It's thought William's family may have come from the townland of Knocklonogad in Garryhill, Co. Carlow.
Notes:
1. In some older references to Knocklonogad, its parish is given as Sliguff rather than Garryhill.
2. Murphy is the anglicised version of two Irish surnames, 'Ó Murchadha' (in modern Irish 'Ó Murchú') and 'Mac Murchadha', both derived from the popular early Irish personal name Murchadh, meaning "sea-warrior". Mac Murchadha ("son of Murchadh") is exclusive to Ulster where they were originally based in present-day Co. Tyrone but were driven out and settled in Co. Armagh where the Ulster Murphys are now most numerous. The Murphy name is also common in counties Fermanagh and Monaghan. Elsewhere in Ireland, the Ó Murchadha (descendant of Murchadh) name arose separately in at least three distinct areas, in Cork, Roscommon and Wexford. The most prominent of these were the Wexford Uí Murchadha. These took their surname from Murchadh or Murrough, grandfather of Dermot MacMurrough, King of Leinster. Their territory lay in the barony of Ballaghkeen in Co. Wexford, their main seats being Morriscastle ("Ó Murchu's Castle"), Toberlamina, Oulart and Oularteigh. In the late sixteenth century, however, their chief, Donal Mor O'Morchoe (as the name was then anglicised) was overthrown, and all of his territory, with the exception of land in Oularteigh, was confiscated. Most of his followers were scattered and settled in the surrounding counties, in Kilkenny and Carlow particularly.
