Mary Dorgan and Jeremiah Healy of Lisanley
The story of Patrick Dorgan and Anne Flynn’s daughter, her marriage into the Lisanley Healy family, and their descendants in East Cork, Liverpool, and Australia
Family Overview
Mary Dorgan, daughter of Patrick Dorgan and Anne Flynn, was baptized on 13 May 1840 in the Roman Catholic parish of Ballymacoda and Ladysbridge. In 1866 she married Jeremiah Healy, a farmer of Lisanley, at the Roman Catholic chapel of Churchtown. They established their family at Lisanley near Cloyne.
The surviving census records show that Mary and Jeremiah had nine children born alive, all nine of whom were still living in 1911. Their descendants remained in East Cork and later established Healy and Healey branches in Liverpool and Australia.
This page brings together parish registers, civil records, census evidence and family correspondence to tell their story while clearly separating documented facts from continuing research.
Mary Dorgan’s Early Life
Mary Dorgan was baptized on 13 May 1840 in the Roman Catholic parish of Ballymacoda and Ladysbridge, County Cork. Her baptismal entry identifies her parents as Pat Dorgan and Anne Flynn.
Mary’s mother appears elsewhere in family records as Johanna, Nancy and Anstice. These name forms were used interchangeably by priests, officials and family members. In Mary’s own baptismal entry, however, her mother was recorded as Anne Flynn.
The original register clearly gives Mary’s baptismal date as 13 May 1840. An earlier family-tree entry gave 12 May, but no separate birth record has been found to support that date. Mary should therefore be described as baptized on 13 May 1840, with her exact birth date unknown.
Mary was the second presently documented child of Patrick Dorgan and Anne Flynn, following Daniel, who was baptized in 1838. Her other known siblings were Elizabeth, Timothy, Michael, David and Patrick.
The family was closely associated with Carrigkilter and neighboring Ballybraher. Mary’s baptismal entry does not name a townland, however. Carrigkilter is the family’s confirmed land-record location, while Ballybraher is Mary’s documented residence at the time of her marriage.
Baptismal Sponsors
Mary’s baptismal sponsors were Daniel Dorgan and Eliza Flynn. Daniel could not have been Mary’s brother Daniel, who was only about eighteen months old at the time. The sponsor must have been an adult Dorgan relative or close family associate.
Eliza Flynn was probably connected to Mary’s mother and may have been a sister, sister-in-law, cousin or another close maternal relative. The precise relationships of both sponsors remain unproved.
Jeremiah Healy’s Background
Jeremiah Healy was born in County Cork around 1840 or 1841. His exact birth or baptismal record has not yet been identified. The 1866 civil marriage registration names his father as another Jeremiah Healy, who was also a farmer.
At the time of his marriage, the younger Jeremiah was described as a 25-year-old bachelor, farmer and resident of Lisanley. His age is consistent with the ages later reported for him in the 1901 and 1911 censuses.
Marriage at Churchtown
Jeremiah Healy and Mary Dorgan married on 10 July 1866 at the Roman Catholic chapel of Churchtown in the Registrar’s District of Aghada, Midleton Union, County Cork.
The civil registration described Mary as a 25-year-old spinster residing at Ballybraher. Her father was identified as Patt Dorgan, farmer. Mary was actually about 26 if she was baptized soon after birth, but a difference of approximately one year was common in nineteenth-century records.
Michael Dorgan and Daniel Dorgan witnessed the marriage. Michael was probably Mary’s known brother Michael. Daniel may have been her brother Daniel, baptized in 1838. Because the certificate gives only their names and does not state their relationships, these identifications remain probable rather than proved.
The Catholic parish register also records the marriage on 10 July 1866. The names Jeremiah Healy and Pat Dorgan appearing after the couple correspond to their fathers, as confirmed by the civil registration. They should not be confused with the civil witnesses, Michael and Daniel Dorgan.
Earlier family notes placed the wedding at St. Colman’s Church in Cloyne, probably because the parish record was indexed under Cloyne and its alternative parish names. The civil certificate identifies the more precise location as the Roman Catholic chapel of Churchtown.
