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LIKE THE THIRTEENTH CHIME - PARTS 1 to 25. 
'Like the thirteenth chime from a crazy clock which not only in itself fails to command belief but also casts a certain doubt upon the accuracy of the previous twelve strokes.'
(Sir A P Herbert, Novelist, Playwright, Poet and Politician, 1870-1974.)
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Part 25 (a): Mr Murphy skates on thin ice,and his words come back to haunt him.
' ... everyone can read and judge my reports for themselves ...' (Sean J Murphy)
(Amended 21 June 2008) 'Critically and indeed scientifically examined for authenticity'?
Six months have elapsed (since 08-12-07) and, as expected, Mr Murphy (self-proclaimed 'scholar' and 'specialist' and 'chiefly pedigree expert second to none') cannot produce the 1833 Gartan Parish Tithe Applotment extract that 'records' (according to him - rec.heraldry 12-06-05 and 24-11-07) Thomas Sweeney's great, great grandfather, Eamonn Rua Mac Sweeney Doe, as a Tithe payer.
Mr Murphy asserted on rec.heraldry 12-06-2005,11.37 pm: 'I keep coming back to documents, critically and indeed scientifically examined for authenticity. And recall again that the Tithe record of 1833 (for Gartan Parish) lists the claimant's ancestor as a settled tenant, whereas O Donovan's 1835 chief was a travelling tinker'. (Comment. Please produce the record Mr Murphy.)
Mr Murphy asserted, rec.heraldry 24-11-2007,10.55pm: '... it is recorded that in 1833 Thomas Sweeney's ancestor Edward Sweeney was a settled farmer living some distance away in Altnadague'. (Comment. Please produce the record Mr Murphy.)
It also should be noted that Mr Murphy asserted, rec.heraldry,12-06-05, 11.37pm, that he 'critically and indeed scientifically examined for authenticity' said 'record' - a 'record' that does not and never did exist. (Comment. Mr Murphy, please produce the record you claim you 'critically and indeed scientifically examined for authenticity' or admit that you have tripped up badly - more than once.
It is also interesting to note that Mr Murphy posted the following supportive items on his Mac Sweeney Doe web page and that they have come back to haunt him:
1. It may be relevant to point out that it is an important part of the ethic of the professional genealogist to claim no more than the evidence allows, a point made forcefully in the code of conduct of the US Board for Certification of Genealogists: 'I will not publish or publicize as fact anything I know to be false, doubtful, or unproven; nor will I be a party directly or indirectly, to such action by others.'
2. Mr Murphy also cited (same web page) the US Board for Certification of Genealogists' Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS), which consists of five principal elements:
'a reasonably exhaustive search; complete and accurate source citations; analysis and correlation of the collected information; resolution of any conflicting evidence; and a soundly reasoned, coherently written conclusion'.
Comment. We wonder why the US Board for Certification of Genealogists does not stipulate that Tithe Applotment 'records' should be 'critically and indeed scientifically examined for authenticity' - even if they do not exist. Mr Murphy, their devotee, claims that he has done it.
'God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.' (Galatians, vi. 7.)
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FIVE months have elapsed (since 08-12-07) and self-proclaimed 'chiefly pedigree expert second to none' Mr Murphy cannot produce the 1833 Gartan Tithe Applotment record (he 'quoted' and supposedly 'critically and indeed scientifically examined for authenticity)' - because it does not exist. We find it extraordinary that Mr Murphy tripped-up on a simple, uncomplicated, undemanding beginner's topic like the Tithe Applotments and particularly so when said topic is included in the genealogy syllabus he teaches to amateurs, on a part-time basis.
FOUR months have elapsed (since 08-12-07) and Mr Murphy cannot produce the Gartan Parish Tithe Applotment record he 'quoted' on rec.heraldry (12-06-05 and 24-11-07) to prop up his erroneous assertion that Thomas Sweeney's great, great-grandfather, Edward Sweeney/ Eamonn Rua Mac Sweeney Doe paid the Tithe in Altnadague/ Attinadague, 1833.
Mr Murphy asserted on rec.heraldry (12-06-05) that he 'critically and indeed scientifically examined for authenticity' the record in question. If Mr Murphy 'critically and indeed scientifically examined' said record he must have extraordinary powers, because, the record he 'quoted' is not recorded in the 1833 Gartan Tithe Applotment Book and, therefore, does not exist. Good gracious, how could a self-proclaimed 'chiefly pedigree expert second to none' get it so wrong?
Mr Murphy also asserted (rec.heraldry 8 June 2005) that there were 'a good number of Thomas Murphys' in Ballylusky, Co Kerry, where his forebears lived and that 'family information' enabled him identify his great-grandfather 'Thomas Murphy'. Therefore, we were surprised that Mr Murphy ignored (a) the strong possibility that 'a good number' of Edward Sweeneys would be recorded as Tithe payers in the 1833 Gartan Tithe book (b) the certainty that he would be unable to differentiate between them or trace their kindred. It is also interesting to note that Mr Murphy selected one Thomas Murphy from the 'good number of Thomas Murphys' in the Ballylusky area and decided that the chosen one was his great-grandfather.
Mr Murphy wrote (rec.heraldry 8 June 2005):
'...the family information was that my great-grandfather's name
was Thomas, that he lived in Ballylusky, Co Kerry, that he married
Margaret 'Peg' Kaye, and that his son John, my grandfather, was born
in the 1880s. Research in 1901 and 1911 Census returns and GRO vital
records in particular enabled me to test the veracity of this
information, and ultimately to confirm it. There were a good number of
Thomas Murphys in the Ballylusky area, but only one whose profile in
the records matched my data.'
