Other branches of the clan: Pursell, Purtill,
Irish Clan Name: Puirseìl
Norman French: Porcel

Arms: “Or a saltire between four boars’ heads couped sable” A golden shield with a broad diagonal black cross upon it, surrounded by four black boars’ heads, cut off roughly at the neck

Crest: “ A cubit arm erect proper habited azure cuffed argent grasping a sword proper pommel and hilt or piercing through the jaw a boar’s head couped sable vulned and distilling drops of blood”. A human arm, cut off cleanly below the elbow, garbed in a blue sleeve with a silver cuff, holding a sword in its natural colouring with golden hilt and pommel. The sword blade is piercing a boar’s head similar to those on the shield, and this is dropping red blood from the wound.

The same Purcell is found in both England and In Ireland. However, in England the stress in speech upon the last syllable, whereas in Ireland the first syllable is emphasised. In both countries the name is derived from the Norman-French word for “piglet”. There is a family named Porcelet in Avignon, in the South of France, and a pig or boar appears in their blazon of arms also. Anglo-Norman families named Porcel came to Ireland in 1172 with the The Earl of Pembroke when he was asked to assist Dermot MacMurrough in regaining the Crown of Leinster.

The Purcells were close followers of the powerful Anglo-Norman family of the de Butlers, (later called just Butler) who became Lords of Ormond. The First Lord of Ormond conferred the title Baron of Loughmore upon the head of the Purcell family. The English Crown did not recognise it because de Butleair conferred it as Lord Palatinate and not on behalf of King Henry III. The main seat of the Purcell family near Thurles in the North Riding of county Tipperary is Loughmore castle, the magnificent ruins of which can still be seen from the Dublin to Cork railway-line.

Family papers relating to the history of the Loughmore Purcells were published in 1914 by the Reverend St. John D. Seymour. The book is called “North Munster” Volume III, pages 124-129 and 191-203, q,v.

During the time of the Commonwealth, an inquisition was directed and a survey made of the parish of Crumlin, Co. Dublin, by Royal Commission, and a map was drawn (which is in the possesion of Ignatious Francis Purcell, the present proprietor) by which it is shown that the Purcells were then, as they had been for a long time previously , the owners of nearly the whole parish.

The Purcells are one of the Anglo-Norman families who were said to have become “more Irish than the Irish themselves”. With the passing of the “Statue of Kilkenny” 1367 Purcells were amongst those settlers whose following of the Irish ways were forbidden by the English Parliament”. This forbade English settlers to use the Irish Druids’ system of Brehon Laws, to marry the Irish, to speak Gaelic, to play hurling, to ride horses without a saddle, to wear Irish style clothing. It also forbade them top receive the Druid bards, Irish poets, storytellers, musicians or healers into their homes; or to employ Irish people. This draconian law did not curb the Purcell family’s enthusiasm for all things Irish. They remained as staunch supporters of the Irish cause down the centuries.

Several of the family noted ecclesiastics, including several Bishops of the Dioceses of Ferns, (county Wexford) and Waterford. Purcells were also Abbots of the Monastery at Holy Cross, near Thurles County Tipperary, and St. John’s Kilkenny. In 1538, Phil Purcell was abbot of Holycross, as was subsequently John Purcell, Prior of St. John’s Abbey, Kilkenny where his tomb of black marble is yet to be seen.

The Irish family also contained several famous military men. Major General Robert Purcell was particularly successful in his military strategy and he managed to play a prominent part in the defence of Limerick City in 1651. In 1652, Cromwell, by his Act “ for settling Ireland” excepted Major General Purcell from pardon for life and estate.

Colonel Nicholas Purcell was the commander of one of the two cavalry regiments of the Jacobite Army of Catholic King James II which fought the Protestant Williamites at the Battle of Aughrim, County Limerick, in 1691. The other cavalry regiment was commanded by Henry Luttrell of County Dublin. The first attacks agains the Irish positions – two against their right wing and one against the centre – were successfulfly replused, although with great loss of fife on both sides. The Williamite troops commanded by the Dutch General Ginkell then made an all-out attack and tried to break through on the Irish left flank, through a pass by the ruined castle of Aughrim. The French General St. Ruth, commanding the Jacobites, ordered the cavalary regiments of Lutrell and Purcell to attack through the pass. The General was decapitated by a connon-ball when the charge began, and a rout of the Irish cavalry ensued, which left victory with the Williamiates. Nicholas Purcell was a zealous adherent of and one of the chief associates of Patrick Sarsfield, the Defender of Limerick.

Phil Purcell was a hurling left-half back for county Tipperary, and won an All-Ireland Championship Hurling Medal in 1930. He won 5 Railway Cup medals whilst playing with Munster, and became the first Tipperary man to captain a winning hurling side in the National Competition.

Upperchurch is part of the ancestral home of the O'Dwyers and forms a stage of the Beara-Breifne Greenway which is based on the historic march of O'Sullivan Beara in 1603.