The Family at Lisanley
Following their marriage, Mary and Jeremiah established their family at Lisanley, near Cloyne. Jeremiah worked as a farmer, and several of their children were later described in the census as farmers’ sons or a farmer’s daughter.
Mary reported in 1911 that she had given birth to nine children and that all nine were still living. Eight children have presently been identified, although their exact order and birth dates require further verification:
Patrick “Pad” Healy
Mary Healy
John Healy
Jeremiah Healy
Annie Healy
William Healy
Michael Healy
Edmond Healy
One presently unidentified child
Their son Patrick married Margaret Kelleher, while their daughter Mary married Maurice Meany. Both had married by the time the 1901 census was taken and were no longer living in their parents’ household.
The Healy Family in the 1901 Census
In the 1901 Census of Ireland, Mary and Jeremiah were living at house 2 in Lisanley with six unmarried children. Jeremiah was recorded as a 60-year-old farmer and head of the family. Mary, aged 59, was described as his wife and a housekeeper.
Jeremiah Healy, 60 — farmer and head of family
Mary Healy, 59 — wife and housekeeper
John Healy, 29 — farmer’s son
Jeremiah Healy, 26 — farmer’s son
Annie Healy, 21 — farmer’s daughter
William Healy, 19 — farmer’s son
Michael Healy, 17 — farmer’s son
Edmond Healy, 15 — farmer’s son
Every member of the household was Roman Catholic, had been born in County Cork and could read and write.
Jeremiah and Mary were recorded as speaking both Irish and English. John also appears to have spoken both languages, while no Irish-language entry was made for the younger children. This may show the family’s gradual transition from Irish to English during the later nineteenth century.
Literacy and spoken language were separate census questions. The return tells us that Mary and Jeremiah could read and write and that they spoke Irish and English; it does not specifically state in which language or languages they could read and write.
Mary’s reported age of 59 was approximately one year lower than expected from her May 1840 baptism. Such small age discrepancies were common in Irish census records.
The Healy Family in the 1911 Census
Mary and Jeremiah remained at house 2 in Lissanly when the next surviving census was taken on 2 April 1911. Both were recorded as 70 years old. Jeremiah was still working as a farmer and personally signed the household return, confirming that he was literate.
Mary’s recorded age agrees particularly well with her baptism. She had been baptized on 13 May 1840 and had not yet reached her seventy-first birthday on census night.
Jeremiah Healy, 70 — farmer and head of family
Mary Healy, 70 — wife
John Healy, 36 — unmarried son and farmer’s son
Jeremiah Healy, 34 — unmarried son and farmer’s son
Annie Healy, 28 — unmarried daughter
All five family members were Roman Catholics, were born in County Cork and could read and write. Mary and Jeremiah were again recorded as speakers of Irish and English.
Nine Children Born and Nine Still Living
The 1911 census asked each married woman to report the number of completed years in her present marriage, the number of children born alive and the number still living.
Mary reported 42 completed years of marriage, nine children born alive and nine children still living.
The stated marriage duration was incorrect. Mary and Jeremiah had married on 10 July 1866, nearly 45 years before the census. The contemporary marriage record should take precedence over the approximate figure entered on the census return.
The child count is nevertheless extremely important. The six children living at home in 1901, together with the already-married Patrick and Mary, account for eight children. One additional son or daughter remains to be discovered.
Differences in the Children’s Ages
The reported ages of John, Jeremiah and Annie differ between the 1901 and 1911 censuses. Each should have been ten years older in 1911, but the increases recorded were smaller.
These differences do not indicate that they were different people. Their names, relationships, parents, residence and house number identify the same family. Original baptismal and civil birth records will be needed to establish their correct birth dates. The currently attributed birth date of 27 March 1873 for son Jeremiah should remain under review.
Important Census Correction
An earlier family note associated Mary with a different 1911 household headed by Michael Dorgan and described her as a widowed mother named Mary Dorgan. That was not the correct household.
