Mulvihill

© Donal G. Burke 2013

While the name is found elsewhere about Ireland, O Mulvihills appear as a minor landholding family in O Madden’s territory of Síl Anmchadha in the late medieval and early modern period, based about the townland of Derreen in the parish of Kiltormer in east Galway.

Donell oge O Mullvihill of Derry (recte: Derreen) in Galway county, gentleman, held a half cartron of the four quarters of Ballineclunty in the barony of Longford about 1618. At the same time William boy (‘buidhe’ or ‘yellow’) O Mulvihill of Derrin, gentleman, held another half cartron or a one thirty second portion of Ballineclunty. Two others of the family, who would appear to have been brothers, Donell McShane Imulvihill and Edmund McShane Imulvihill of Derrin, gentlemen, jointly held a half cartron of Ballineclunty.[i]

A half cartron of the quarter of Knockanquin in that part of Tynagh parish that lay in the barony of Longford was held about 1641 by Daniel O Mullvihill.[ii]

At the same time, about 1641, Edmund McShane O Mulvihill, John McDonnell O Mulvihill and Donnogh McWilliam O Mulvihill were proprietors of a quarter of a cartron each in the quarter of Newtowne alias Ballynooe and Dorrine in the parish of Kiltormer, the remaining land in that quarter held by John the son of Christopher Bryan and Nicholas Hannin.[iii]

Daniel O Mulvihill of Derry was among those who had his estate confiscated in whole or in part by the Cromwellian authorities and was allocated a small area of land comprising four Irish profitable acres in the parish of Killimorbologue. Edmund McShane McEdmund O Mulvihill, described only as of the parish of Kiltormer, and who would appear to be the same man as ‘of Derrin’, likewise had his lands confiscated and was allocated a portion of land in the parish of Killimorbologue amounting to four Irish profitable acres.

One Darby O Mulvihill was leasing lands at Derrynlickmannagh in the barony of Leitrim in south east County Galway about 1671.[iv]