Curriculum Vitae

About
I was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1951 and now live with my family in Windgates, County Wicklow. Having completed a BA degree in University College Dublin, I secured an MA in history by major thesis in the same university in 1981 (first class honours). Since graduation I have worked principally in the fields of genealogy, heraldry and history. My professional work is divided between teaching, research, publishing and consultancy.

From 1989-2017 I taught part-time in University College Dublin giving Adult Education classes in genealogy, leading to a Level 7 Certificate in Genealogy/Family History. I currently give an introductory and an advanced genealogy course as part of the educational programme of the National Library of Ireland.

Projects
I have been commissioned to work on numerous projects over the past four decades, including reporting on the Westport House Papers for the Irish Manuscripts Commission, surveying manuscripts of northern relevance in the south for the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. I have also reviewed claims arising from the Sheehan of Savannah intestacy case, provided background research for heritage projects, and furnished information and interviews for radio and television programmes and newspaper articles, covering topics such as Irish surnames, Molly Malone, theft of the Irish Crown Jewels and the Mac Carthy Mór hoax.

Other projects have included reporting on the pedigree of President Bill Clinton and providing staff training for the National Library of Ireland, checking the pedigrees and arms of bona fide Irish chiefs for inclusion in the 107th Edition of Burke’s Peerage. A major recently completed assignment was historical and genealogical research relating to the Pearse Lyons Distillery at St James, James’s Street, Dublin (book forthcoming).

As time permits, I have performed considerable voluntary work over the years, particularly in the area of verifying Irish chiefly titles, surveying old Dublin graveyards and copying their memorial inscriptions, dispensing advice to enquirers, giving talks to amateur societies and addressing conferences.

Publications
I maintain an active publication schedule, having had articles published since the 1980s in journals such as Parliamentary History, Eighteenth-Century Ireland, Familia, Analecta Hibernica and the Irish Genealogist, as well as pieces in magazines such as Irish Roots, History Ireland and Atavus. In 2004 my first full-length book was published, entitled Twilight of the Chiefs: The Mac Carthy Mór Hoax, and in 2013 I published a compact biography to mark the tercentenary of the birth of the patriot Charles Lucas, 1713-1771. A substantial range of my publications can be viewed via my Academia.edu webpage, https://seanmurphy.academia.edu/research.

Availability
Those wishing to discuss genealogical and/or historical research projects, teaching or consultancy assignments, may contact me by e-mail at sjbmurphy1951@gmail.com, or by ordinary post at Carraig, Cliff Road, Windgates, Bray, Co Wicklow A98 Y6D5, Ireland.