.

How the Parish got the name Barryroe
The history of the name Barryroe for the Parish is quite complicated. To summarise, ‘Barry’ has its roots in the lands under the patronage of Saint Barruch being given to a Norman (therefore French) military clan calling themselves the people of Barruch i.e. de Barri. The ‘Roe’ part refers to Lawrence Barry (c. 1400) who was named Red Barry possibly because he had a red complexion or even red hair? Ruadh is Irish for Red so Barra Ruadh or Barraí Rua anglicised became Barryroe.

The Parish includes townlands such as of Abbeymahon, Ardgehane, Ballycremond, Butlerstown, Carrigeen, Courtmacsherry (where Courtmacsherry Church is), Donaghmore, Dunworly, Grange More/Beg, Lehenagh, Lislevane, Shanaghobarravane, Ternanean (where Barryroe Parish Church is).

Denis Florence McCarthy

MacCarthy, Denis Florence (1817–82), Young Irelander, poet, and translator, was born 26 May 1817 at 24 Lower Sackville St., Dublin, the only son of John MacCarthy (d. 1857), a catholic woollen merchant with premises on Eden Quay, Dublin, and Sarah MacCarthy (née Courtney) (d. 1845). After attending a private school in Dublin, he entered Maynooth College to study for the priesthood, but discovered he had no vocation, and in 1834 enrolled at TCD, becoming a member of the circle of Thomas Davis (qv) centred on the College Historical Society. He entered the King’s Inns, Dublin (1841), and Gray’s Inn, London (1842), and was called to the bar (1846). He never practised law, preferring instead to pursue a literary career.

May have family links to Clonakilty/Dunmanway. His poem Clan of Mac Caura refers to Arigideen river. Champion of poet J.J. Callanan

https://www.dib.ie/biography/maccarthy-denis-florence-a5126

His poem at the dedication of the Church