Patrick Dorgan and Anne Flynn’s daughter was living at Lissanly in 1911 as Mary Healy, wife of Jeremiah Healy. Her husband was still living, and three of their adult children were residing with them.
The unrelated Michael Dorgan household should therefore not be included in Mary’s personal history.
Several Generations Named Jeremiah
The repeated use of the name Jeremiah can easily cause confusion. At least five members of the extended family carried the name:
Jeremiah Healy — father of Mary Dorgan’s husband, identified in the 1866 marriage registration
Jeremiah Healy — born about 1840–1841, farmer of Lisanley and husband of Mary Dorgan
Jeremiah Healy — their unmarried son, recorded with them in the 1901 and 1911 censuses
Jeremiah Healy or Healey — their grandson through their son Patrick, who settled in Liverpool
Jeremiah Joseph Healey — a member of the later Liverpool generation and Pauline Malone’s father
The Jeremiah who settled in Liverpool was not Mary and Jeremiah’s unmarried son found in the Lisanley census household. He belonged to the following generation and was their grandson through Patrick “Pad” Healy.
The Rediscovery of the Liverpool Healey Branch
An important new chapter in the family history opened on 13 December 2007, when Pauline Malone contacted William Dorgan after discovering the Dorgan family website. Pauline had been researching her grandfather, Jeremiah Healey, whom she knew had come from Cloyne. She discovered that she was a great-great-granddaughter of Mary Dorgan and Jeremiah Healy.
Pauline’s grandfather was a son of Patrick “Pad” Healy, one of Mary and Jeremiah’s children. This younger Jeremiah had previously been omitted from the recorded list of Patrick’s children.
Jeremiah left Ireland and settled in Liverpool before 1926. In England, this branch generally spelled the family name Healey. He worked as a builder and died in 1983 while in his seventies.
Helena “Lena” Dorgan
Jeremiah’s wife was Helena, known as Lena, Dorgan. She also came from the Cloyne area. Helena was born in 1906 and died in 1991, aged 85.
According to Pauline’s family recollections, Helena’s father was a farmer. Her mother died while Helena was young, after which her father remarried. Helena reportedly had several sisters, including Albina Dorgan, who emigrated to the United States. Albina later became ill, and a relative attempted to bring her back to Ireland.
These memories provide important research leads, but Helena’s parents and her precise connection to the Dorgan families of Carrigkilter, Ballybraher and Cloyne have not yet been established through original records.
Jeremiah and Helena’s Family
Jeremiah and Helena Healey had six children:
John Christopher Healey, born in 1926 and died in 2004. He never married.
Jeremiah Joseph Healey, born in 1928 and died in 1978. He married Irene Connolly in 1955 and was Pauline Malone’s father.
Margaret Healey, who never married. She emigrated to Australia but later returned when her mother became ill. She died in 2001.
Evelyn Healey, who married John Beck and settled in Australia, where they raised two children.
Terence Healey, who married Jean and had four children.
Mary Frances Healey, who emigrated to Australia, married Hugh Six, later divorced and had no children.
Jeremiah Joseph and Irene Connolly Healey had two daughters, Pauline and Patricia. Pauline later married Gerard Malone and had a son and a daughter. The continued use of the names Patrick and Jeremiah reflects a naming tradition carried through several generations.
Family Memories and Continuing Connections
Pauline remembered that a rift had developed between her grandfather Jeremiah and his brother Patrick, although she did not know its cause. Family photograph albums were not brought out until after Jeremiah’s death.
Despite that estrangement, contact with the Irish relatives continued. Helen, known as “Auntie Nellie,” visited Liverpool with her sister Mary Frances, who was affectionately called “Baby.” Other relatives travelled between Ireland and England and attended family funerals.
Pauline also remembered her father describing a visit to relatives on a farm in Ireland. The family kept Irish Red Setters, which made a lasting impression on him. When Pauline later examined photographs of the Irish Healys, she was struck by their resemblance to her grandfather, her father and her uncle John.