A learned contributor commented (rec.heraldry 9 June 2005):
'So you identify this Thomas Murphy as your great-grandfather because he
fits the profile given in your family tradition. This is a fine example of
what I meant when I said that all genealogy is based upon tradition and
presumption. What if your family tradition is wrong?'
Another learned contributor commented (rec.heraldry 11 June 2005):
'If documentation were really to provide proof or confirmation, then it is essential
that the documents **alone** lead back **uniquely** to (in this case) said
Thomas Murphy of Ballylusky. I don't believe the records come close to
doing so - from your description, the vital information linking you to
Ballyluskey comes from your own family tradition.'
Comment. Mr Murphy's conclusion is at odds with his rule: 'No documentary evidence, no conclusive proof' (rec.heraldry 11 June 2005). Maybe Mr Murphy's rule applies to others!
RECENT DEVELOPMENT: Mr Murphy admits he erred but, despite his promise, refuses to apologize.
Key quote F: Oops! Mr Murphy shoots himself in the foot for the 7th time.
Key quote E: Mr Murphy shoots himself in the foot for the 6th time, refer Part 8, Part 10, Part 14, Part 21, Part 23, below.
Key quote B: One cannot be unmoved by the personal distress of a self-proclaimed scholar whose dearly held scholarly achievements remain unrewarded.
Key quote A: 'How about it Mr Murphy, when will you be scholar enough to acknowledge (as the great scholar Dr John O Donovan acknowledged) that Edmond/ Eamonn Rua Mac Sweeney was 'Chief of the Mac Sweenies Doe' in 1835?
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Part 1: Mr Murphy receives a rebuke AND is given a message.
He that is foolish in the fault let him be wise in the punishment'. (17th century proverb.)
Leading U K Genealogist/ Heraldist, Mr Cecil R Humphery-Smith, Principal of the Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies, Canterbury, has taken Mr Murphy to task (Coat of Arms, Winter 2004) because of his unjust criticism of Mr Fergus Gillespie, present Chief Herald of Ireland, also in relation to alleged misrepresent -ation of facts (Coat of Arms, Winter 2003).
Outcome 1. The editor of the Coat of Arms resigned and the caretaker editors declined to publish Mr Murphy's response to Mr Humphery-Smith's letter of complaint. They suggested that he 'find a different forum'!
Outcome 2. Mr Gillespie was appointed Vice President of the prestigious Heraldry Society - proprietor of the Coat of Arms. It is interesting to note that Mr Gillespie is the first Chief Herald of Ireland to be honoured thus, and that a fellow Vice President and Patron of the Society is His Grace the Duke of Norfolk, Earl Marshal of England.
Mr Murphy played games and got caught.
Mr Murphy played games again and got caught again.
Mr Murphy (self-declared 'Second to None') sought help from a non-professional genealogist!
Mr Murphy made a number of errors and resorted to speculative phrases.
Mr Murphy made a hearty meal of it. He introduced some red herrings and added a sprinkling of throwaway phrases.
Part 7: ( He that praiseth himself ... ')
Mr M does not believe in the proverb: 'self-praise is no recommendation''!
Mr Murphy shot himself in the foot and thereby rendered himself a disservice.
Part 9: The illusion of knowledge...' Mr Murphy writes persuasively but not always unerringly.
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Part 10: Claimants.
Mr Murphy shoots himself in the foot and damages his hopes of being accepted as a self-designated 'chiefly pedigree specialist/ expert'.
History repeats. Mr Murphy manages to stick his neck into another noose of his own making - as in Part 2 and 3 above.
It is obvious that Mr Murphy is unfamiliar with (a) Donegal history/society (b) the history, fate and misfortunes of the descendants of the Chiefs of Doe - as recorded in Irish and English. Consequently, he focused on the wrong period and scored an own goal.
Part 14: Toledo Trusty! Mr Murphy shoots himself in the foot again.
Part 17: Mr Murphy quotes 'Scripture', reads Gaelic, and paints himself into a corner.
Part 18: Orders from Private Citizen Murphy.
Part 19: Mr Murphy's Unregistered Business Names
The Mac Donald of Keppoch Appeal.
Part 21: May 17, 2006 Mr Murphy shoots himself in the foot again!
Part 22: Scraping the bottom of the barrel via the Freedom of Information Act.
Part 23: Mr Murphy shoots himself in the foot - ARÍS. 5..
A. To be or not to be, a scholar. B. Hoist with his own petard. C. Promises! Promises!
D. Mr Murphy shoots himself in the foot for the 6th time. E. Oops! Mr Murphy shoots himself in the foot for the 7th time.
F. Mr Murphy admits he erred.
Part 25 (a): Mr Murphy skates on thin ice and his words & phrases come back to haunt him .
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O Long Report ! On 29 April, 2000, Mr Sean J Murphy (genealogist, part-time teacher, self-proclaimed scholar, self-proclaimed second to none chiefly pedigree expert, and one-man Centre for Irish Genealogical/ Local Historical Studies) announced on line: 'we have continued the time-consuming and painstaking work of checking out pedigrees ... and now are sufficiently advanced in our research into O Long to issue a report'. If Mr Murphy's report of 29 April 2000 re O Long of Garranelongy is an example of 'painstaking work', then, it's little wonder that his semi-researched Mac Sweeney Doe report also falls far short of the mark. Mr Murphy should make certain that his facts are correct before he posts them on the web, for example, on 6 Sept 2006 he alleged (on Google groups alt.genealogy) that Denis O Long was a 'bogus O Long of Garranelongy'.
