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Farragher, Murtagh (Murty)
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NameFarragher, Murtagh (Murty)ConvictTransported 1822 'Mangles' for administering unlawful oaths - LifeOccupationFarmer.Place of ResidenceTerragong (Dunmore, Croom)BiographyMurtagh (Murty) Farragher was born c.1782 in County Mayo Ireland. Murty married Bridget O'Malley in 1813 and they lived in Hollymount (Holymount), County Mayo where Murty worked as a labourer and ploughman.
In 1822, Murty was accused and found guilty of administering unlawful oaths along with ten other men. He was transported for life to the colony aboard the 'Mangles' in 1822.
There was much civil unrest in rural Ireland in the 1820's. Dissatisfaction with British rule, poverty, and discrimination against Roman Catholics took their toll. In November 1821, five men, including Murty, were accused of being Ribbonmen; members of an illegal oath-bound secret society of poor Catholics, who supported Irish and Catholic rights and opposed the payment of Tithes. A meeting of Ribbonmen was known as Ballinafad.
In a report in the Morning Post 19 Nov 1821 it was revealed five persons, James Costello, Michael Burke, John Jennings, Murty Farragher and Thomas Donoghue were committed to the county gaol. The article stated -
‘we have heard from another source, that some of those men were amongst the most active promoters of ribbonism; that there is reason to hope their apprehension will lead to the
restoration of peace and good order in the barony of Kilmain’.
On arrival in New South Wales aboard Mangles in 1822, Murty was assigned to settler, George Acres at Seven Hills. Fellow Shellharbour convict, James Condon was aboard the same ship. He was transported for insurrection.
In 1825, Murty’s wife applied to Dublin Castle to pay for her voyage to Australia to join her husband. Her application was supported by Fr. John Burke and Rev. George Low, both of Kilmaine, and it was successful.
Murty's wife and sons had arrived in the colony in 1826.
The 1828 Census records Murtagh Farraher aged 40 years, living in the Illawarra with his wife Bridget 38 years, and sons;
Patrick Francis b.1814 (married Ann Cawley, died 1902, Woonona)
Thomas b. c.1817 (married Mary Carew, died 1880, Kiama)
Denis b.c.1819 (married Maria Cawley, died 1863, Jamberoo)
Murty and Bridget had two more children in the Illawarra;
John b. c.1832 (married Winifred Cawley, died 1914, Bega)
James b.1834 (married Mary Ann Healey, died 1916 QLD)
Murty received his Ticket of Leave in the district of the Illawarra. In 1834 Murty received a Conditional Pardon and in 1841 he was issued with an Absolute Pardon. According to the 1841 census, his residence at that time was at Bellambi.
Murty was himself assigned several convicts over the years, including a baker, a labourer and an errand boy in August 1835. The baker, Edward Humby absconded two months later.
On his farm, in the area known today as the Rothery Estate Bellambi, Murty planted the first orangery in the district. He built a slab and bark school on the south west corner of his land for the local children. When a permanent school was built on another site, he donated the land for the Corrimal Catholic Cemetery, in which he and his wife were buried, in 1866 and 186
Murtagh's son Patrick named his residence at Rixon's Pass Woonona 'Holly Mount' after the family home in Ireland. Patrick married Anne Cawley at Wollongong c.1843.
Murtagh's son Denis married Ann Cawley's sister, Maria Cawley at St Francis Xavier's, Wollongong in 1858. The family lived at Terragong/Dunmore.
The same year, Murtagh's son John, married one of Anne and Mary Cawley's sisters, Winifred Cawley, at Wollongong. They eventually moved to Candelo.
Thomas Farragher also lived at Terragong/Dunmore. He married Mary Carew in 1845 and they had five children all born at Jamberoo.
The Farraghers were Roman Catholic and very religious. Patrick was instrumental in establishing the first Roman Catholic Church at Bulli and two of his daughters became nuns.
The Farragher family are well known in the local area and have connections to the Geraghty, Foley and McGlinchy families.
External LinkTickets of Leave 1832Edward Humby Absconded 1835Assigned Servants 1835Assigned Servant 1836Caution to the Public 1840Absolute Pardon 1841News from the Interior 1842Shooting a Dog 1857Binding to the Peace - Thomas Farragher 1857Police Office 1859Birth Daughter 1859Police Court 1859Jamberoo Auction John Farragher 1859Lease of Farm Mr T Farrahers 1859Sales by Auction 1860Stoney Creek Auction 1860Court of Petty Sessions 1860Denis Farragher Death 1863Death Dennis Faraher 1863To Be Let by Tender 1865Funeral Murty Farragher 1866Deaths Bridget Farraher 1867Preliminary Notice T. Farraher 1874Testimonial to John Farragher Esq 1878Steam Packet Hotel Kiama John Farraher Jun 1877Fore Sale by Tender Kiama Steam Packet Hotel 1880Obituary Mr Thomas Farraher 1880Valuable and Extensive Farm, Stoney Creek, Jamberoo 1880Sales by Auction 1881Insolvency Court 1882Seven Oaks Farm 1899Mr Patrick Farraher, Woonona 1902The Late MR Patrick Farraher 1902Death John Farraher 1914Death of an Old South Coaster 1914Early Illawarra By the Hon James Gormly MLC 1918Late Mr John Farraher 1914Obituary Bridget Downey 1935Steam Packet Hotel Kiama 1940
In 1822, Murty was accused and found guilty of administering unlawful oaths along with ten other men. He was transported for life to the colony aboard the 'Mangles' in 1822.
