A Kilkenny Funeral Entry 1639 for the family of Merry alias O'Houlaghane of Callan

Found accidently whilst leafing through a volume The Memorials of the Dead 1907  was a transcription of a Kilkenny Funeral Certificate dated 1639 for the family of Merry or O'Houlaghane of Callan.   What you may ask is a Funeral Certificate?  The Funeral Certificates of Ireland date from 1588-1729 and are to be found in the Genealogical Office in Dublin with the exception of one volume which has ended up in the British Library in London.  These certificates contain a return of names, parentage, arms, marriage, issue, and date and place of burial of the Irish gentry whose funerals where officially attended by the Ulster King of Arms or his deputy.  They are a kind of early death certificate but for the gentry only.   Nevertheless they are extremely useful.   This Merry/O'Houlaghane funeral certificate reads as follows:-






Thomas Merry alias Houlaghane of Castle Town in the County of Kilkenny, eldest son of Richard Merry of Callen in the said county, deceased.  The first mentioned Thomas took to his first wife Juan (Joan?) daughter of (blank) Harris of (blank) by whom he had issue.  The first mentioned Thomas took for his 2nd wife Mary daughr of John White of Kells in the county of Kilkenny, Gent by whom he had 2 children, one son and one daughter, viz Richard Merry, the son and Margarett the daughter both young and unmarried.  The said  first mentioned Thomas departed this mortall life at Castletown aforesaid the (blank) of Novemr 1638 and was interred in Our Ladies Church, Callan aforesaid.  The truth of the premisses is testified by the subscription of Pierce als (alias) Peter Merry cozen of the defunct who hath returned this certificate to be recordd in my Office, taken by Thomas Preston Esqr, Ulvester (Ulster) King of Arms, the 9th of May 1639.  (All spelling as in original document).








This funeral entry states quite clearly that Thomas Merry, alias Houlaghane, was buried inside St Mary's Church, Callan.    Carrigan (The History and Antiquities of the Diocese of Ossory 1905) records the following floor slab, then being used as a doorstep in the north entrance to the nave of this church. (This appears in Vol  3, page303,  and is in the section where he is describing the North aisle).    The floor slab is in latin but translated reads "Here lies the distinguished man Richard Merry formerly..........................notary, who happily exchanged life for death Dec 27th 1584".  Carrigan states that the inscription is in Old English lettering, in part, worn away but that there was a cross in relief down the centre. He found no mention of Thomas Merry of the Funeral Certificate dated 1639. 

The north entrance to St Mary's, Callan

Further research records that the Celtic family of O'Hoolahan (sic) was disposed of its territory in Connaught in the 16th century when members of the family settled in various parts of Leinster changing their name to Merry, MacMerry or Fitzmerry.  A Richard Merry alias Hoolahan of Callan  received a pardon June 10th 1559 - this is no doubt our man of the doorstep tombstone dated 1584.


Thomas Merry of the 1639 Funeral Certificate was without doubt an important man around the town of Callan.  The Sources database at the National Library of Ireland has manuscripts recording his land deals from 1593 - 1631.   He was clearly a man of substance so it is odd that no memorial to him has survived at Callan.   One 1593 grant to Thomas is for a castle and messuages in Callan, another 1595 grant made by his cousin John Merry is of 2 messuages and a garden in Carrickmagiffin; this is now called Carrick on Suir and is in Tipperary.  Further grants to Thomas Merry concern land in Callan called Andrew's Croft (1604), a grant of a house and garden in Kells Street made during the time of James 1, a 1613 grant by Donogh Dologherty for his brother-in-law Thomas Merry alias Hologhan, of 2 messuages and garden in Callan.  He also gets a grant in 1601 for land at Skehanagh in the borough of Callan for 61 years.  And a lease for the Manor of Callan for 21 years from December 10th 1613.     There is a lease given to Thomas Merry by the Earl of Ormonde for the lands of Castletown, county Kilkenny for 21 years dated September 1605 and another lease from Viscount Thurles to Thomas and Mary Merry of the lands of KilmcOliver, county Kilkenny and of Cerry in county Tipperary given in May 1631.     Clearly Thomas Merry is an affluent  man of property.    Some of the children of Thomas Merry settled in Waterford where is it possible to trace them up to comparatively modern times.    One of the direct line of descent, a John Merry, married Mary Murphy of Waterford; they had two sons, Joseph and John Peter and a daughter Mary.  Mary married Robert Power, Waterford merchant.   Joseph(died 1804)  went off to Seville in Spain where he became a merchant, married  a Manuela Gayte and had 5 sons and two daughters.   John Peter Merry (born 1745) went to live in London where he too operated as a merchant.  He never married but his 1804 Will (in the National Archives in London) reveals that he had a natural son by Rebecca Buton, a house servant formerly in his employ.  The son, George Merry  born 15th June 1791, "now at Mr Turner's School in Hammersmith" is well provided for in his Will as is the mother of the child with the caveat "she shall not interfere with my son".    The Hammersmith and Fulham Archives in London possess a scrap book which had been compiled by a Captain George John Thomas Merry  (born 1817) and who was the son of George Merry (born 1791).    It is possible to trace the line down further.




