The Legend of Squire O'Hara - your responses:

Daryl Bowens - Dec '07
I was wondering, where did you get the image for the article? I was requesting if I could use the image for my website?

JG12 - Mar '07
If you guys are are O'Haras then i'm related to you all. SCARY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jon Johnson - Oct '06
If Lionel Hamilton O'Hara would get in touch with me, i'd be extremely interested as we have a common ancestor in Lawrence.

Anne Mark nee Andrews - Oct '06
I am am a Andrews of Liminary, I can remember your uncle Willie and aunt May, we spent many good times in Marlow Lodge, preparing for sunday school partys i.e. learning tunes and poetry. We always enjoyed this as we got our tea before we went home I also remember Bertie who I think was their son,and the Gaults who lived down the road. My dad was Bertie Andrews who was a fireman and his family farm is on what is called the Rankinstown, he was the son of Charlie and Annie andrews, I had been looking through some sites and came across this article which I really enjoyed. It reminded me of Charlie Weatherspoon who did a program about the headless horseman for a TV program. By the way, the white gates are not there anymore the rumour is someone stole them. I am in a hurry and sorry this was not set out better but I thought I would than you for this article which I enjoyed reading.

Lionel Hamilton O'Hara - Sep '06
My name is Lionel Hamilton O'Hara my father was Desmond Hamilton O'Hara who had 3 brothers Colin Hamilton O'Hara, Kenrick Hamilton O'Hara and Oliver Hamilton O'Hara and 3 sisters; their father was Edward Hamilton O'Hara (B.14/06/1888) one of 6 brothers and 1 sister their father was Richard Lawrence Huntly O'Hara 16/06/1848) who died Toungoo Burma on 31/10/1916 - his father was George O'Hara 25/09/1820 - died 1898 and his father was Capt Lawrence O'Hara of His majesty's 56th Regiment who died on 24/09/1825.

I now have a daughter Holly and a son called Harrison Hamilton O'Hara born 9/8/89.We live in the UK in Kent we have many Hamilton O'Hara's within our large family, some now living in USA and Australia.

Susan Barson nee O'Hara - Sep '06
My late Father is Andrew O'Hara, my Grand-Father was Andrew O'Hara, my Great-Grand-Father also Andrew O'hara all born in Scotland and my Great-Great-Grand-Father was Henry O'Hara, Irish.
This is all I know but strangely Henry was also called by another name which was Massure ( this is most likely an incorrect spelling as records are not clear).
Who am I can anyone help? Is this story relevant to me.

Paddy O'Hara - May '06
I am intersted in making contact with Julia Walsh and K Engstrom about their O'Hara connections. My brother and I have done some work on the O'Haras of Crebilly. We were not aware of any children of the Young Squire O'Hara (HHH O Hara).

Jewel Bloodren - May '06
I absolutely love this artical, the pictures as well. It brings a dark chill to ones bones.

I Cushnahan - November '05
Had the Cushnahans named below any other family members that you know of or did he have any brothers by the name of Andrew ?

Julia Walsh - October '05
It’s great to see so much interest in the O’Hara’s, particularly from my point of view because I’m a descendent of Henry Hutchinson Hamilton O’Hara!

This is what I’m aware of regarding Henry:

Henry Hutchinson Hamilton O’Hara married Susan (maiden name unknown). They had 2 childern, John O’Hara and Catherine (Kitty) O’Hara.

John O’Hara married Catherine Walsh in March 1888 at Crebilly Roman Catholic Church and they then emigrated to Chicago, USA.

They had several children:
Catherine O’Hara born 1889
Twins – died at birth
Charles Alexander O’Hara born 1/9/1891 (died in infancy)
John Patrick O’Hara born 11 Nov 1892. AKA John Joseph O’Hara or John Joseph Bann-O’Hara

When Catherine Walsh died (1896), John O’Hara brought his two children John Patrick and Catherine back to Ireland to be raised by his mother Susan. John O’Hara returned to the US and never returned to Ireland. We understand that he re-married, this time to a woman of German descent. When Susan died, the children were raised by their Aunt Catherine (Kitty).

John Patrick O’Hara joined the British Navy and married Ellen Louise Law (an English woman) and moved to England. They had 6 children. He is my great granddad, which makes Henry H.H. O’Hara my great, great, great granddad.

Henry HH O’Hara was the son of John Francis O’Hara and the daughter of the Crebilly yardman. John Francis had married her while in his mid-sixties, having thrown his wife and children out of the house without a penny. To add to this he was a great drunkard and gambled – traits that it appears Henry inherited!

Henry HH O’Hara was not much better than his father, and ended up having to mortgage his estate to pay off his debts. One evening, upon returning home from hunting, his wife refused to give up her seat to him, where upon, Henry emptied a shovel of hot coals in her lap and told her to get out – oddly enough she never came back! Henry finally sold the rest of what was left of his estate and went to London where he died a few years later.