There was much civil unrest in rural Ireland in the 1820's. Dissatisfaction with British rule, poverty, and discrimination against Roman Catholics took their toll. In November 1821, five men, including Murty, were accused of being Ribbonmen; members of an illegal oath-bound secret society of poor Catholics, who supported Irish and Catholic rights and opposed the payment of Tithes. A meeting of Ribbonmen was known as Ballinafad.
In a report in the Morning Post 19 Nov 1821 it was revealed five persons, James Costello, Michael Burke, John Jennings, Murty Farragher and Thomas Donoghue were committed to the county gaol. The article stated -
‘we have heard from another source, that some of those men were amongst the most active promoters of ribbonism; that there is reason to hope their apprehension will lead to the
restoration of peace and good order in the barony of Kilmain’.
On arrival in New South Wales aboard Mangles in 1822, Murty was assigned to settler, George Acres at Seven Hills. Fellow Shellharbour convict, James Condon was aboard the same ship. He was transported for insurrection.
In 1825, Murty’s wife applied to Dublin Castle to pay for her voyage to Australia to join her husband. Her application was supported by Fr. John Burke and Rev. George Low, both of Kilmaine, and it was successful.
Murty's wife and sons had arrived in the colony in 1826.
The 1828 Census records Murtagh Farraher aged 40 years, living in the Illawarra with his wife Bridget 38 years, and sons;
Patrick Francis b.1814 (married Ann Cawley, died 1902, Woonona)
Thomas b. c.1817 (married Mary Carew, died 1880, Kiama)
Denis b.c.1819 (married Maria Cawley, died 1863, Jamberoo)
Murty and Bridget had two more children in the Illawarra;
John b. c.1832 (married Winifred Cawley, died 1914, Bega)
James b.1834 (married Mary Ann Healey, died 1916 QLD)
Murty received his Ticket of Leave in the district of the Illawarra. In 1834 Murty received a Conditional Pardon and in 1841 he was issued with an Absolute Pardon. According to the 1841 census, his residence at that time was at Bellambi.
Murty was himself assigned several convicts over the years, including a baker, a labourer and an errand boy in August 1835. The baker, Edward Humby absconded two months later.
On his farm, in the area known today as the Rothery Estate Bellambi, Murty planted the first orangery in the district. He built a slab and bark school on the south west corner of his land for the local children. When a permanent school was built on another site, he donated the land for the Corrimal Catholic Cemetery, in which he and his wife were buried, in 1866 and 186
Murtagh's son Patrick named his residence at Rixon's Pass Woonona 'Holly Mount' after the family home in Ireland. Patrick married Anne Cawley at Wollongong c.1843.
Murtagh's son Denis married Ann Cawley's sister, Maria Cawley at St Francis Xavier's, Wollongong in 1858. The family lived at Terragong/Dunmore.
The same year, Murtagh's son John, married one of Anne and Mary Cawley's sisters, Winifred Cawley, at Wollongong. They eventually moved to Candelo.
Thomas Farragher also lived at Terragong/Dunmore. He married Mary Carew in 1845 and they had five children all born at Jamberoo.
The Farraghers were Roman Catholic and very religious. Patrick was instrumental in establishing the first Roman Catholic Church at Bulli and two of his daughters became nuns.
The Farragher family are well known in the local area and have connections to the Geraghty, Foley and McGlinchy families.
External LinkTickets of Leave 1832Edward Humby Absconded 1835Assigned Servants 1835Assigned Servant 1836Caution to the Public 1840Absolute Pardon 1841News from the Interior 1842Shooting a Dog 1857Binding to the Peace - Thomas Farragher 1857Police Office 1859Birth Daughter 1859Police Court 1859Jamberoo Auction John Farragher 1859Lease of Farm Mr T Farrahers 1859Sales by Auction 1860Stoney Creek Auction 1860Court of Petty Sessions 1860Denis Farragher Death 1863Death Dennis Faraher 1863To Be Let by Tender 1865Funeral Murty Farragher 1866Deaths Bridget Farraher 1867Preliminary Notice T. Farraher 1874Testimonial to John Farragher Esq 1878Steam Packet Hotel Kiama John Farraher Jun 1877Fore Sale by Tender Kiama Steam Packet Hotel 1880Obituary Mr Thomas Farraher 1880Valuable and Extensive Farm, Stoney Creek, Jamberoo 1880Sales by Auction 1881Insolvency Court 1882Seven Oaks Farm 1899Mr Patrick Farraher, Woonona 1902The Late MR Patrick Farraher 1902Death John Farraher 1914Death of an Old South Coaster 1914Early Illawarra By the Hon James Gormly MLC 1918Late Mr John Farraher 1914Obituary Bridget Downey 1935Steam Packet Hotel Kiama 1940
Farragher, Murtagh (Murty). Shellharbour City Council, accessed 06/09/2026, https://discover.shellharbour.nsw.gov.au/nodes/view/1656