Pauline’s unexpected email restored a branch that had largely disappeared from the known family history. It connected the nineteenth-century farming household at Lisanley with descendants in Liverpool and Australia and demonstrated how family correspondence, photographs and official records can work together to reconstruct a family separated by migration.
Mary’s Later Life
The 1911 census proves that Mary was still living on 2 April 1911. She was 70 years old and living at Lissanly with her husband and three of their adult children.
No civil death registration or burial record has yet been connected to Mary with sufficient certainty. Her date and place of death should therefore remain recorded as unknown rather than inferred from an unverified index entry.
Research Status
Confirmed by the Records
Mary was a daughter of Patrick Dorgan and Anne Flynn.
She was baptized on 13 May 1840 in Ballymacoda and Ladysbridge parish.
Her baptismal sponsors were Daniel Dorgan and Eliza Flynn.
She was residing at Ballybraher when she married.
She married Jeremiah Healy on 10 July 1866 at Churchtown Roman Catholic chapel.
Her father, Patt Dorgan, was a farmer.
Her marriage witnesses were Michael Dorgan and Daniel Dorgan.
Mary and Jeremiah established their family at Lisanley.
Mary could read and write and spoke Irish and English.
She reported nine children born alive and nine still living in 1911.
She was still living on 2 April 1911.
Probable Family Connections
Marriage witness Michael Dorgan was probably Mary’s brother Michael.
Marriage witness Daniel Dorgan may have been Mary’s brother Daniel.
Eliza Flynn was probably an adult maternal relative.
Mary’s baptismal sponsor Daniel Dorgan was an adult relative or associate, not her infant brother.
One possible candidate for the baptismal sponsor is the adult Daniel Dorgan reportedly buried at Killeagh in 1842, aged 39, but this has not been proved.
Questions Still Under Investigation
Mary’s exact date and place of birth
The precise relationships of her baptismal sponsors
The identity of Mary and Jeremiah’s ninth child
The correct birth dates of several Healy children
Mary’s death date and burial place
Helena Dorgan’s parents
Helena’s relationship to the other East Cork Dorgan families
What became of Helena’s sister Albina
Related Records
The following records provide the principal evidence for the lives of Mary Dorgan and Jeremiah Healy. Transcriptions, record images and detailed source information are preserved in the Dorgan Family Records Archive.
1840 Mary Dorgan Baptism — Ballymacoda and Ladysbridge parish register
1866 Jeremiah Healy and Mary Dorgan Marriage — Churchtown Catholic parish entry
1866 Civil Marriage Registration — ages, residences, fathers, occupations and witnesses
1901 Healy Household Census — house 2, Lisanley
1911 Healy Household Census — house 2, Lissanly
2007 Pauline Malone Correspondence — rediscovery of the Liverpool Healey branch
Sources
Ballymacoda and Ladysbridge Roman Catholic baptismal register, baptism of Mary Dorgan, 13 May 1840; parents Pat Dorgan and Anne Flynn; sponsors Daniel Dorgan and Eliza Flynn. National Library of Ireland Catholic Parish Registers.
“Ireland, Catholic Parish Registers, 1740–1900,” FamilySearch, entry for Mary Dorgan and Pat Dorgan, 13 May 1840: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6KYG-S6RW
Cloyne Roman Catholic marriage register, marriage of Jeremiah Healy and Mary Dorgan, 10 July 1866. National Library of Ireland, microfilm 04990/04.
Civil marriage registration of Jeremiah Healy and Mary Dorgan, 10 July 1866, record number 12, Churchtown Roman Catholic chapel, Aghada registration district, Midleton Union, County Cork.
Census of Ireland, 1901, County Cork, Cloyne, Lisanley, house 2, Jeremiah Healy household.
Census of Ireland, 1911, County Cork, Cloyne, Lissanly, house 2, Jeremiah Healy household.
Pauline Malone, email to William Dorgan, 13 December 2007; privately held by William Dorgan.
Research and privacy note: Information concerning later generations comes partly from family correspondence and recollection. Exact dates and personal information for living descendants have been kept private. Hypotheses are identified separately from conclusions supported by original records.
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