Priest’s history will be a real collector’s item
A fascinating history of the parishes of Rathmore, Gneeveguilla and Knocknagree is to be published – 100 years after it was written.
The manuscripts penned by Fr William Ferris, a priest of the Kerry Diocese, in the mid 1920s, will finally be published in book form in the spring of this year after three years of work on the original manuscript by editor Brendan McCarthy.
The second in the series of Fr Ferris’s Parish Histories, this is a really unique record of the rich history, culture and heritage of the Sliabh Luachra/Duhallow area and it comprises:
* A genealogical archive of the families of the three parishes with 1,118 individuals named in the book
* A social and cultural archive from the Penal days, the Famine, hedge schools and masters, national schools with lists of teachers, holy wells, old cemeteries, Irish language, church history, clergy, local poets, musicians and writers
* An archaeological survey of the three parishes with a place name and field name inventory
* A topographical survey of the parishes
* The story of the Whiteboy insurrection of 1821/22 in Sliabh Luachra and Duhallow
* An account of the War of Independence in Sliabh Luachra and Duhallow
* A survey of hunting and fishing in the parishes in the 1920s

Much of this material was collected by Fr Ferris from parishioners in the course of station Masses in the parishes and it is history as lived and recounted by the ordinary people of Sliabh Luachra and Duhallow and their authentic voices come through clearly.
In addition, in the Introduction to the book, the editor provides a biographical portrait of Fr Ferris (1881-1971) who was a fascinating individual in his own right.
He served in Listowel (1914-15), Firies (1915-18), Tralee (1918-22), Army Chaplain (1922-24), Rathmore (1924-28), Ballymacelligott (1929-34), Millstreet (1934-35), Allihies (1935-38), Glenflesk (1938-43) and Ballylongford (1943-69). He died in 1971 aged 90 years and is buried in the church grounds in Ballylongford.
During his life, Fr Ferris wrote five parish histories and published six books, including his major political work The Gaelic Commonwealth (1923) and The Story of Man (1948), a book that proved very controversial.
The editor, Brendan McCarthy from Tralee, is a graduate of University College Dublin and a solicitor by profession. After a 25-year legal career in London, he now pursues his interest as a local historian, his current area of research being Fr William Ferris’s unpublished histories of Kerry parishes.
Published by Cló Staire Chiarraí with a limited print-run, the fully-indexed book is destined to be a real collector’s item. For further details and to pre-order the book, go to www.rathmorehistory.com or e-mail the editor on rathmorehistory@gmail.com.
Above re-printed from KillarneyToday.com Posted on by
What a remarkable resource/read/history. While not the precise area of genealogical interest for me ( Balinvoher, Annascaul, Inch and Slieve West in case anyone can help) it’s still close enough to be of value. Also, wedged between the great hunger and Independence it’ll be of more general interest to those who remain gripped by the Nation’s struggles and the people who started a way through.
Thank you Kay
It’s a pity there is not similar for Valentia Island and the hinterland!!!
Tim, I missed on this comment earlier! I’ll have to wake up. You are right. I am a Council Member of the Kerry Archaeologial & Historical Socy and we are trying to encourage more Kerry parishes to issue a yearly magazine or ‘Journal’ which are a great resource in years later. We will have four people on a Zoom talk in Sept 2025 on Parish magazines from Lyreacrompane, Ballydonoghue, Sliabh Luachra and Sneem in a bid to enoucrage others.
Is this the same Fr Ferris who lived in the Priests house just outside Asdee around 1952 to 1960?
John, sorry – I am only waking up now to my comments. Apologies. Yes you are right its one and the same. Its a great resource to have now this many years later. Ballymac was partiularly good.
Thanks, Kay, this is amazing, sources like this are very rare. I have the first book and it has been very useful in my genealogy efforts. You rock!
Do you know what 100 years this book includes. I have a block with my MAHONY family and would love it to be the 100 years before 1920. My great grandparents who came to NZ in 1913 were married in the Rathmore Catholic church. I have written a book about the first 100 years in New Zealand and have a lot of information about my MURPHY family but have only been able to find very little about my MAHONY family apart from my great grandmothers immediate family in Census records.
Hello Carol, thank you for your comment on the Fr. Ferris book. There is no actual genealogy but lots of background information on the area and families. I will send you separately a Query Form and if you would like to fill that it and return it to me, I will can then check if there is any reference to your Mahony family. Kay