Mary Merry who married Robert Power of Waterford, left in her Will a bequest to establish a Ladies Asylum in Waterford for 12 old ladies who found themselves in reduced circumstances.   She named as her trustees Rev Dr John Power, Bishop of Waterford and Edmund Rice, the founder of the Irish Christian Brothers.  However one of her Spanish nephews, a Joseph Merry came to Ireland to lay claim to her money and dispute her Will.  The dispute was heard in the Spiritual Court: John Philpot Curran, the Master of the Rolls made the judgement against Joseph Merry and upheld the bequest in Mary's Will.


There is a draft pedigree for this Merry family in the Genealogical Office collection, Dublin; this refers to the Merrys of Waterford and of Seville in Spain.   And an article on the Waterford Merrys  in The Journal of the Waterford and South East of Ireland Archaeological Society.  Vol XVI. pp 30-35. 1913.
The following Merry families must also descend from the wider Merry family in Callan:-


1. A memorial transcribed by the Callan Heritage Society in 2005 in St Mary's.  A large flat stone.

 "Here lies deposited the remains of Bridget Merry alias Cody with two of her children. She died 13th June 1819 in the 33rd year of her age. Also the remains of her son John Merry who died 2nd May 1824 aged 12 years.  Also the remains of her husband Michael Merry of Callan who dept (departed) this life 7th May 1825 aged 48 years".


2. In Old Kilbride Graveyard on the southern outskirts of Callan is the following headstone:-
"Erected by Patrick Merry in memory of his wife Bridget Merry alias Costigan  who died July 8th 1805 aged 30 years". (Kilbride Graveyard has been transcribed and published in The Irish Ancestor No 1, 1986).


3. In Kells Priory we recorded a broken Merry headstone: only part of a formerly upright stone remains and this reads:-
 "........................Merry who departed Aug 18 1722...Erected by Pierce Merry her son who died ye 20....................Also Walter Merry her husband 1738".   Sadly the part of the stone naming Pierce's mother who appears to have died in 1722 is no longer to be seen around the Priory.  The remaining wording is tantalising though.  


Broken Merry headstone at Kells Priory dating from 1722



There is a prerogative Will dated for 1639 for Thomas Merry, alias Halligan (sic) of Callan, county Kilkenny in the Index to the Prerogative Wills of Ireland (1897) and two Wills in Ossory Wills 1536-1800 (1909) for Thomas Holaghan als Merry of Ballinecrony, county Kilkenny dated 1693 and for William Holaghan alias Merry, Kilkenny 1719. This last Will is for a cleric: Rev William O'Holaghan of the city of Kilkenny who made his Will in 1719 and who died in the same year.

Kilkeasy Graveyard, Parish of Aghavillar, county Kilkenny

Kilkeasy Graveyard lies down a back road between Hugginstown and Ballyhale.   It is beautifully situated on slightly higher ground than the surroundings and even when there is not a breathe of air down on the roadway, there always seemed to be a little breeze within the graveyard to blow away all the miasmas.  There is one elderly tree in the graveyard, a sycamore, which always seemed to be rustling its leaves at us when Bernie and I surveyed this graveyard in June 2014.

Kilkeasy can be spelt in various ways including Kilkasy, Kilkeasy, Kilcasey, Kilcacy, Kilceacy and Kilkeacy.   The graveyard is enclosed by a stone wall and has a ruined church which dates from prior to the 12th century. There are exactly 40 inscribed stones or distinct memorials.  This is an ancient burial place with inscribed  stones dating from the 18th century;  the earliest stone dates from 1735, others from 1769, 1775, 1786, 1789, 1792, and 1798.  A further 10 memorials date from between 1802- 1822.   There is one fairly modern stone which reads "Pray for the soul of Thomas Phelan who was killed at the Battle of Carrickshock 14th Dec 1831. Rest in peace".    In addition there are about 90 unnamed stone grave markers.  This is a Catholic graveyard.  Kilkeasy had 612 inhabitants in 1837.

Index to names



Aylward, Bomers, Bowers, Brennan, Brophy, Burke, Carroll, Costelloe, Costelo, Dalton, Dugan, Dugin, Egan, Farel, Farrel, Farrell, Fleming, Fitzpatrick, Gee, Hayden, Holden, Kealy, Lawlor, Mackey, Maher, Mason, McGrath, Murphy, Phelan, Power, O (just initials M.O), O'Farrell, Roche, Shachy, Walsh.






Index to place names recorded on memorials

Ballinaraha, Ballybray, Ballybrishen, Ballyflough, Ballyknock, Ballylock (possibly Ballyflock), Ballynacooly, Blackditches, Boolyglass, Boullaglass, Carrick-on-Suir, Carrickshock  (Battle of),  Corbally, Cottierstown, Goodwinsgarden, Harristown ,Hugginstown, Kilcacy, Kilcasey, Kilceacy, Kilkeasy, Kilkenny, Kilkenny county, Killahy, Knockmoylan,  Knocktopher,  Lacken, Melbourne, New Park, Pleberstown, Upper Patrick St.








