The O'Mahony Family of The Priory Blackrock
Peirce Mahony married Jane Kenifeck
born 1793 10 Jan 1815 born circa 1791
died 19 Feb 1853 aged 60 St Paul’s Church died 19 Jul 1860 aged 69
Peirce Mahony, JP and DL of Kilmorna, Kerry was the elder son of Peirce Mahony, manager of
the Earl of Devon’s estates in Co Limerick and Anna Maria Maunsell, daughter of John Maunsell,
JP of Ballybrood, County Limerick. He married Jane, only daughter of the late Edmond Kenifeck
of Seafort (Ballindeasig), County Cork at St Paul’s Church on 10 Jan 1815.
He was a close associate of Daniel O'Connell and was elected as MP for Kinsale in 1837 but
unseated on petition. He was Daniel O’Connell’s private solicitor, and involved in the campaign for
Catholic Emancipation and also handled the defence of O’Connell and his colleagues in the State
Trials of 1843/4. He lived at The Priory Stillorgan from 1843 to 1846 and it was from here
that his daughter Maria was married.
1 Peirce Kenifeck Mahony born 8 Oct 1817 at Woodlaw, Co Kerry and of Kilmorna, Duagh Co
Kerry married Mary Jane (Jane) Gun-Cunningham, third daughter of Robert Gun Cunningham.
DL of Mount Kennedy, Co Wicklow and Elizabeth Foulkes on 15 Nov 1839 at
Newtownmountkennedy Church. That same year he was called to the Bar. He was MP for
Kinsale in 1847 and was appointed Clerk of the Queen’s Bench in 1849. Peirce died on
21 July 1850 at Herbert Street and was buried at Ballinure.
1 Peirce Robert George Gun Mahony born at Upper Fitzwilliam Street was baptised at St
Peters on 20 Oct 1840. He died 16 May 1844 at 29 Harcourt Street and was interred in
Mount Jerome.
2 George Philip Gun Mahony born 14 May 1842 at 3 Merrion Square was baptised at St
Peters. Died 14 Sep 1912 at Kilmorna, Co Kerry aged 70. He left his estate to his step
sister Edith de Janasz.
3 Pierce Charles de Lacy O'Mahony born 9 June 1850, educated at Rugby School and
Magdalen College, Oxford and then attended the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester.
He married Helen Louise Collis, only daughter of Maurice Collis on 24 Apr 1877. In 1898 he
was called to the Irish bar, and subsequently practised as a barrister. Helen died
26 Jul 1899 at the Warren House, Sutton. Pierce was a Nationalist politician and an
assistant Land Commissioner from 1881 to 1884 as well as a magistrate in both Kerry and
Limerick. He was a member of the Roads and Piers Commission and appointed member
of the Royal Commission on Market Right and Tolls. Of Grange Con, he secondly married
his first cousin Alice Jane Johnstone, daughter of Col William Francis (Frank) Johnstone on
17 Dec 1901 at St Bartholomew’s Dublin. He was an ardent home ruler and supported
Parnell during the O’Shea divorce scandal. Alice died 28 Jun 1906 aged 56 and was buried
at Ballinure churchyard in Wicklow. He styled himself The O'Mahony of Kerry from 1912
and died 31 Oct 1930.
1 Pierce Gun O’Mahony born 13 Mar 1878 at 3 North Great George’s Street married
Ethel Tindall Wright, youngest daughter of John James Wright, MD of Malton in
Yorkshire. Peirce worked with his uncle Arthur Vicars and was the Cork Herald of
Arms. He and his wife Ethel collected headstone memorials and were members
of the Association for the Preservation of the memorials of the Dead in Ireland.
Pierce died 26 Jul 1914 aged 36 in a gun accident and was buried at Ballinure
Churchyard. He left 5K in personal estate. Ethel died 26 Jul 1917.
2 Dermot Gun O’Mahony born 2 Apr 1891 married Grace Hill at Bath, Somerset in
1912. Grace died 2 Dec 1959 aged 78. Dermot died 23 Apr 1960 and they were
buried at Ballynure.
Jane secondly married Col William Henry Vicars on 8 Apr 1856 at St Marys Church in
Leamington. They had four children. Their son Arthur Edward Vicars was the Ulster King of
Arms but was dismissed in 1908 after the theft of the Irish crown jewels and retired to the
family homestead in Kilmorna, where he was shot during a raid on the house in 1921. Their
daughter Edith Jane Matilda married Monsieur Daniel Janesz of Wolica near Warsaw. Jane
died on 12 November 1873 aged 52. Both are mentioned on the vault at Mount Jerome and
were buried in Cheltenham as was Sir Arthur. There is also a memorial window at
St Bartholomew's Church on Clyde Road.
2 David Mahony born at Woodlaw on 13 Jan 1820 was a DL for Wicklow. He died 3 Aug 1900 and
was buried at Ballynure.
3 Anna Maria (Maria) Mahony only daughter born 16 Sep 1823 and of The Priory, Stillorgan married
Lieut Col Francis William Johnstone of Alva, Stirlingshire in Scotland, and son of James Raymond
Johnstone on 10 Jan 1844 at Stillorgan Parish Church.
1 Daughter (twin) Johnstone born 28 Aug 1844 at Guernsey.
2 Son (twin) Johnstone 28 Aug 1844 at Guernsey.
3 Alice Jane Johnston born circa 1850 married her cousin Pierce O’ Mahony at St Bartholomew’s
on 17 Dec 1901 and died 28 Jun 1906.