Denis O Long of Garranelongy was unfortunate inasmuch as he commissioned Terence MacCarthy (the bogus Mac Carthy Mór) to research his pedigree. Mr Murphy commented on line, 29 April 2000: 'The most substantial available published pedigree of the currently recognized O Long is from the pen of the now 'abdicated' MacCarthy Mór, and this alone is a sufficient cause for concern'. However, no one could be more concerned than Denis O Long and, because of his concern, he commissioned a distinguished consultant genealogist and author, Mr Paul Gorry, to review the pedigree researched by Terence MacCarthy. It should be noted:
(a) that Mr Gorry had been commissioned some months previously by Mr Brendan O Donoghue, Chief Herald of Ireland, to review Terence MacCarthy's own pedigree;
(b) that Chief Herald O Donoghue's decision to withdraw recognition from Terence MacCarthy in 1999 was founded on Mr Gorry's findings and not on a leak of information to a Sunday newspaper by Mr Murphy (see Part 11).
Mr Gorry's painstaking work confirmed Denis O Long's descent from the last recorded Chief of the Name of O Long of Garranelongy in the seventeenth century. Nevertheless, Denis O Long went a step further and obtained a second professional opinion, this time from Dr Kenneth Nicholls, an internationally acclaimed medievalist, lecturer and author. Dr Nicholls' findings agreed with Mr Gorry's. Mr Gorry is a full-time consultant genealogist and Member of the Association of Professional Genealogists in Ireland, and is recognized as a Chiefly pedigree expert. Kenneth Nicholls, Senior Lecturer in University College Cork, holds Doctorate and Post-Doctorate qualifications and is regarded as the foremost academic in his field.
It is interesting to note that 'Paul Gorry and Kenneth Nicholls' are merely mentioned in passing by Mr Murphy in his O Long of Garranelongy report, 30 June 2006. Peter Berresford Ellis was more forthcoming in his book Erin's Blood Royal, Palgrave, New York 2002, pages156-7. He informs us: 'Murphy denounced O'Long's pedigree as bogus and called for an enquiry. The Office (of Chief Herald), sensitive after the "McCarthy Affair" announced a review of O'Long's pedigree. This, like other reviews is currently on "hold". However, The O Long, even before the announcement of a review, was shocked by the accusations and employed a reputable genealogist, Paul Gorry. Gorry had discovered the McCarthy fraud after being employed by the Chief Herald's Office to examine his pedigree. O'Long also asked for the help of medievalist Dr Kenneth Nicholls of Cork University to examine the material pertaining to that period. ........The O'Long, who has a reputation for punctilious honesty, is financing his own review through a reputable genealogist and historian.' (The 2002 edition of Erin's Blood Royal, was reviewed by Mr Murphy, 1 May 2002.)
In May 2006, Mr Murphy obtained a copy of Denis O Long's file from The Office of Chief Herald of Ireland via a Freedom of Information request and on 30 June 2006 he revised his report of 29 April 2000. We note that a number of very serious allegations made by Mr Murphy in his 29 April 2000 report have been purged, without explanation or apology, from his 30 June 2006 report. Examples follow:
'Do not the irregularities surrounding the O Long case appear on the face of it to be even greater than those discovered in the cases of MacCarthy Mór and Maguire of Fermanagh?'
'Once again serious discrepancies, want of documentary evidence and indeed crude forgery have been discovered in relation to the proffered pedigree of O Long ...'
'Just what is to be done in the specific case of O Long? Again, a nettle must be grasped ... '
'I could not locate any sources connecting the claimant (Denis O Long) with the last recorded chief in the seventeenth century.''
Comment. Mr Gorry and Dr Nicholls were able to locate sources connecting Denis O Long with the last recorded O Long Chief in the seventeenth century, but Mr Murphy could not.
Likewise, the consultant genealogist chosen (on the advocacy of the Chief Herald of Ireland) to examine Thomas Sweeney's pedigree was able to locate sources connecting him with his great, great grandfather, Eamon Rua Mac Sweeney (i.e., Dr John O Donovan's Chief of Doe) living in 'Altinadeague', Derryveagh, 1851, but Mr Murphy could not.
It is generally accepted that a showman is as good as his last performance. Therefore, Private Citizen Murphy must surely realize that he has put an end to his chances of receiving a copy of the genealogical report (completed in 2003 by Thomas Sweeney's consultant genealogist) that he has so arrogantly demanded.
'Confidence is a plant of slow growth ...' William Pitt, English Prime Minister, 1708-1788.
FIVE IN A ROW.
A. 'The blind eat many a fly' (15th century proverb). It's not given to many to shoot themselves twice in the same foot because of a single sentence, however, Mr Sean J Murphy, genealogist, part-time teacher, self-declared scholar and chiefly pedigree expert second to none, has managed to do it. Mr Murphy posted the following on rec.heraldry 22-05-2006: 'In 1997 MacCarthy was still backed up by a certificate signed in 1992 by both Chief Herald Begley and by the then Deputy and now Chief Herald Gillespie.' Mr Murphy knows, e.g., by means of a document he obtained in 2006 from the Office of Chief Herald of Ireland (via a Mac Sweeney Doe Freedom of Information release) that Mr Gillespie was not Deputy Chief Herald at that time. In addition, Mr Murphy knows and has acknowledged that Mr Gillespie did not sign the recognition certificate on his own behalf but signed it per pro the Chief Herald of Ireland on the instructions of Chief Herald Donal Begley, his superior officer in the service. (See letter of complaint re same from leading UK genealogist, Mr Cecil R Humphery-Smith, Principal of Canterbury Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies.) An office secretary who signs a letter per pro on behalf of an office manager knows the meaning of per pro. What a pity that Mr Murphy did not enrol for a part-time B.Comm. degree instead of B.A.
