Inscriptions at Killorglin, Co.Kerry, Ireland
	The CHAPEL at CASTLE CONWAY, Killorglin   BLACK JACK'S MONUMENT TO HIS FAMILY   A marble monument in the private Chapel at Castle Conway was erected by John “Black Jack” Blennerhassett (b.c1665 d.c1738) in memory of his wife Elizabeth Cross (b.c1669, d.22-March-1732 aged 63 years) & others of their family. The latin inscription on this monument is transcribed was recorded by Black Jack himself, in “Black Jack's Book”, the second version of a Ms.genealogy of Blennerhassett and related Kerry families compiled by him c1720-1736.   Both the Blennerhassett house "Castle Conway" and the older castle that preceeded are long demolished, they being for many years a quarry for later buildings of Killorglin town. Some ruins survive, accessible through the premises of the Allied Irish Bank, from whom permission should be obtained. As no one is claiming ownership of the castle, the owner of "Kingston Bar" at Killorglin has opened the area inside the castle for picnics and parties. The chapel and its Blennerhassett monument are lost, but I am told "...contractors digging a foundation to a house in the general area of the Castle Conway grounds uncovered an opening that may have been a vault or tomb. They closed up the opening and continued their construction..." [DG].   The Latin inscription has been transcribed by three notable Co.Kerry historians:                                                                                                             1. Dr Charles Smith (bef.1756)                                                                                                             2. Mary Agnes Hickson (bef.1872)                                                                                                             3. Arthur Blennerhassett Rowan D.D. (1855).   Charles Smith will have seen the monument with his own eyes, but the Hickson and Rowan transcriptions are definitely taken from the Ms. "Black Jack's Book", which they each independently transcribed. The Hickson transcription was published in vol.1 (1872) of her "Selections from Old Kerry records". vol.2 was published in 1874.   Mary Hickson's published version of "Black Jack's Book" [BJB/OKR], valuable though it is, when compared with Arthur Blennerhassett Rowan's Ms. [BJB/ROWAN] gives, in a few places, an impression of work not thoroughly checked. Where there are differences between the two transcriptions, Rowan appears correct in most cases. He also successfully transcribes other latin texts that Hickson found illegible.   For this particular inscription at Castle Conway, her version may perhaps be a copy of Dr. Smith's earlier work, rather than a copy of the inscription as it appears in the Ms. "Black Jack's Book". She differs in detail (shown here in red) from Rev. Rowan's version by omitting “...in my Chapel at Killorglin...” to identify the location of the monument, by omitting 'amabilis' (kind) and by dating the death by drowning of Avice (Conway) Blennerhassett as April 1663 (MDCLXIII) instead of April 1683 (MDCLXXXIII).   The correct year is most probably 1683 as stated by Rowan. Her eldest son John “Black Jack” Blennerhassett has an estimated date of birth, from other sources, of c1665, and several siblings were born after him, which makes 1663 as her date of death difficult to accept, whereas Rowan's date of 1683 fits the facts well. [BIFR p.136] and other sources have repeated Hickson's 1663 date so it now has wide circulation, but I believe it to be mistaken. Bill Jehan
	CHARLES SMITH   MARY AGNES HICKSON   ARTHUR BLENNERHASSETT ROWAN “The Ancient & Present State of the County of Kerry” by Dr. Charles Smith was published in 1756, only 24 years after the monument was erected.   pp.148-9 are devoted to Killorglin and record the inscription, which he will have seen. He gives the date of death of Avice Conway Blennerhassett as 1663 (as Hickson later used) not 1683 (as Rowan later used).    NOTE: In the chapter “ Ecclesiastical State”, on p.70 he describes Killorglin ' Church of Ireland' parish (c1756) as: “Killorglin, Rectorial, church in ruins, Patron, The King. Proxy 5 shillings”.   Black Jack's original c1720-1736 Ms. [BJB] was transcribed before 1872 by Kerry Historian & Genealogist Mary Agnes Hickson (1811-1899)   Her Ms. is in the library of the Society of Genealogists in London, recently rebound.   Hickson transcribed this prior to publishing as: "The Blennerhassett Pedigree, A.D. 1580-1736” in “Selections from Old Kerry Records” vol.1 1872, p.55. [BJB/OKR]   Black Jack's original c1720-1736 Ms. [BJB] was transcribed c1855/8 by Kerry Historian & Genealogist Arthur Blennerhassett Rowan D.D. (1800-1861) Archdeacon of Ardfert [BJB/ROWAN]     Smith records the location of tomb & monument:   "...In the chapel of this place is the following inscription, on a monument, over the lady of John Blennerhasset, Esq:"   Hickson records the inscription, perhaps copying Smith:   "...and Elizabeth Cross my wife, to whose memory I raised a monument and had the following inscription writt on her tomb:"     Rowan records the inscription:   "...and 3rd Eliz'th Cross my wife who died anno 1732, in whose memory in my Chapel at Killorglin (I) raised a monument and had the following inscription cutt on her tomb, viz:"   JOHANNIS BLENNERHASSET armigeri; pia, sobria, casta, amabilis, multis desiderata;  obiit 22, die Martii MDCCXXXII [1732]. Annoq;  aetatis suae LXIII. Maerens maritus posuit.  Hic etiam jacet AVICIA, mater dicti  JOHANNES mersa mari, mense Aprilis  MDCLXIII [1663]. Etiam JENKIN & EDWARDUS  CONWAY, avus et pater dictae AVICIAE.  Nec non HENRICUS frater dicti JOHANNIS; in  quorum omnium memoriam ipse haeres AVICIAE  hoc marmor instrui fecit.       Hic jacet Elizabetha charissima conjux  Johannis Blennerhassett armigeri;  pia, sobria, casta, multis desiderata;  obiitt 22. die Martii MDCCXXXII [1732], Annoq;  aetatis suae LXIII. Maerens maritus posuit.  Hic etiam jacet Avicia, mater dicti  Johannis mersa mari, mense Aprilis  MDCLXIII [1663]. Etiam Jenkin et Edwardus  Conway, avus et pater dictae Aviciae.  Nec non Henricus frater dicti Johannis: in  quorum omnium memoriam ipse haeres Aviciae  hoc marmor instrui fecit.   Hic jacet Elizabetha charissima conjux  Johanns. Blennerhassett armig  pia, sobria, casta, amabilis, multis desiderata  obiit 22nd die Martii Ano. MDCCXXXII [1732] Annoq  a[e]tatis suae 63. Maerens maritus posuit.  Hic etiam jacet Avicia mater dicti  Johannis mersa mari mensa Aprilis  MDCLXXXIII [1683] Etiam Jenkin and Edwardus  Conway, avus et pater dictae Avicia  Nec non Henricus frater dicti Johanis in  quorum omnium memoriam ipse hores Avicia hoc marmor instrui fecit          English translation of Rowan's transcription:         Here lies Elizabeth dearest wife of  John Blennerhassett gentleman;  pious, sober, chaste, kind, missed by many;  died 22nd of March 1732;  in her 63rd year. Her grieving husband buried her.  Here also lies Avice, mother of said  John, who was drowned at sea in April  1683. Also, Jenkin and Edward  Conway, grandfather and father of said Avice.  As well as Henry the brother of said John: in  the memory of all of these the heir himself of Avice   had this marble made

