As the great, great-grandson of Lieutenant Colonel Walter Blake Butler Creagh and Elizabeth Clara Creagh, I’ve come to learn a fascinating story about my ancestors. Back in the late 1800s, Walter, a distinguished figure in the British army, made an unconventional move by adding his wife’s maiden name to his own through a royal decree after their marriage in 1888. This unique triple-barrelled name became a part of our family history.

While researching our family’s past, I discovered that Walter’s decision wasn’t solely about embracing progress or societal norms. Instead, it was intricately tied to the wealth and inheritance from Elizabeth’s family, who owned extensive land in Co Clare. In those times, such arrangements between affluent families without male heirs were customary, where the continuation of the family name held significant importance.

The lifestyle they led, dividing their time between Clare and Dublin, was reflective of their combined prosperity. However, as time passed, my ancestors made a home in Brighton Square, Rathgar, Dublin, documented in the 1911 National Census. Their residence in this genteel neighbourhood symbolized an era of affluence and social standing.

Today, as I explore our family’s past and the story of our ancestors, I’ve also encountered a property – No 19, Brighton Square – which has just been sold. It’s fascinating to see how our family’s history intersects with the sale of this property, hinting at changes and transitions that occurred over time.

Walter’s longevity was notable, living until the age of 83 and resting in Malta under a simplified version of his name. Similarly, his wife, who passed away in 1928, had signed herself as ‘Clara Creagh’ in 1911, shedding parts of her name, indicating potential changes within the family dynamics.

I recently went to the family mausoleum in Dublin where they rest, and above the entrance the final is ‘Creagh’; the Butler being re-added, as it is with my surname, Butler-Creagh, as my great-grandfather’s branch of the family, Richard Butler-Creagh, who I am named after, set to differentiate himself from his brothers.

Looking through Debrett’s Peerage and pairing it together with various newspaper articles like the Irish Times published on 1st September 2022, has been fascinating.