Murphy;
Variant Spellings; Molphy, Murricohn, O’Morochoe, O'Muracha.
Murphy is the commonest name in Ireland and is usually found without the O prefix.
O Murchadha is the name in Gaelic though Mac Murchadha is also found. The name is derived from two Irish words muir 'sea' and cadh 'warrior'. It arose independently in many parts of Ireland, the sept in Co. Wexford being the most important. Here the chief of the name used the form O’Morchoe.
Today the name is most numerous in Munster, particularly in Counties Cork and Kerry. The Munster sept is mostly associated with the Barony of Muskerry Co. Cork. In Ulster the Murphys are found in Counties Tyrone and Armagh.
Rev. John Murphy (1753-1798) and Rev. Michael Murphy (1767-1798) died leading the 1798 rebellion. John Murphy (1700-1770) known by his Irish name Sean O Murchadha na Raithineach was the last chief of the Blarney bards. Marie Louise Murphy (1737-1814) was the mistress of Louis XV. She can be seen in a number of paintings by Boucher, whose model she was. William Martin Murphy (1844-1921) was a leader of the employers in the great Dublin strike of 1913.
Of the Ulster Murphys, Arthur Murphy (1727-1805) was an actor and dramatist, Rev James Gracey Murphy (1808-1896) was a Hebrew scholar and Patrick Murphy (1834-1862) was noted for his height in that he was eight feet one inch tall.
The motto of the Wexford Murphys is 'Fortis et Hospitalis'.
Coat of Arms
O'Morchoe (Wexford)
Murphy (Muskerry)
Where the Families Lived (Blue Area)
Addresses for More Information
Ireland
Centre for Irish Genealogical and Local Studies, Carraig, Cliff Road, Windgates, Bray, Co. Wicklow, Ireland. (Sean Murphy, MA, Director)
General Register Office, 8-11 Lombard Street East, Dublin 2, Ireland.
Telephone (01) 671 1000
Website http://www.doh.ie/manual/chap4/gere.htm
National Archives, Bishop Street, Dublin 8, Ireland.
Telephone (01) 478 3711
National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2, Ireland.
Telephone (01) 603 0200
Website www.heanet.ie/natlib
Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, 66 Balmoral Street, Belfast BT9 6NYY, Northern Ireland
Telephone (01232) 251319.
Website http://proni.nics.gov.uk/index.htm
University College Dublin, Adult Education Office, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
Website http://www.ucd.ie/delltti
Britain
Family Records Centre, London, England.
Website http://pro.gov.uk/about/frc/default.htm
Public Records Office, Kew, Surrey, England.
Website http://www.pro.gov.uk
General Register Office for Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland.
Website http://www.open.gov.uk/index.html
National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth, Wales.
Website http://www.llgc.org.uk/index.htm
North America
Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints, Family History Information, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
Website http://lds.org/en/ 2 how do I begin/0- how do I begin.html
Family Tree Maker’s Genealogy Site
Website http://www.familytreemaker.com/index.html
The Irish Ancestral Research Association (TIARA), P.O. Box 619 Sudbury, MA 01776, USA.
Website http://tiari.ie
Irish Genealogical Society International, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA.
Website http://www.rootsweb.com irish/index.html
New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston Massachusetts, USA.
Website http://nehgs.org/main-01.htm
Australasia
Genealogical Society of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
Website http://www.alphalink.com/au/esv
National Archives of Australia, Canberra, Australia.
Website http://www.aa.gov.au/AA_WWW/AA_Home_Page.html
National Archives of New Zealand, Wellington, New Zealand
Website http://www.archives.dia.gov.nz
List of Links
Cyndi’s List of Genealogical Sites on the Internet: Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Website http://www.cyndilist.com/ireland.htm
UK and Ireland Genealogical Information Service.
Website http://www.genuki.org.uk
Copyright © 1998 by A. MacDarragh Burke, MD
All Rights Reserved.