curtayne was leasing a property from Lord Kenmare’s estate at the time of Griffith’s Valuation, when it was valued at £17 5s. In 1885 Walford mentions Edward Morrogh Bernard "of Sheheree". Bary also states that the property was later associated with the Morrogh Bernard family. In 1994 it was still extant and occupied.	Sheheree	Killarney	Killarney	Coolies 70	Magunihy	Kerry	Lat/Lon: 52.04025 -9.47651 OSI Ref: V987886 Discovery map #78. OS Sheet #67.
Altavilla (H1986) Robert Rae was the owner of this property at the time of Griffith's Valuation, when it was valued at £5 5s. It is named as Altavilla on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey map. In 1837 Lewis refers to Ardmoniel Cottage, the seat of R. Rae, but also to Altavilla, residence of J. Morrogh. Bary mentions that Altavilla was associated with the Morrogh family. It was later the residence of the Dodd family and is still extant.	Farrantoreen	Killorglin	Killarney	Killorglin 80	Trughanacmy	Kerry	Lat/Lon: 52.10081 -9.77773 OSI Ref: V782958 Discovery map #78. OS Sheet #56.
Ballynagare House (H2073) John Morrogh Bernard was leasing this property to George Gilbert (Senior) at the time of Griffith's Valuation, when it was valued at £6. In 1837, Lewis described it as the seat of the representatives of the late John Barnard. Leet had noted it as the seat of the latter in 1814. Bary indicates that the original house at this site has been demolished.	Ballynagare	Dysert	Listowel	Kiltomy 104	Clanmaurice	Kerry	Lat/Lon: 52.41851 -9.62583 OSI Ref: Q894309 Discovery map #63. OS Sheet #15.
Rockfield (H2200) In 1837 Lewis noted that "Rockville" was the property of the representatives of the late John Drew. At the time of Griffith's Valuation, William Whorland was leasing a property valued at £5 10s from the Drew estate. The property was offered for sale by Alicia Wherland in the Landed Estates Court in July 1862 and again in July 1872. In 1906 Rockfield was owned by Bertram Morrogh Bernard and was valued at £11. Bary mentions it as a house associated with the Sealy family. Buildings are still extant at the site.	Rockfield Middle	Kilbonane	Killarney	Rockfield	Magunihy	Kerry	Lat/Lon: 52.12806 -9.63422 OSI Ref: V881986 Discovery map #78. OS Sheet #57.
Fahagh Court (H2213) In 1786 Wilson mentions Fagha as the seat of Mr. Falvey. At the time of Griffith's Valuation, Daniel Buckley was leasing this property from John Morrogh Bernard, when it was valued at £3 10s. In 1906 Bertram Morrogh Bernard owned this property, then valued at £25. A house built n the later nineteenth century, it is labelled Fahagh Court on the 25-inch Ordnance Survey map of the 1890s. In 1943 the Irish Tourist Association survey noted that it had been extensively reconstructed and modernised and "bears little resemblance to the historic residence of the Morrogh-Bernards and before them the O'Flavey clan". It was then occupied by the Reynolds family. Bary states that the property became a hotel in the twentieth century before being damaged by fire. The extensive yard complex has now become the Killarney Country Club and holiday accommodation.	Faha East	Kilbonane	Killarney	Aglish	Magunihy	Kerry	Lat/Lon: 52.10839 -9.62620 OSI Ref: v886964 Discovery map #78. OS Sheet #57.
Currymount (H2901) Lewis gives J. O'Leary as the proprietor of Currymount in 1837. By the time of Griffith's Valuation Currymount was held by Alexander McCarthy in fee and was valued at £7.10 shillings. Hajba writes that Alexander McCarthy left Currymount to his brother-in-law, James Morrogh, third son of James Morrogh of the city of Cork. The house was considerably extended post Griffith's Valuation. James McCarthy of Currymount owned 259 acres in the 1870s. In the late 19th century Eustace Morrogh Bernard lived at Curraghmore. Bought by the Purcells of Burton Park in the second decade of the 20th century as a dower house and passed by marriage to the Bird family. The Irish Tourist Association Survey refers to it as the seat of Major Bird in the 1940s and also that the Morrogh-Bernard family resided here before going to live at Byblox.	Currymount	Bregoge	Mallow	Churchtown 238	Orrery and Kilmore	Cork	Lat/Lon: 52.23957 -8.73349 OSI Ref: R499 100 Discovery map #73. OS Sheet #16.
Byblox (H3246) Burke's Landed Gentry of Ireland (1904) traces the Ross family of Dunmoyle from the Mann family of Byblox in the first half of the 18th century. Hajba writes that the original house was occupied by the Langley family in the 18th century. At the end of that century Roger Langley leased Byblox to Robert Fennel Crone who built a new house to replace the original which had been accidentally burnt. It was valued at £70 in the mid 19th century. The descendants of Robert F. Crone, including members of the Croker family, inhabited this six bay, three-storied house until the beginning of the 20th century when it was bought by the Morrogh Bernards. In the 1940s the Irish Tourist Association Survey noted that the house was then in the possession of Mrs. Drake Brockman but it was unoccupied with John Roche acting as agent. Byblox was demolished in the 1960s.	Byblox	Doneraile	Mallow	Doneraile 242	Fermoy	Cork	Lat/Lon: 52.22058 -8.59415 OSI Ref: R594 078 Discovery map #73. OS Sheet #17.
Old Court (Doneraile) (H3253) Originally a Watkins house, the property was leased to Jonas Stawell in 1813. The Stawells built a new house circa 1814. The Watkins sale rental of June 1853 includes a lithograph of the house and floor plans. In the early 1850s George C. Stawell held the house, valued at £40, from Edmund Nagle. Sold in the early 1850s to the Morroghs of Glanmire House. In the 1940s the Irish Tourist Association Survey noted that this property had also been associated with Alexander Roche, the brother of Lord Fermoy. At the time of the survey the house was occupied by a Miss Creagh and a Miss Shannon. It is now a ruin.	Oldcourt	Doneraile	Mallow	Doneraile 242	Fermoy	Cork	Lat/Lon: 52.22867 -8.59279 OSI Ref: R595 087 Discovery map #73. OS Sheet #17.

