Irish America

Irish America

Roots

Roots: Walsh, Welsh (or Brannagh)

By James G. Ryan

November/December 1996

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The name Walsh or Welsh is one of the most numerous of Norman associated names found in Ireland. It seems to have been the name used independently by the many different groups of Welsh people who arrived in Ireland with the Normans during the 12th century. The name simply means Welshman and its early Norman form was "Le Waleys" but this became gradually anglicized to Walsh. The … [Read more...] about Roots: Walsh, Welsh (or Brannagh)

Roots: Doherty or O’Doherty

By James G. Ryan

May/June 1995

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The Doherty or O'Doherty name has many variations, including (O) Dougherty, Daugherty, Docherty and Doharty. The name, derived from the Gaelic O'Dochartaigh, means (descended) from Dochartach. Dochartach was a descendant of the infamous "Niall of the Nine Hostages," who was king of Ireland in the fourth century. Tradition has it that Niall was responsible for bringing Saint … [Read more...] about Roots: Doherty or O’Doherty

Roots: Land Records in Irish Family History

By James G. Ryan

January/February 1995

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In a previous article, we discussed the use of church records in researching family history. However, to access church records you will usually need to know where in Ireland an ancestor lived. Making this connection is often the main problem faced by Irish-Americans attempting to trace their roots back to Ireland. Whereas many root-seekers will know that their ancestor was from … [Read more...] about Roots: Land Records in Irish Family History

Roots: Using Church Records

By James G. Ryan

November/December 1994

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To do successful family history research you must know where to look. Knowing the sources and what they can tell you is vital to success. This column in the coming issues will describe the major sources of information and provide advice on how to access them. Irish church records are probably the best place to start, are among the earliest, and are undoubtedly the most … [Read more...] about Roots: Using Church Records

Roots: Jordan, Rice and Power Families

By James G. Ryan

May/June 1994

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Readers have asked about the origin of the names Jordan, Rice and Power, only the last of which is in any way common. However, some explanation is provided below. The name Jordan is common in England but few Irish Jordans are derived from the English source. The Irish Jordans are derived from a Norman family which settled in Connaught in the 12th century. The name is derived … [Read more...] about Roots: Jordan, Rice and Power Families