Moreover, Mr Murphy does not earn any kudos by failing to acknowledge (until 05-09-2006 on rec.heraldry) that he mistakenly claimed that Mr Gillespie's rank at the time the MacCarthy Mór recognition document was signed was that of Deputy Chief Herald. Although aware of his mistake, Mr Murphy turned a blind eye to it until it was highlighted on this web site two days earlier, 03-09-2006. Mr Murphy also seems to have difficulty in differentiating between the 'validation' of a pedigree by a professional genealogist and the 'recognition' of a validated pedigree (prior to July 2003) by the Office of Chief Herald of Ireland.
Mr Charles Lysaght (Barrister-at-Law, author, historian, Advisor to the Irish Law Reform Commission and Advisor to the Department of Foreign Affairs) placed on record in his Foreword to Walter J P Curley's Vanishing Kingdoms, Lilliput Press, Dublin 2004, page 14, that: 'Chief Herald Begley recognized Terence MacCarthy as The MacCarthy Mór on the basis of a pedigree registered as authentic by his predecessor Gerard Slevin. The recognition was withdrawn in 1999 when it was established that the pedigree had been registered in reliance on a forged letter'. Therefore, it is astonishing that Mr Murphy merely noted in passing and without comment that Chief Herald Begley's 'predecessor had registered a pedigree submitted by MacCarthy Mór in 1980' (para 10 MacCarthy Mór report). Furthermore, it is extraordinary that Mr Murphy does not understand that Chief Herald Slevin's registration of Terence MacCarthy's 'pedigree' amounted to an effectual recognition of Terence MacCarthy as Mac Carthy Mór. Partial reporting is unacceptable and is scandalous when it threatens the reputations of blameless government officials, soft targets, unable to defend themselves because of their conditions of service. We note that the Code of Ethics and Conduct of the U.S. Board for Certification of Genealogists (admired and quoted by Mr Murphy) states: 'I will act, speak and write in a manner I believe to be in the best interests of the profession and scholarship of genealogy.'
B (i). The Claim to Fame. Mr Murphy stated (rec.heraldry, 22-05-2006): 'I was just embarking (in 1997) on my work of exposing MacCarthy, and had I been asked then I would have expressed doubts about some of MacCarthy's claims, but would not yet have been in a position to produce positive proof that he was a fake.' Mr Murphy boasts that he is 'a chiefly pedigree expert second to none', therefore, it is interesting to note that it took him from 1997 to mid 1999 to compile his MacCarthy report while, by way of contrast, the professional genealogist commissioned by Mr Brendan O Donoghue, Chief Herald of Ireland, to investigate MacCarthy's claim to chiefship needed but a fraction of that time. Given that it took Mr Murphy two years to research and post an obviously incomplete MacCarthy report on the internet (16 June 1999) we wondered how he came upon the additional information he required to amend the same report two weeks later, 30 June 1999. Could it be that he got a leg-up (let's say p.m. 28 June 1999) and consequently, the MacCarthy report posted on the internet, 30 June 1999, is not all his own work? We note that the Code of Ethics and Conduct of the U.S. Board of Certification (admired and quoted by Mr Murphy) states: '... In citing another's work, I will give proper credit.'
Comment 1. Mr Murphy admitted, 05-09-2006, that he examined the research results of another MacCarthy Mór investigator (p.m. 28 June 1999?). Therefore, the amended version of the MacCarthy report posted by Mr Murphy two days later (30 June 1999) cannot be regarded as all his own work.
Comment 2. The Chief Herald of Ireland commissioned Mr Paul Gorry a distinguished professional genealogist (member of the Association of Professional Genealogists in Ireland) to review Terence MacCarthy's pedigree when it was suspected that his claim to the Mac Carthy Mór chiefship was bogus. Accordingly, it is reasonable to assume that the research material examined by Mr Murphy (p.m. 28 June 1999?) and put to use in 'slightly amended form' in the final version of his MacCarthy Mór report, was also the work of an accomplished member of the Association of Professional Genealogists in Ireland. However, Mr Murphy has informed us on line that he has been excluded from consultancy work in the Irish Government Genealogical Office since 1993 'on account of his difficulties both with the Genealogical Office and the Association of Professional Genealogists in Ireland'. Furthermore, he has alleged on line that 'the Association of Professional Genealogists in Ireland's monopoly of contract work in the Genealogical Office has operated to depress standards and create a severe deficiency of available expertise' (Mr Murphy's available expertise?). Moreover, he has stated on line that he is 'determined that the vacuum of genealogical expertise in Ireland must not be colonised by the ignorant and self-interested.' Therefore, on the face of it, it seems unlikely that Mr Murphy would do a backward somersault and combine the final version of his MacCarthy report with the research findings of a member of APGI, or is it?
Comment 3. Mr Murphy has used his web site/s for years to blackguard others and now he is complaining that he is being subjected to 'blackguarding'. An deabhal bocht! Chief of Doe, 1835. Therefore, it is surprising that Mr Murphy did not 'critically
'The weapon your enemy uses to frighten you is the one that terrifies him.' Aldous Huxley, advisor to Churchill's War Cabinet, WWII.
B (ii). Bombast, Blunder and the Claim to Fame. We have referred, on a number of occasions, to lack of attention to detail by Mr Murphy, e.g., Part 5, Part 6, Part 10, Part 11, Part 14, Part 21. Here is another example.
Take 1. Mr Murphy announced (rec.heraldry 22-05-2006) that he embarked on his work of exposing Mac Carthy Mór in 1997 and published his findings, June 1999. We expressed surprise at the length of time Mr Murphy spent researching Terence Mac Carthy's pedigree and he responded thus: 'Mr Sweeney ... takes me to task for taking two years to research my Mac Carthy Mór report of 1999, an effective charge of care and caution to which I plead guilty.'
