Welcome to the Moriarty yDNA surname project

The Moriarty family is a sept of the Eoghanacht familes of the province of Munster and is mainly found in Co. Kerry.

The project is primarily a yDNA surname project that welcomes those men who bear the name Moriarty or a variant that can be shown to be associated with the predominant roots of the surname. There are families of Moriarty associated with Castledrum, Dingle, Annascaul, Tralee, Killarney and Kenmare.

One member of the project represents the Castledrum branch and outlines his history as follows:

My family are from Annascaul (1650 – to date) and before that from Castledrum (c.1200- 1651), my paternal line includes Owen McDonald Moriarty who killed the Earl of Desmond in 1583, Donell Moriarty of Castledrum, his brother Fr. Thaddeus was martyred by the Cromwellians in 1653.

After the destruction of Castledrum in 1652 a son of the family came to live in Annascaul. He built Ballintermon House. One branch of that family still resides there and maintains an unbroken familial link to Castledrum.

In the 1750’s members of the family supported the Jacobite cause and were given a “loving Cup” with the arms of Moriarty (shown below), members of the family were Barony Constable’s or Seneschal’s of Corca Dhuibhne, with Thade Moriarty (b.1776), Timothy Moriarty (b 1824) and my great Grandfather Denis Moriarty (b 1864) holding the position. 

                                                                       

                                        Shown above is a detail of the loving cup presented to the Moriarty family.

                                        
                                       
                                                                                                       

The following are grants of arms given to Moriarty’s and registered with the College of Arms in London:

1. Silverius Moriarty late of Hobart Town in Tasmania, barrister, eldest son of the late William Moriarty, Commander Royal Navy on his changing his name by Royal Licence to Crumpe (his mother’s maiden name) and taking the arms of Crumpe, viz in the 2^nd and 3^rd quarters: Per pale Or and Argent an Eagle displayed Sable charged on the breast and on each wing with a Trefoil slipped of the first; crest (for Moriarty): On a Wreath of the Colours An Arm in armour embowed the hand grasping a Sword entwined with a Serpent all proper charged with a Trefoil slipped Vert; motto: SCANDIT SUBLIMIA VIRTUS (Irish Grants H19/4.94, dated 28 October 1881)

2. Redmond George Silverius Moriarty, Captain Royal Irish Regiment, eldest son of William Moriarty, Commander Royal Navy, a younger son of William Moriarty, also a Commander Royal Navy on his changing his name by Royal Licence to Crumpe and taking the arms of Crumpe (details as in paragraph 1, above) (Irish Grants H228/44.50, dated 12 November 1897)

The design of an Eagle displayed is so simple it must be very old, but there is no reference to it under the name Moriarty in either the English, Scottish or Irish records. The design had to be varied to make it unique and thus grantable in 1881 and 1897.

3. Evidence of its use is also apparent in the only grant to this name in England, namely to Mary Anne Sheffield Moriarty, widow of and to be placed upon a monument to George Andrew Moriarty of Newport, Rhode Island, viz Argent a double headed Eagle displayed within a Bordure Sable charged with eight Bulls Heads couped Or; crest: On a Wreath of the Colours A dexter Arm embowed grasping in the hand a Sword proper pommel and hilt Or entwined round the blade a Snake also proper the arms charged with a Fleur de Lys Gold; same motto (Grants 96.244, dated 22 May 1929)

The closest living relative to Redmond George Silverius Moriarty is his grandson. R G.S Moriarty was the grt grandson of Admiral Silverius Moriarty whose coat of arms was retained on a silver cutlery service dated 1730 and which still existed in 1999 in the possesion of Miss Lucinda Moriarty, the grt granddaughter of the admiral.  R.G.S Moriarty in 1901 publicly rejected the change of surname and returned to the name of Moriarty before his marriage (see belowfor details) .