 

 

Monument in Killorglin town centre to the memory of

 

Capt. Townsend Blennerhassett of Ballymacprior, near Killorglin, Co.Kerry and a local boat-boy named Costello both drowned on 20-Jun-1867 in Castlemaine Bay. They were in Townsend's sailing-boat with his family and friends, the party intending to picnic on the sandbar at Inch. They presumably departed from a mooring on the river Luane below the Blennerhassett home, Ballymacprior Lodge near Killorglin. Helen O'Carroll, curator of Kerry County Museum at Tralee, suggests it likely that the drowning happened between Inch and Cromane and that he was brought ashore at Cromane.

 

Townsend is buried in the main graveyard in Dromavalla near Killorglin. His brother Dr Edward Blennerhassett of Valentia, who served as Doctor to the Atlantic Telegraph Company in Valentia on a salary of £150 per year, is also buried there in a separate grave.   photographs of headstones are requested....

 

"A pleasure party came to a most tragic end near Tralee on Thursday afternoon. About 4 o'clock Captain Blennerhasssett, with a large party of ladies (including his wife, his young daughter, and several of his immediate connexions), and accompanied by Mr James Redmond Barry, Inspector of Fisheries, a gentleman far advanced in life, went out in a sailing boat for an excursion to Inch Island, in Castlemaine-bay. He took with him to assist in managing the boat two men named Costello, father and son. The intention of the party was to land in Inch Island and dine there, for which purpose provisions were taken in the boat."

 

"When out some distance in the bay something got wrong about the rope attaching the punt to the large boat, and the younger Costello was directed to look after it. He went into the punt, which was upset, and, being unable to swim, he was in danger of being drowned. Captain Blennerhassett, a good swimmer, undressed, plunged in, and swam to where the young man was struggling for life. He would have been save, and all would have ended happily had the sailing boat been brought to; but old Costello and Mr Barry became utterly paralyzed, and incapable of managing it. Accordingly it drifted on before the wind, leaving the owner to his fate. There was a small fishing-boat in the offing, and to it the agonized ladies made signals by waving their handkerchiefs and pointing to the spot. The fishermen responded, but too late. Captain Blennerhassett, being exhausted, was obliged to let go the young man, who sank to rise no more. When the gallant gentleman was drawn into the fishing-boat he was still breathing, but he died in a few minutes."