Take 2. On 1-12-2006, Mr Murphy announced on line that he had been asked by Mr Paul Gorry (a full-time professional genealogist whose painstaking research on behalf of the Office of Chief Herald exposed the Mac Carthy Mór fraud in 1999) to explain how he had sourced certain items in his June 1999 Mac Carthy Mór report. Mr Gorry wrote:
'Mr Murphy's calculated release to the Sunday Times of details on the Mac Carthy Mór case some weeks before the Chief Herald's decision was announced suggested to me that he got a helping hand from someone in the know. In the interests of freedom of information perhaps he would explain how he came on details other than those uncovered by research he personally conducted.'
Mr Murphy replied: 'It may have been considered improbable that one who has had no access to Office of Chief Herald files and was blacked from contract work there (since 1993) could have ... succeeded independently in cracking the Mac Carthy Mór hoax. This is precisely what I did in 1998-1999'.
Good gracious, despite his boasting and bragging about being guilty 'of care and caution' it seems that Mr Murphy does not know whether he embarked on his Mac Carthy Mór research in 1997 or 1998 and consequently, does not know how long it took. Accordingly, his claim to fame is now something of a question mark.
'Du sublime au redicule il n'y a qu'un pas./ From the sublime to the ridiculous there is only one step.'
Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of France. (After the retreat from Moscow, 1812.)
C. They say so, is half a lie' (Italian proverb). Mr Murphy posted on rec.heraldry, 08-10-2006, that he 'had been informed' that Tarlagh Mac Suibhne (An Píobaire Mór) and Thomas Sweeney are 'not related' but that he 'has not yet sufficient proof to make a judgment one way or the other'. We informed Mr Murphy by registered post, April 24, 2004, at a time when he was/ was not receiving e-mails, that Thomas Sweeney proved to the satisfaction of a professional genealogist (chosen on the advocacy of Mr Brendan O Donoghue, Chief Herald of Ireland) that Eamonn Rua Mac Sweeney, i.e., John O Donovan's Chief and Tarlagh's father, was his great, great-grandfather. We note that the Code of Ethics and Conduct of the U.S. Board for Certification of Genealogists (admired and quoted by Mr Murphy) states: 'I will furnish only facts I can substantiate with adequate documentation'.
D. 'The more laws, the more offenders' (Latin proverb). Mr Murphy posted on rec.heraldry, 22-05-2006: '.....Things have been difficult enough, for example, 'Mac Sweeney Doe' has recently posted on the internet a serious but entirely false charge that I am in breach of the companies legislation by failing to register the Centre for Irish Genealogical and Historical Studies as a business, which of course it is not.'
Good gracious, the 1963 Registration of Business Names Act states that 'registration of a Business Name is obligatory if any individual uses a Business Name which differs in any way from his/her true surname'. (See Part 19.) .
E (i): SCHOLARLY WOE. Mr Sean J Murphy, genealogist and part-time teacher, has taken to claiming on the web that he is a scholar despite the fact that scholars are recognized as such by their peers, not by themselves.
e.g., (a) In his O Long of Garranelongy Report (cited above) Mr Murphy asserted 2006: 'The reported validation of Mr Long's claim to chiefship places the present writer in the difficult position of appearing to challenge the authority of a superior scholar'. i.e., Dr Kenneth Nicholls, Senior Lecturer, University College, Cork, internationally recognized scholar and foremost academic in his field.
e.g., (b) In his 'Response to a Charge of Plagiarism' Mr Murphy asserted 2006 that: 'it is possible that he (Mr Gorry) made the accusation .... with no real awareness of how it might damage my reputation as a scholar ...'
e.g., (c) Peter Kurrild-Klitgaard, (Professor, Political Theory and Comparative Politics, Dept of Political Science, University of Copenhagen) took Mr Murphy to task (rec.heraldry, 06-01-2007) by revealing that he understood 'from people in Ireland and elsewhere' that Mr Murphy's credentials should he care to present them 'would not make much of an impression'. The following day Mr Murphy obligingly placed his CV on line, rec. heraldry 07-01-2007. He informed us that Professor Kurrild-Klitgaard is a highly regarded academic holding a prestigious university post which (according to Mr Murphy) 'makes it unacceptable that he should allow himself to become a conduit for defamation against a fellow scholar'. It is interesting to note that Mr Murphy's academic qualifications would be regarded as unexceptional, whereas, the academic qualifications obtained - at the same juncture - by Professor Kurrild-Klitgaard were awarded "summa cum laude".
(Amendment. Mr Murphy announced, rec. heraldry 15-03-2007, that on 15-02-2007 Professor Kurrild-Klitgaard withdrew the comment he made concerning Mr Murphy's credentials, 06-01-2007.
Professor Kurrild Klitgaard's statement on rec. heraldry 15-02-2007: 'I shall apologize for having made the remark - even disregarding the content - was unacceptable. The mere fact that Sean Murphy had initiated prior ad hominem attacks on me and began referring to off-topic issues should not have led me to sink to the same level. ...'
Mr Murphy replied, rec.heraldry, 15-02-2007: 'Apology accepted, although it is qualified. I reject the new charge that I ever initiated ad hominem attacks on you, or challenged your credentials (or indeed inhabit a level to which you could be seen to sink.')
Mr Murphy informed us, on line, that his father was a native Irish speaker. Therefore, it is interesting to note that schoolgoing children in Irish speaking districts are referred to as 'scholars'. Moreover, the first pupil in class to achieve proficiency in joined-writing would be highly commended by the teacher, eg: 'John boy, you have the makings of a scholar'.
Scoláire = scholar = schoolgoing child, ref. Niall Ó Dónaill's Irish-English Dictionary, Rialtas na hÉireann 1977, page 1060.
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'Knowledge is folly, except grace guide it.' 17th Century proverb.
