Irish America
Irish America
The McCooey surname has Armagh roots, deriving from the Gaelic name Mac Cumhaigh, meaning “son of Cú Mhaighe,” which translates to “hound of the plain.” This surname is an Anglicized form of a patronymic, where the “Mac” signifies “son of,” and the personal name Cú Mhaighe was common in the region of Armagh. Famous individuals with the surname McCooey include the Gaelic poet … [Read more...] about Roots: The McCooey Clan
The name Connolly is derived from several different roots. In Connaught and Monaghan it derives from the Gaelic O'Coingeallaigh. Both are anglicized to Connolly although the spelling form Connelly is often found in Galway. There have been several famous bearers of the name. In the early 18th century William Connolly (1660-1729) was an eminent lawyer and politician. His family … [Read more...] about Irish Roots: O’Connell, Connolly, Conlon and Connellan
The O'Sullivan Clan of Munster has produced fine military leaders, sporting heroes, politicians, movie stars, songwriters, and even a space walker, as the following history of one of the most popular Irish names illustrates. The O'Sullivans or Sullivans are one of the most populous of the Munster families. In Irish O'Sullivan is O'Súileabháin. And there is no doubt that … [Read more...] about Roots: The O’Sullivans Past & Present
The O'Briens are one of the great Gaelic families of Ireland, and were the rulers of the ancient kingdom of Thomond, which takes in much of the modern county Clare and also the adjacent parts of counties Limerick and Tipperary. The family name is derived from Brian Boru (925-1014 A.D.) who was King of Thomond and rose to become High King of Ireland. Brian Boru is best … [Read more...] about Roots: The O’Briens
The names O'Byrne and O'Beirne (or Byrne and Beirne) are often regarded as variants of the same name, much to the annoyance of the less-common Beirnes. In fact, the names spring from totally different sources. O'Byrne is derived from the Gaelic O'Broin, meaning "descended from Bran," an 11th century King of Leinster. The O'Byrnes were chieftains of what is now County Kildare … [Read more...] about Roots: Byrnes and O’Beirnes
