236 Global Corish Family Members

Corish Family History

Recorded as Cory, Corrie, Coor, Coris, Corish, Corris and possibly others, this is a Gaelic surname of Scottish origins, and also recorded in Ireland as Corry. It is locational from any or all of the places in Arran, Dumfriess and other areas named "Corried". The place name derives from the word "coire", meaning a cauldron, and used here in the transferred sense of a circular valley. The first recordings are 13th century and include Radulph de Corry, who witnessed a charter by Henry de Grahame at Morton in the year 1220, and Walter de Corri, cousin and an heir of Helewisa de Levynton, who rendered homage to King Edward 1st of England, in 1274 for his portion of her lands...

Corish Family from Wexford

THE name Corish has a long and prominent association with the ecclesiastical, farming, commercial and political life of south Wexford. The name itself derives from Mac Fheorais (son of Piers), an Irish patronymic adopted by the Norman Berminghams from Piers de Bermingham who took part in the conquest of Connacht in 1235, securing a great territory in the barony of Dunmore, Co. Galway called MacOrish's Country.

This Irish name was also used by the Leinster Berminghams whose Castle Carbury in Co. Kildare was also called Castle Mac Fheorais. This was their principal seat, but it was in south Wexford that the Corishes became most numerous in later times.

I cannot trace their origin in this area. They are referred to as 'an old Danish family in the obituary in The People, Wexford, of Raymond Corish, Ballingly Abbey, Ballymitty, who died in January, 1899. Hore! mentions Jasper Corish, of 'a very old Danish family in the eighteenth century whose daughter married John Heron, of Churchtown, Rosslare. He acknowledges the information on the Heron family from Mr. O'Cullen, Editor of The People who, he says, obviously believed the Corishes were of Danish origin.

Hore mentions Luke Corish, a corn dealer in Wexford in 1757 and Nicholas Corish, a merchant in Wexford in 1774. The most prominent landowning families in the last century were at Harveystown (Taghmon), Ballingly, Coolhull and Lough (all in Bannow parish).

The Lough family is notable for its contribution to the service of the Catholic Church. Rev. Peter Corish of this family was parish priest of Carrig-on-Bannow from 1830 to 1873 and Chancellor of the Diocese of Ferns. He was responsible for replacing the old thatched chapel at Ballymitty with the line church that is there today. He was grand-uncle of Rev. John Corish, P.P., of Ballyn.ore (Forth), who died suddenly while celebrating Mass in 1904, and brother of Rev. P. F. Corish O.S.F., who died in Clonmel.

Rev. Andrew Corish was P.P. of Kilmore (Bargy) from 1794 to 1808 and was responsible for the building of the parish church, which commenced in the historic year of 1798. Mother Mary Agnes Corish, who died in April, 1914, at the Convent of Mercy, Wexford, was daughter of Nicholas Corish, of Lough, and was professed in 1876. She was principal of the convent's George St. School in Wexford for forty years. She had two sisters also in religion - Mother Fausline. Faithful Companions of Jesus, Alberta, Canada, and Mother Victoria of the same order, who died in Massachussets.

A distinguished churchman in more recent times is Monsignor Patrick Corish, Professor of Modern History, St. Patrick's College, Maynooth, and former President of the college. He is son of Peter Corish, who was a National Teacher in Gusserane and Secretary of Gaelic Athletic Association (G.A.A.) in New Ross district for many years. Monsignor Corish is one of the most respected and accomplished modern historians with an impressive issue of publications to his credit. He has a deep understanding and love of his native Co. Wexford, which often figures in his writing.

Raymond E. Corish, head of the well-known Wexford auctioneering company, who died in October 1980, was a descendant of John Corish of Lough who married Ita Reville and died on October 19, 1797. Raymond's grandfather was Raymond Corish of Ballingly who married a Miss Colfer in 1863 and died in 1899. His father was Raymond P. Corish who married Mary Teresa Godfrey and died in 1935.

Raymond E. Corish was a leading figure in the commercial and sporting life of Wexford for many years. In 1931 he joined his father in the auctioneering firm which had been established in the early nineteenth century by Jasper Walsh. He was president of the International Real Estate Federation (1964-70), president of the Irish Auctioneers and Valuations Institute (1965-66) and president of the Wexford Chamber of Commerce.

The name has been distinguished in the political field by Alderman Richard Corish who was elected to Dail Eireann in 1922, and was Mayor of Wexford for twenty-five years until his death in 1945. He was succeeded in the Dail by his son, Brendan Corish, who became Leader of the Labour Party, a member of the cabinet and Tanaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) in the Coalition Government, 1973-77. His brother, Desmond Corish, was Mayor of Wexford in 1973-74.

Nicholas P. Corish (died 1982) was a leading public figure in Wexford town for many years and mayor in 1955. He taught in the Christian Brothers secondary school for forty-three years and was a long-time secretary and later president of the Wexford Trades Council. He was born in Tipperary where his father, Nicholas Corish, from Talbot St., Wexford, was a sergeant in the R.I.C. His grandfather, Richard Corish, had been a grain buyer for the Bishopswater Distillery in Wexford.

The late Denis Corish, Robert St., New Ross, another son of Nicholas Corish, Talbot St., Wexford, was District Court Clerk in New Ross for many years. He served in the R.L.C. until the advent of the Black and Tans during the War of Independence when he resigned and joined the Republican movement, becoming a clerk of the Sinn Fein Courts. On establishment of the Free State he was appointed District Court Registre in New Ross, a post he held until his death in May, 1955. Professor John C. Corish, Ph.D., Department of Chemistry, University College Dublin, is his nephew.