Index to names of the mason inscribed on memorials

Wilm Kearney,   Molloy of Callan,  Molloy of Callan and Dun(garvan),  Molloy of Callan and Tullaroan. 

Stone No 27 is a collapsed altar stone now standing on raised pillars which are placed lengthways and not upright.  It was very difficult to read with a lengthy and flowery eulogy taking up most of the entire top of the stone "Beneath are interred the remains of Mrs Bridget Walsh alias Hayden in whose memory this monument has been erected by her husband Mr Wm Walsh of Kilkacy.  In the character of this truly amiable woman was combined those brilliant and attractive qualities of heart and intellect that never failed to impress her acquaintances with a sense of her superior merit and eminent virtue. Nature that endowed her with a penetrating and comprehensive a mind which industry improved and enriched by acquisition of a considerable fund of useful and ornamental knowledge.  It is too little to say of her, that this wife, parent, neighbour and in all virtuous (possibly various?)  relations of life she endeared herself with a blameless image.  She possessed a suavity (possibly surety?) of manner and goodness of heart and a benevolence of disposition that merit more exotic praise. She passed from this life to a better life on 18th Nov 1822 aged 45 years, accompanied by the acclaim of good works, lauded with the benediction of numbers whom her charity relieved and succoured, lamented by friends who her departure filled with sorrow and affliction.    Also the body of Will Walsh who died the 20th day of Jany AD 1858 in the 81st year of his age.  A husband worthy of such a wife"




There is quite a lot to say about this memorial.  First of all it was a very expensive memorial to erect and to have incised with such a long eulogy. This couple were comfortably off and quite keen to have their affluence displayed and acknowledged by the erection of such a memorial.  Their comfortable position in life is confirmed by the good works and charity dispensed by Bridget.  This memorial shows that they considered they had a certain privileged role in the society in which they moved and certainly William wanted to ensure this was recorded for posterity.  The use of the titles Mrs Bridget Walsh and Mr Wm Walsh (rather than just Bridget Walsh and William Walsh) indicates these were people of some substance and who took their position seriously.   Both husband William Walsh of Kilkacy and his wife Bridget Hayden were born in the same year 1777 but William survived Bridget by 36 years.    Presumably he did not marry again as there does not appear to be mention of a second wife but someone must have cared for him into his old age - one presumes a daughter or daughter-in-law.   The "penetrating and comprehensive mind which industry improved and enriched by acquisition of a considerable fund of useful and ornamental knowledge" and "superior merit" plus "blameless image" make this lady an absolute paragon of virtue.   The illuminating line however is the very last sentence which records William's death   "A husband worthy of such a wife".  In other words William was not outshone by his wife and she was worthy of him.  It is fairly unusual to find such a lengthy eulogy on a Catholic stone.  A descendant of this couple tells us that Bridget was a Hayden of Cahirleaske, a hugely respected Catholic family in the area. 
There are a further 9 memorials to Walsh here including three which have been erected by other Walsh of Kilkeasy.    These are "Erected by John Walsh in memory of his father David Walsh of Kilkacy departed this life 28th April 1786 aged 79 yrs" (therefore born 1707).   "Erected in memory of Mr John Walsh of Kilkeacy who departed this life Nov 22nd 1833 aged 86 yrs" (therefore born 1747) and a headstone to David Walsh of Kilkeasy died 25th June 1865 aged 90 years (therefore born 1778).  A nearby Walsh stone records "Edmd (Edmond) Walsh who died Nov 1735 aged 55 yrs (therefore born 1680).  This does not say of Kilkeasy but I suspect that Edmond Walsh was of this same Kilkeasy family.  In fact this is a very interesting family and worthy of more research.  For the sake of clarity I have not quoted the full transcription for these 4 Walsh stones but can check if you think these are your family.




There is another very damaged and broken Altar tomb which was really very difficult to read and gave us considerable trouble.




Trying to decipher the top of this stone using a torch to reflect the carving of the letters

It is split right across the centre. "Beneath this tomb (erected by?) James Farrell of Killahy are deposited the mortal remains of his beloved son Edmond Farrell of Killahy who departed this life the third day of December one thousand, eight (?) hundred and twenty six in the thirtieth year of his age". There follows four short lines of poem but this is almost impossible to decipher "He whom no help or prayers could save, From certain death or fear, May by piety of his life, Have all his........"   Here also lie the remains of Bridget Farrel (sic) of Harristown who departed this life February 11th 1818 aged 19 (?) years.
Finally just to amuse you,  a quote about the Mill at Kilkeasy (the mill at Cill Cess in Osraighibh) "it will not grind on the Lord's day except for guests, and will not grind even a handful that has been stolen; and women dare not to come into it".  (From Carrigan's History of the Antiquities in the Diocese of Ossory 1905. Vol IV page 6.)