History of Cork and Kerry parishes gathered by priest 100 years ago to be published
William Fr Ferris
The intriguing history of three parishes in the Diocese of Kerry will be immortalised in a book, 100 years after it was recorded.
Documents recorded by Fr William Ferris, a priest of the Kerry Diocese in the mid-1920s, will be brought to life thanks to Brendan McCarthy, who spent three years working on the original manuscripts to edit the book.
The new book, titled , will be the second instalment of the Fr William Ferris parish series which are both edited by Mr McCarthy.
Fr Ferris served in a number of Kerry parishes and published six books, including his major political work (1923) and (1948). He died in 1971 aged 90 years and is buried in the church grounds in Ballylongford.
The parish history will offer a rich insight into the culture and heritage of the Sliabh Luachra/Duhallow area.
Some of the information recorded includes the genealogical archive of the families within the three parishes, with some 1,118 individuals named in the book.
It will also contain a cultural archive including church history, old cemeteries, local poets and musicians as well as an archaeological survey of the three parishes.
The violence that occurred in the area will also feature, with the story of the Whiteboy insurrection of 1821/22 in Sliabh Luachra and Duhallow, a detailed account of the Land War of the 1880s and an account of the War of Independence in the areas all being included.
According to Mr McCarthy, the information was gathered by Fr Ferris from parishioners in the course of station Masses.
"It is history as lived and recounted by the ordinary people of Sliabh Luachra and Duhallow and their authentic voices come through clearly," said a statement.
Mr McCarthy is a native of Tralee and a graduate of University College Dublin and a solicitor by profession.
After a 25-year legal career in London, Mr McCarthy now pursues his interest as a local historian, his current area of research being Fr Ferris’s unpublished histories of Kerry parishes.
“I became interested in Fr Ferris’s work because he wrote the parish history of four parishes just outside Tralee called BallymacElligott, Ballyseedy, O’Brennan and Nohaval.
“I found some manuscripts and I transcribed them.”
Mr McCarthy edited and published in 2018.
The book included an index which allowed readers to find the relevant names quickly.
“It was a tremendous success. I got 500 copies of the book printed and they all sold quite quickly,” he added.
Mr McCarthy’s second iteration of the book will also include an index system.
will also be limited to 500 prints.
“I think the book built quite an interesting archive for people.
“I have received enquiries from all over the world asking if I can reserve a book.” The new book will be available in spring 2024.
The statement adds: "If you come from these parishes or if any of your forebears came from this area, then it is likely that your family features in this book."
People may discover where their ancestors lived, where they went to school, who their teachers were and if they were affected by the Famine.
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