©June Bow & Karen Poff – December 2019
Peirce Mahony married Jane Kenifeck
born 1793 10 Jan 1815 born circa 1791
died 19 Feb 1853 aged 60 St Paul’s Church died 19 Jul 1860 aged 69
Peirce Mahony, JP and DL of Kilmorna, Kerry was the elder son of Peirce Mahony, manager of
the Earl of Devon’s estates in Co Limerick and Anna Maria Maunsell, daughter of John Maunsell,
JP of Ballybrood, County Limerick. He married Jane, only daughter of the late Edmond Kenifeck
of Seafort (Ballindeasig), County Cork at St Paul’s Church on 10 Jan 1815.
He was a close associate of Daniel O'Connell and was elected as MP for Kinsale in 1837 but
unseated on petition. He was Daniel O’Connell’s private solicitor, and involved in the campaign for
Catholic Emancipation and also handled the defence of O’Connell and his colleagues in the State
Trials of 1843/4. He lived at The Priory Stillorgan from 1843 to 1846 and it was from here
that his daughter Maria was married.
1 Peirce Kenifeck Mahony born 8 Oct 1817 at Woodlaw, Co Kerry and of Kilmorna, Duagh Co
Kerry married Mary Jane (Jane) Gun-Cunningham, third daughter of Robert Gun Cunningham.
DL of Mount Kennedy, Co Wicklow and Elizabeth Foulkes on 15 Nov 1839 at
Newtownmountkennedy Church. That same year he was called to the Bar. He was MP for
Kinsale in 1847 and was appointed Clerk of the Queen’s Bench in 1849. Peirce died on
21 July 1850 at Herbert Street and was buried at Ballinure.
1 Peirce Robert George Gun Mahony born at Upper Fitzwilliam Street was baptised at St
Peters on 20 Oct 1840. He died 16 May 1844 at 29 Harcourt Street and was interred in
Mount Jerome.
2 George Philip Gun Mahony born 14 May 1842 at 3 Merrion Square was baptised at St
Peters. Died 14 Sep 1912 at Kilmorna, Co Kerry aged 70. He left his estate to his step
sister Edith de Janasz.
3 Pierce Charles de Lacy O'Mahony born 9 June 1850, educated at Rugby School and
Magdalen College, Oxford and then attended the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester.
He married Helen Louise Collis, only daughter of Maurice Collis on 24 Apr 1877. In 1898 he
was called to the Irish bar, and subsequently practised as a barrister. Helen died
26 Jul 1899 at the Warren House, Sutton. Pierce was a Nationalist politician and an
assistant Land Commissioner from 1881 to 1884 as well as a magistrate in both Kerry and
Limerick. He was a member of the Roads and Piers Commission and appointed member
of the Royal Commission on Market Right and Tolls. Of Grange Con, he secondly married
his first cousin Alice Jane Johnstone, daughter of Col William Francis (Frank) Johnstone on
17 Dec 1901 at St Bartholomew’s Dublin. He was an ardent home ruler and supported
Parnell during the O’Shea divorce scandal. Alice died 28 Jun 1906 aged 56 and was buried
at Ballinure churchyard in Wicklow. He styled himself The O'Mahony of Kerry from 1912
and died 31 Oct 1930.
1 Pierce Gun O’Mahony born 13 Mar 1878 at 3 North Great George’s Street married
Ethel Tindall Wright, youngest daughter of John James Wright, MD of Malton in
Yorkshire. Peirce worked with his uncle Arthur Vicars and was the Cork Herald of
Arms. He and his wife Ethel collected headstone memorials and were members
of the Association for the Preservation of the memorials of the Dead in Ireland.
Pierce died 26 Jul 1914 aged 36 in a gun accident and was buried at Ballinure
Churchyard. He left 5K in personal estate. Ethel died 26 Jul 1917.
2 Dermot Gun O’Mahony born 2 Apr 1891 married Grace Hill at Bath, Somerset in
1912. Grace died 2 Dec 1959 aged 78. Dermot died 23 Apr 1960 and they were
buried at Ballynure.
Jane secondly married Col William Henry Vicars on 8 Apr 1856 at St Marys Church in
Leamington. They had four children. Their son Arthur Edward Vicars was the Ulster King of
Arms but was dismissed in 1908 after the theft of the Irish crown jewels and retired to the
family homestead in Kilmorna, where he was shot during a raid on the house in 1921. Their
daughter Edith Jane Matilda married Monsieur Daniel Janesz of Wolica near Warsaw. Jane
died on 12 November 1873 aged 52. Both are mentioned on the vault at Mount Jerome and
were buried in Cheltenham as was Sir Arthur. There is also a memorial window at
St Bartholomew's Church on Clyde Road.
2 David Mahony born at Woodlaw on 13 Jan 1820 was a DL for Wicklow. He died 3 Aug 1900 and
was buried at Ballynure.
3 Anna Maria (Maria) Mahony only daughter born 16 Sep 1823 and of The Priory, Stillorgan married
Lieut Col Francis William Johnstone of Alva, Stirlingshire in Scotland, and son of James Raymond
Johnstone on 10 Jan 1844 at Stillorgan Parish Church.
1 Daughter (twin) Johnstone born 28 Aug 1844 at Guernsey.
2 Son (twin) Johnstone 28 Aug 1844 at Guernsey.
3 Alice Jane Johnston born circa 1850 married her cousin Pierce O’ Mahony at St Bartholomew’s
on 17 Dec 1901 and died 28 Jun 1906.
©June Bow & Karen Poff – December 2019