E (ii) We are aware of Mr Murphy's expectation that the "Genealogy/ Family History" adult education classes he teaches will be upgraded, at some time in the future, to degree level. If so, Mr Murphy's present temporary part-time status could change to permanent full-time.
However, we are mindful of temporary part-time teachers in the Dublin area who worked long hours setting up courses and building-up enrollments only to discover (when the numbers enrolled allowed a full-time appointment to be made) that another contender was chosen, e.g., a candidate with better qualifications. And where would one find a candidate with better qualifications than Mr Murphy to teach a course 'with significant heraldic content', as asserted by him rec.heraldry Jan 7, 07? University graduation lists reveal that the present Chief Herald of Ireland (criticized unjustly by Mr Murphy) graduated with a 1st class honours B.A. and a 1st class honours M. A. and that self-proclaimed 'scholar' Mr Murphy did not.
Envy shoots at others and wounds herself.' 16th century proverb.
The Thirteenth Chime - Part 1 (A Message and a Rebuke).
Summary. Mr. Sean J Murphy, 'self-appointed saviour of Irish genealogy' has been taken to task for alleged 'misrepresentations of facts' by arguably, the most respected name in Heraldic and Genealogical scholarship in England, Mr Cecil R. Humphery-Smith, Principal of the Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies, Canterbury.
Background information of interest to those aware of the rants of Sean J Murphy, genealogist, against:
1. The National Library of Ireland
(a) alleges that an 'unsatisfactory situation exists whereby the Association of Professional Genealogists in Ireland is contracted to operate a closed shop consultancy service on behalf of the National Library';
(b) laments that 'staff training courses conducted by him in the National Library were discontinued 1997';
(c) pleads that he is 'ready to resume training National Library staff if given the opportunity to do so'.
2. Irish Government Genealogical Office
3. The Association of Professional Genealogists in Ireland
On http://homepage.tinet.ie/~seanjmurphy/chiefs/maccarthy.htm Mr Murphy alleges that 'the Association of Professional Genealogists in Ireland's monopoly of contract work in the Genealogical Office has operated to depress standards and create a severe deficiency of available expertise' (Mr Murphy's expertise?).
The Office of Chief Herald of Ireland
The relationship between Mr. Murphy and the Office of Chief Herald is evidenced by an Office of Chief Herald memo, 5 July, 1999, which Mr Murphy obtained under the Freedom of Information Act and posted on http://homepage.tinet.ie/~seanjmurphy/chiefs/maccarthy.htm. The author of the memo, Chief Herald Brendan O Donoghue (a greatly respected and distinguished Civil Servant who rose to the rank of Secretary General of the Department of the Environment before being appointed Chief Herald of Ireland/ Director of the National Library of Ireland,1997, and member of the Board of Directors of the National Library, 2005) recorded: 'Murphy is the self-appointed saviour of Irish Genealogy, now calling himself the Centre for Irish Genealogical and Local Studies ....etc...'
5. Sundry clients of 2, 3 and 4 above - i.e., 'the meat in the sandwich'.
Re the Mac Carthy Mór Fraud
On http://homepage.tinet.ie/~seanjmurphy/chiefs/fakechiefs.htm Mr Murphy claimed that in 1999 he played a leading role in gathering the evidence and 'proving the falsity of Terence Mac Carthy's claim to be a Chief'. However, Mr Murphy's claim has been called into question by Mr Cecil R. Humphery-Smith, an eminent scholar with a veritable alphabet of academic qualifications after his name and an OBE from Queen Elizabeth for his services in the area of Heraldry and Genealogy. He is Principal of the Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies, Canterbury, and is, arguably, the most respected name in Heraldic and Genealogical scholarship in England. When Mr Humphery-Smith read, in the Coat of Arms (Winter 2003, pp-72), Mr Murphy's review http://homepage.tinet.ie/~seanjmurphy/chiefs/coatofarms.html of Dr. Susan Hood's book Royal Roots-Republican Inheritance: The Survival of the Office of Arms. pub. 2002, he wrote a letter of complaint to the editor of that learned magazine.
Letter, courtesy of Mr Humphery-Smith/ Coat of Arms (Winter 2004, pp. 346-48)
(Mr Humphery-Smith is Principal of Canterbury Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies.)
'Sir: In preparing a new edition of Kennedy's Book of Arms, I was tempted by claims, substantiated by 'evidence', to invite a foreword from a certain Prince of Desmond, to whom I was introduced by the late Chief Herald of Ireland, Donal Begley. I became somewhat suspicious of the claims of the 'prince' when I read his scholarly piece though I had not been unfamiliar with Irish factions, prejudices and readiness to indulge in disparagement of each other. That I imagined was an unkind and unjustified generality on my part, soon dispelled once I met Donal Begley. Somewhat later I had read the contribution of John Brook-Little, then Norray and Ulster King of Arms, to an Irish publication. However, further suspicions arose with the publication of a useful book on Gaelic Titles and Forms of Address by the Lord of Duhallow in 1990.
It took me some time to look into the matter. A visit to Dublin for the splendidly organised 24th International Congress of Genealogical and Heraldic Sciences in 2002 led to a meeting with Dr. Susan Hood and Mr. Brendan O Donoghue.
Readers of the Coat of Arms (Winter 2003, pp.167-72) may be interested to discover that statements made by Mr Murphy in his review of Dr. Susan Hood's book Royal Roots - Republican Inheritance: The Survival of the Office of Arms, are inaccurate. They may be regarded as slanderous since the Civil Servants cited are not able to defend themselves. I am certain that the editors cannot be aware of what goes on within the portals of the Centre for Irish Genealogical and Historical Studies, but simple enquiry might serve to correct the totally wrong impression of the circumstances. The 'Centre' does not have any connection with the Office of the Chief Herald of Ireland. It does not appear to have any staff or members apart from the author of the review article.
