Killila (pronounced Kill-EYE-lah) is a small hamlet located in the south of Limerick County in Ireland where my great-grandfather Edward Duhig and his family lived in the mid-to-late 19th century.
Renovated Duhig family cottage in 2024, after being purchased by descendants of John and Margaret Duhig in 2022
Devastated by a series of famines and the early death of their father John, Edward’s family were eventually forced off their allotment and after working in England for a time to save the cost of passage, Edward, his mother and 3 of his siblings emigrated to Brisbane in 1883. They were joined later by the rest of the family including Edward’s younger brother James, who went on to become the Catholic Archbishop of Brisbane and who was in his own way a man with excellent instincts for property when you consider the prime real estate on which he constructed many of Brisbane’s Catholic churches.
After leaving behind the grinding poverty of 19th century Ireland and settling in a new country on the other side of the world, Edward Duhig and his descendants thrived, reaching the top of their professions in many areas but most notably medicine and the clergy. The family also made a significant contribution to the establishment of the University of Queensland’s main campus at St Lucia, where several buildings and academic awards are named in their honour.
Edward Duhig and his family demonstrated that by combining intelligence, hard work and an eye for an opportunity, it is possible to succeed even in the face of the enormous difficulties faced by their generation, which involved not only settling in a new country but 2 World Wars and the Great Depression.
It is this tenacity and drive to succeed shown by my forebears despite the significant obstacles they faced that was the inspiration behind choosing the Duhig ancestral home as the name for the business. It is these same qualities that we at Killila Property Group will offer to all our clients, so that notwithstanding occasional difficult market conditions, we provide you with the best outcome possible and the greatest opportunity for success, whatever your property needs may be.