His body was brought back to the churchyard in Ballymarlow. The monument referred to in other texts was erected by his old tenants from what was the Crebilly Estate. It is a long slender column, which is built to look as though it’s been broken – this was deliberate as it is said to represent a broken and disturbed life. However bad a husband and father he was, it appears that he was actually a pretty good landlord – the inscription on the monument reads (including any spelling mistakes!):

Here Lies The Body Of
Henry Hutchinson Hamilton
O’Hara
Esquire of Crebilly

Born 5th June 1820
Died 27th December 1875

He Was A Most Kind and Liberal
Landlord And This Monument
Is Erected By The Tennants On His
Estates In Greatful Remeberance

All Ye That Are About Him
Bemoan Him And All Ye That
Know His Name, Say, How Is
The Strong Staff Broken And
The Beautiful Rod
JER XLVII = C17

For Here Have We No
Continuing City But We
Seek One To Come
HEB XII = C14

Blessed Are The Merciful
For They Shall Obtain
Mercy
MATH VC = C7

I can’t comment on the reports of Henry returning as the Ghost of Crebilly, romantic though that would be. He certainly had a wild and turbulent life, but his death is not recorded as being anything exceptional enough to warrant returning to haunt his estate!

Joe Simpson - Sept '05
Hi from Vancouver Island, Canada... this is a photo of the old O'Hara Estate and perimeter wall as seen in 2004 from the top of Fairhill, Crebilly, Ballymena, Co. Antrim.

O'Hara Estate - photo by Joe Simpson, Vancouver Island, Canada

So far as I know, Henry Hutchinson Hamilton O'Hara (aka "The Mad Squire of Crebilly") died penniless as a Paris groom, and his body was brought back to Ballymarlow Churchyard for burial. Marlow (not Marlagh) Lodge, across the road, was built (I believe) by the O'Hara Family for the young Squire and his (French?) bride, perhaps in the 1830s, but I thought that he'd never lived there. At one time I gather it was a coaching inn. So I was very interested to read the posting by Rachel Thompson that the OS map of 1857 mentions that the Lodge was Squire O'Hara's residence.

My grandparents, Thomas and Maude Simpson, are buried only a few feet away. My great-uncle Willie Foster and his late wife used to own Marlow Lodge, which left the family after his death (aged almost 100) in the mid-1990s. Presumably Rachel T and her family bought it from the previous owners, who acquired it from Will Foster's estate. Many a time in the 1950s and theerafter I used to visit Marlow Lodge, as often as not entertained in the spacious back kitchen area with its warm stove, where Auntie May would serve delicious cakes!

Many years ago a cousin of my father, a medical doctor-cum-former NI Minister of Health named Dr. Robert Simpson, presented a TV program about the Mad Squire, and his headlong gallop on horseback down the straight mile-long road to the white gates (still standing) at the back of the estate where his horse became fatally ensnared in the top spikes. According to hoary folk legend, the Mad Squire still gallops down that road and tries to clear the estate gates each year on Midsummer Night at the stroke of midnight. Years ago my wife and I spent an evening with Willie and Lay at Marlow Lodge, just before we married, and afterwards my wife swore to me that the house was haunted - it may have been something to do with the wooden carved gargoyles above the stairwell!

One story i do recall reading many years ago, was that Squire O'Hara returned with his companions from hunting, and tipsily demanded that his young wife rise from her seat by the fire to serve drinks to their guests. She refused, whereupon he reached into the fire wth a shovel, and poured hot coals onto her lap. "Now will ye rise?!" he cried. She did, left the house and never returned.

Don Glossinger, Michigan City, IN. - June '05
The stories about Squire Hamilton O'Hara are very interesting. My biological father was a Hamilton and I have reason to believe I may be related to the Squire and the other O'Hara's of Crebilly. I have read that one of the Hamiltons (an O'Hara nephew) changed his name so that he could inherit the O'Hara estate. I would like to hear from any Hamilton O'Haras or anyone who has knowledge of the family. Thank you very much.

K Engstrom - February '05
I'm reading from an O'Hara family history written in 1893 about my gr-gr-gr grandfather, Oliver O'Hara, b. abt 1790 who lived at Bogue's Town, Skerry Parrish, Co.Antrim, with his maternal aunt. He told of poaching rabbits in Henry O'Hara's close which evidently was a common pastime of his. Oftentimes he would then present his cousin (Henry) with some fine rabbits in the presence of the gamekeeper for a bit of fun. It makes a good story, at any rate. I think sometimes Oliver had taken a side trip to kiss the Blarney Stone. Oliver immigrated to the States by 1843 probably much to the relief of Henry.

Marian McG - October 04
To Bill Cushing
Bill visit the Cassidy clan site where you will meet people who are investigating Cassidy name variations which include Cushnahan and I know Tully is a Townland in Loughgiel where our ancestors have lived and there are still many descendants living nearby.
http://www.cassidyclan.org/
THE BBC IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTENT OF EXTERNAL SITES

Rachel Thompson - September 04
The OS map of 1857 shows that HHHO'H was living at Marlagh Lodge, just opposite the churchyard in which he is buried. We bought this house last year and have spent 15 months restoring it. We had heard the stories about the headless horseman, but didn't know until now that it was the man who built our house! Any other info/memories/photographs would be much appreciated.

Bill Cushing - March 04
Squire Hamilton O'Hara was landlord of my GG Grandfather, Patrick Cushnahan of Tully, died 1869 and buried at Crebilly Graveyard -- near Roslin Hill and O'Hara's residence, 'Crebilly House'.

Is 'Crebilly House' still standing?

My G Grandfather, Hugh Cushnahan/Cushing emigrated in 1857 to Victoria (Australia). His farm at Lake Goldsmith, taken up in 1863 and still in the family, is called 'Craigbilly' (a variant of 'Crebilly'). Hugh (d1905) had Patrick's gravestone erected at Crebilly.

Bill Cushing
Melbourne
Australia