It became necessary to ask the question: was the Prince of Desmond signing himself 'The MacCarthy Mór', genuinely Chief of the Name and all that he pretended to be. The then Chief Herald, the late Gerald Slevin, who occasionally joined me for a meal when he ventured to London, had accepted at face value what purported to be proofs of descent from Terence McCarthy. The Pedigree Registers show that the Chief Herald was in no way departing from the long-established practice of his Office and predecessors as Ulster kings of Arms.
Mr McCarthy requested a certificate from Mr Slevin's successor, Mr Donal Begley, recognising him as 'Chief of the Name' M(a)cCarthy Mór. That document was signed by Mr Fergus Gillespie per pro the Chief Herald of Ireland on the instruction of Mr Begley in 1992. Mr Gillespie is the present Deputy Chief Herald , but as Mr Murphy is apparently well aware, he has not been invited to research Mr McCarthy's claim. The truth is that Fergus Gillespie as deputy to Donal Begley obeyed the instructions of his senior officer in the service. It is entirely false to suggest that he was persuaded to sign the certificate. Subsequently, Mr McCarthy asked Mr Begley to endorse the certificate and, as requested, the Chief Herald added his own signature.
Mr. Brendan O Donoghue, who was appointed Chief Herald from 1999 to 2003, instigated an investigation into Mr McCarthy's claim on being approached by a second individual claiming to be M(a)cCarthy Mór. This was some two years before the appearance of Sean Murphy on the scene and did not rely on the evidence of any statement from Mr Murphy. Indeed, Mr Murphy applied to Mr O Donoghue for information concerning this case after he had stripped McCarthy of courtesy recognition. Surely, because Mr Murphy had requested access to files under the Freedom of Information Act, he had a duty to disclose any information on the case other than that contained in the files at the Office. He might have then contributed to Mr O Donoghue's extensive investigations. He disclosed no such prior knowledge of it.
These misrepresentations of facts have now been brought to the notice of a wide readership in your learned magazine, a readership that has a particular interest in these matters. I cannot but feel, whether Mr Murphy's article was requested by you or volunteered by him, the Editor of the Coat of Arms bears some responsibility for the errors contained therein and owes an apology to Mr Brendan O Donoghue to Mr Fergus Gillespie and to Dr. Susan Hood (disparagingly referred to throughout the article as Hood). Mr Murphy owes an apology to the Office of the Chief Herald of Ireland.'
Yours &c., Cecil R. Humphery-Smith, Canterbury.
Outcome. The titular editor of the Coat of Arms, Mr John Brook-Little, resigned. The new caretaker editors thanked Mr Humphery-Smith for his letter and explained that 'although they were not in a position to apologize for something published before their tenure of office began they regret any bad feeling caused'. They closed all correspondence re Mr Murphy's article and stated that if Mr Murphy should 'care to respond .... he must find a different forum'.
Subsequently, Mr Fergus Gillespie, present Chief Herald of Ireland, who had been criticised unjustly by Mr Murphy (Coat of Arms, Winter 2003), was appointed Vice-President of the prestigious Heraldry Society - proprietors of the Coat of Arms. A fellow Vice President and Patron of the Heraldry Society is His Grace the Duke of Norfolk, the Earl Marshal of England.
It is interesting to note (a) that the caretaker editors of the Coat of Arms declined to publish Mr Murphy's response to Mr Humphery-Smith's letter of complaint (b) that the proprietors of the Coat of Arms (the Heraldry Society) appointed Mr Fergus Gillespie to the post of Vice President of the Society and that he is the first Chief Herald of Ireland to be honoured in this manner. Accordingly, the Heraldry Society and the editorial committee of the Coat of Arms have been added to the list of those who are out of step with the 'self appointed saviour of Irish genealogy' Mr Murphy (Part 13).
(Comment. Despite our problems with the English, over many centuries, we have to admire how awfully polite they can be when they slam the door - and rub salt in the wound.)
In his Foreword to Vanishing Kingdoms (by W. J. Curley, Dublin 2004) Lawyer Charles Lysaght corroborates Mr Humphery-Smith's statement re the circumstances surrounding the granting of courtesy recognition to Terence McCarthy. Charles Lysaght confirms that 'Chief Herald Donal Begley (alone) recognised Terence McCarthy as The Mac Carthy Mór on the basis of a pedigree registered as authentic by his predecessor, Gerald Slevin', Mr Lysaght also confirms that Terence McCarthy's 'recognition was withdrawn in 1999 when it was established that his pedigree had been registered in reliance on a forged letter'.
(Charles Lysaght, a Barrister at Law is Legal Advisor to the Irish Law Reform Commission and to the Department of Foreign Affairs. He's also an author and historian and a past President of the Oxford Union.)
Note. Mr Fergus Gillespie (now Chief Herald of Ireland) had not been invited to examine Terence McCarthy's pedigree and he did not sign the recognition certificate on his own behalf. He signed per pro the Chief Herald of Ireland - on the instruction of his superior officer, Chief Herald Begley. It is grossly misleading to suggest that Terence McCarthy 'successfully persuaded/ somehow persuaded' Chief Herald Begley and his Deputy Fergus Gillespie to sign the certificate and particularly so when Mr Murphy contradicts himself on his own website.
A portion of the certificate referred to is shown above and 'the eagle-eyed will note' :
(a) that 'Per Pro' is written opposite the designation 'Chief Herald of Ireland' - bottom line;
(b) that Fergus Gillespie's signature is directly above the designation 'Chief Herald of Ireland';
(c) that Donal Begley, when signing the certificate (as requested by Terence McCarthy) was obliged to place his signature and his title above Fergus Gillespie's signature.