Archival sources

• Cork County Library: Irish Tourist Association survey files, Parish of Buttevant.
• Kerry Library, Local History & Archives Section : Irish Tourist Association Survey Files, 1942-43: Parish of Milltown (Faha Court)
• National Archives of Ireland: Encumbered Estates' Court Rentals (O'Brien), Lawlor, 18 January 1856, Vol 38, MRGS 39/0018, (microfilm copy in NUIG)

Contemporary printed sources

Many of these resources are now available online. For a list with Web links please see the Online Printed Sources Links

• GRIFFITH'S VALUATION OF IRELAND'[Primary Valuation of Tenements]', 1850-1858. : Magunihy Barony: 7 (Gortroe Lodge), 28 (Faha East)
• GRIFFITH'S VALUATION OF IRELAND'[Primary Valuation of Tenements]', 1850-1858. : Clanmaurice Barony: 54 (Ballynagare)
• HUSSEY DE BURGH, U. H. The Landowners of Ireland. An alphabetical list of the owners of estates of 500 acres or £500 valuation and upwards in Ireland. Dublin: Hodges, Foster and Figgis, 1878. [available online at www.askaboutireland.ie] : 31
• LEET, Ambrose. A directory to the market towns, villages, gentlemen's seats, and other noted places in Ireland. Dublin: Printed by B. Smith, 1814 : 22 (Ballynagare)
• LEWIS, Samuel. A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland. London: S. Lewis & Co., 1837: Vol.I, 14: (Aghadoe Parish), 591 (Dysert Parish), Vol.II, 152 (Killorglin Parish)
• PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. Return of Untenanted Lands in Rural Districts, Distinguishing Demesnes on Which There is a Mansion..., HC 1906, c, 177: 255 (Faha East), 257 (Rockfield)
• PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. Return of names of proprietors and area and valuation of properties in counties in Ireland, held in fee or perpetuity or long leases at chief rents, 1876. (412) LXXX. 395: 75.
• PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. Return of owners of land of one acre and upwards, in the several counties .... in Ireland. HC 1876, LXXX: 141
• SLATER, Isaac. Royal National Directory of Ireland: List of the principal seats. (Manchester: 1894) : xxvi, 217(Faha Court)
• WALFORD, Edward. 'The County families of the United Kingdom. London: Chatto & Windus, 1885): p.80 (Morrogh Bernard)
• WILSON, William. The Post-Chaise Companion or Travellers Directory Through Ireland. The author: Dublin, 1786 : 362 (Fagha [Falvey])

Modern printed sources

• BENCE-JONES, Mark. A Guide to Irish Country Houses. Revised ed. London: Constable, 1988. : 51 (Byblox), 123 (Fahagh Court)
• BURKE, Sir Bernard. A genealogical and heraldic history of the Landed Gentry of Ireland. London: Harrison & Sons, 1912: 42
• Bary, Valerie. Historical Genealogical Architectural notes of some Houses of Kerry Whitegate, county Clare: Ballinakella Press, 1994. : 39 (Ballynagare), 109 (Faha), 136 (Gortroe)
• HAJBA, Anna-Maria. Historical Genealogical Architectural notes on some Houses of Cork. Volume I: North Cork. Whitegate: Ballinakella Press, 2002: 90 (Byblox), 289-290 (Old Court)
• MONTGOMERY-MASSINGBERD, Hugh (ed). Burke's Irish Family Records. London: Burke's Peerage, 1976: 104