Healy Surname History
There is an English surname Healy, derived from the Old English Heah, "high" and leah, "clearing", "wood", but almost all of those bearing the name in Ireland are descendants of one of two Irish families, the O'hEilidhe, from eilidhe, "claimant", and the O hEaladaighthe, from ealadhach, "ingenious".
The O'hEilidhe had territory in south-east Co. Sligo, on the shores of Lough Arrow, one of the most beautiful parts of the country.
The O hEaladaighthe were based in the parish of donoghmore in Muskerry in Co. Cork where they retained considerable power and wealth up to the seventeenth century. The Healy surname is very common and widespread today, though significant concentrations are to be found around the orignal homelands of Connacht and Cork. The best-known modern bearer of the name was John Healy, of the Connacht family, renowned for his passionate defence of the rural way of life.
Griffith's Propery Valuation 1847- 1864
In the absence of any surviving pre-1901 censuses, beyond a few fragments held at individual parishes, The Griffith's Property Valuation is the most comprehensive mid-19th century resource available and can direct genealogists to the exact plot of land where their ancestor lived.The Primary Valuation of Ireland or Griffith's Valuation 1847- 1864,
was carried out between 1847 and 1864 to determine liability to pay the Poor rate (for the support of the poor and destitute within each Poor Law Union) - provides detailed information on where some people lived in Ireland and the property they possessed. Be advised many of the population, especially in rural communities did not lease let alone, own land or property, those people will not appear on these records.
The Griffith's Valuation is a land survey and not a complete census of households, only the head of each household is identified. Family relationships and other personal information were not recorded. For this reason, few women and no children are included. The very poorest ie those who lived on the verge of vagrancy in makeshift or temporary hovels were also excluded, and during the Famine years 1847-1852, especially in the rural communites this population of people greatly increased so don't expect to find them on these records.
It is important to know the year the information was gathered for the county where your ancestor resided. See the map below:
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| Dates of publication for each county - from Irish Genealogy Toolkit |
John Grenham, using the Index of the Griffith Valuation Records found at Ask About Ireland, John Grehnam compiled the following information for the Healy and Donovan surnames in Co. Kerry for the year 1852. Grenham's site can be searched for a fee.
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| Healy Surname - household numbers by county in Griffith's Valuation Index 1852 The above link will take you to John Grehnam's interactive map. He provides complete sources and links to find additional records, journals and books. |
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| The above chart was created using the Index of Griffith's Valuations. It shows how many the number of Healy households by county and is searchable on the John Grenham website On the Griffith's Valuation Index the Healy surname is most concentrated in County Cork - 450 households. County Kerry is the 2nd highest - 220 |
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| 25 Healy households in Kilgarvan parish, 16 households in Kenmare parish in 1852 |
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| John Grenham's interactive map and chart provides comprehensive information about the Healy households in Co. Kerry 1852
The Kilgarvan parish had the highest concentration of Healy households on the Griffith's Valuation Index.
The index of the Griffith's Valuation lists 33 Healys in Kilgarvan parish in 1852, who were tenants or landlords.