It has taken Mr Murphy a long time to apologize and circulate a correction.
'Denying a fault doubles it.' 17th century proverb.
The Thirteenth Chime - Part 2 (Control Games).
Summary. Mr Sean J Murphy, 'self-appointed saviour of Irish genealogy', has managed to stick his neck into a noose of his own making. Mr Murphy denied three times that he received e-mails from Thomas Sweeney and later let slip that he did receive the e-mails in question.
1. 16 January 2004, Thomas Sweeney received an e-mail from a Sean J Murphy (a stranger) who stated that he planned to add an article to his web site http://homepage.tinet.ie/~seanjmurphy/chiefs/ re the Mac Sweeney chiefships. Mr. Murphy asked: `Would you be willing to present copies of your genealogical proofs for me to study?' (study = approve?)
(According to an old proverb; 'Curiosity is ill manners in another's house'. Mr Murphy's curiosity falls into that category, nevertheless, it was decided to respond to his queries. However, Mr Murphy wanted to play control games and the exchange of information he required, to enable him compile a faithful representation of the truth, ended abruptly. The reason for the breakdown in communication is given at 9 below.)
2. 20 January, 2004, Thomas Sweeney replied by e-mail to Mr Murphy's e-mail of January 16, 2004.
3. 29 January 2004, Thomas Sweeney received an e-mail from Mr Murphy which began: `I sent you an e-mail query on 16 inst, and wonder if you received same'.
4. 30 January 2004, Thomas Sweeney forwarded to Mr Murphy the e-mail sent on 20 January 2004 via the reply button. (It was not returned by the mail system - as undelivered mail.)
5. 22 April, 2004, Thomas Sweeney received an e-mail from Mr Murphy which began: `This is my third and probably final attempt to clarify evidence concerning your claim to chiefship, my earlier e-mails of 16 and 29 January not having received the courtesy of an acknowledgement…..'
6. 24 April 2004, Thomas Sweeney then went to the trouble and expense of sending Mr Murphy by registered letter the information sent to him by e-mail on 20 January and 30 January, 2004.
Registered letter receipt, dated April 24, 2004, addressed to Mr. Sean Murphy.
7. 27 April 2004, Thomas Sweeney received an e-mail from Mr Murphy which began: `Thank you very much for your letter of 24 inst, received by registered post today. A pity about your earlier e-mail replies having gone astray....... truth is also my main concern.'
8. 28 April 2004, Thomas Sweeney sent Mr. Murphy additional information - by registered post.
Registered letter receipt, dated April 28, 2004, addressed to Mr Sean Murphy.
9. The following year, 12 January 2005, Thomas Sweeney received an e-mail from Mr Murphy which began: `You may recall that in earlier e-mails you referred me .....'
However, the only e-mails sent by Thomas Sweeney to Mr Murphy were e- mails Mr Murphy denied receiving, i.e., those listed at 2 and 4 above.
In e-mails dated 29 January, 22 and 27 April 2004 (listed at 3, 5 and 7 above) Mr. Murphy denied receiving e-mails from Thomas Sweeney and bizarrely, in the first sentence in his e-mail of 12 January 2005 he discredited his denials.
Outcome. A decision was taken to withdraw immediately from Mr Murphy's jiggery-pokery control game.
'A lot of people mistake a short memory for a clear conscience' - Doug Larson.
The Thirteenth Chime - Part 3 (Control Games - again).
Summary. Mr Sean J Murphy, 'self-appointed saviour of Irish genealogy', has managed to stick his neck into yet another noose of his own making!
(a) On April 27, 2004 Thomas Sweeney received an e-mail from Mr Murphy, genealogist. Mr Murphy wrote: 'Thank you for your letter of 24th inst, received by registered post. A pity about your earlier e-mails having gone astray ....... I would certainly be interested in viewing your 1999 petition to the Chief Herald with attached documents such as the Land Commission Application form, the 1851 census abstract, and so on.... as truth is also my main concern.'
We discover on http://homepage.tinet.ie/~seanjmurphy/chiefs/macsweeneydoe.html that Mr Murphy obtained, (under the Freedom of Information Act) a copy of Thomas Sweeney's '1999 petition to the Chief Herald' - seeking recognition as Chief of the Name of the Mac Sweeneys of Doe. Mr Murphy received the copy of the petition in late 2001, therefore, he was in possession of the '1999 petition to the Chief Herald with attached documents such as the Land Commission Application form, the 1851 census abstract, and so on' when he requested Thomas Sweeney to send him copies of same, 27 April, 2004!
'But man, proud man/ Drest in a little brief authority/ ...Play such fantastic tricks before high heaven/ As make the angels weep.' Shakespeare - Measure for Measure.
The Thirteenth Chime - Part 4 (Foraging for negatives).
Mr Murphy has been e-mailing around seeking information re Thomas Sweeney's grandfather's 1875 wedding certificate and we learn (via his web site) that an 'informed third party' (not a professional genealogist?) sent him information that enabled him to accept, as accurate, research undertaken by an Irish consultant genealogist! Mr Murphy's zeal and resourcefulness have added a new dimension to professional genealogical research - Dr. Hugh Brady and the RAACE development committee should be pleased.
Re Thomas Sweeney's grandfather's wedding certificate, 1875, posted on Mr Murphy's website.
Mr Murphy claims that, as a genealogist, he is 'Second to None', therefore, he must be aware (a) that there are dozens of examples of errors, e.g., transposition of names, on Irish registration certificates dating from the 1860's -70's (b) that it is not unusual for present-day researchers to find corrections/ amendments attached to registration certificates dating from that period.
We hope the following information will assist the beleaguered Mr Murphy.
