Roots Archive
Roots: The O’Brien Clan
The O’Briens are one of the great Gaelic families of Ireland, and were the rulers…
Roots: Reynolds and Haughey
This month we are featuring the families of our new Taoiseach [Prime Minister] Albert Reynolds,…
Roots: Unusual Irish Names
My recent article on “That’s Not an Irish Name” has prompted a lot of comment…
More Articles
Roots: The O’Neills
There are several different septs of the O’Neills in Counties Clare (where the name is also spelt O’Nihill), Waterford and Carlow. The most famous of the O’Neills, however, are the […]
Roots: Walsh, Welsh (or Brannagh)
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 […]
Roots: Doherty or O’Doherty
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 […]
Roots: Land Records in Irish Family History
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 […]
Roots: Using Church Records
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 […]
Roots: Jordan, Rice and Power Families
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 […]