 The Donovan households were extremely concentrated in County Cork on the Griffith's Valuation = 1,723 households. However, the Index lists 64 Donovan households in County Kerry for 1852. Four are located in the townland Mangerton. The Index of the Griffith's Valuation 1847-64, lists Nine Donovan surnames in the Kilgarvan parish in 1852
Variations in surname spelling. According to John Grenham's research, there are 49 Donovan surname variations and 10 Healy surname variations in non-Griffith's Valuation records My Conclusions - from the Griffith's Property Valuation CensusRecord #1 , Meter Healy in Caher East, Kilgarvan is a record of Maytor and Nellie in 1852.Record #3 , J Healy in Caher East, Kilgarvan 1852. Is possibly Maytor's relative. It is probable that both the Healy's and Donovan's were originally from County Cork or Co. Sligo. We know from later death records that Nellie's father was named Dan Donovan and her mother's name was Belle. Additionally Maytor and Nellie named one of their daughters Arabella (Belinda, Belle), therefore it is probable that the above records of Isabelle and Jeremiah Donovan in Mangerton, 1852 are relations of Nellie. Search the Index of the Griffith's Valuation here at Ask About Ireland Valuation Office BooksThe National Archives of Ireland lists 493 Healy households in County Kerry from 1847 - 1864. In 1849 and 1850 the INDEX lists 8 possible records of Maytor Healy in the Kenmare area of Co. Kerry1. Meater Healy, 15 Aug 1849, Letter Upper, Kenmare, Kerry, lessor is blank, description is blank 2. Meater Healy, 11 July 1850, Waterville, Dromond, Kerry 3. Meateri Healy, 11 July 1850, Waterville, Dromond, Kerry 4. Meaters Healy, 29 April 1850, Waterville, Dromond, Kerry 5. Metre Healy occupier, 15 Aug 1849, Letter Upper, Kenmare, lessor Daniel 6. Metre Healy occupier, 15 Aug 1849, Letter Upper, Kenmare, lessor Rev. Daniel Healy, description 7. Metre Healy occupier, 15 Aug 1849, Letter Upper, Kenmare, lessor Rev. Daniel Healy, description house and land 8. Metre Healy occupier, 15 Aug 1849, Letter Upper, Kenmare, lessor Marquis of Lansdowne, description - Office and Land
J. Sullivan, Jeremiah Dogle, D. Sullivan, Widow Sullivan, Jeremiah Healy, James Healy, Isabella Donovan, Dan Sullivan, Dc Sullivan, Ds Sullivan, Ds Sullivan, Ds Brian, Jeremiah Donovan, Widow Mary Sullivan
Jas Healy occupier of house and offices
Widow Isabella Donovan occupier of house and offices Dan Sullivan
My Conclusions of the Valuation Office Books
1. In 1849 a "Maytor" Healy was leasing a house, office and land from Rev. Daniel Healy. Mary Healy leased a house next door to Maytor, she may be a possible relation. Letter Upper is located Search the index for the Valuation Office Books here at the National Archives of Ireland Search the record images of the Valuation Office Books here at the National Archives of Ireland The Tithe Applotment BooksThe Tithe Applotment books were compiled between 1823 and 1837 in order to determine the amount occupiers of agricultural holdings over one acre should pay in tithes to the Church of Ireland.Search the Tithe Applotment Books here Browse the records by location here There are 145 Healy surnames in Co. Kerry 11 are living in the Kilgarvan parish 1. Tim Healy, Baranastooky, 1826 2. Daniel Healy, Baranstooky, 1826 3. Peter Healy, Baranstooky, 1826 4. Darby Healy, Barenagerane Lower, 1826 5. Darby Healy, Coomelshorane, 1826 6. Tim Healy, Cummeen Upper, 1826 (Darley Donovan, #2 below is on the same record) 7. Denis Healy, Lower Churchground, 1826 8. Daniel Healy, Dromanacolman Lower, 1826 9. Tim Healy, Meelagh, 1826 listed as occupying the same land with Denis Donovan. Also #3 below, Daniel Donovan, Mangerton is listed on the same record. 10. Timothy, Healy, Russigtora, 1826 11. Denis Healy, Cahir, 1826 12. Paddy Healy, Knuckeens, 1826 1,2,3 are occupying the same land. 4 is on the same record. There are 37 Donovan surnames in Co. Kerry. 6 are living in the Kilgarvan parish 1. David Donovan, Gurtbrah, 1826 2. Darley Donovan, Crumpane, 1826 3. Darby Donovan, Inchmore, Kilgarvan 1826 4. Darby Donovan, Lummanagh North, 1826 5. Denis Donovan, Meelagh, 1826 Denis is occupying the same land as # 9 Tim Healy above. Also #6 Daniel Donovan, below is on the same image. 6. Daniel Donovan, Mangerton East, Kilgarvan 1826 My Conclusions #6 Daniel Donovan listed above is probably Nellie's father because of the location Mangerton and year the year 1826. Nellie was born in 1826 in Mangerton to Daniel Donovan and Arabella McCarthy or Connor
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