Irish America

family history

The Last of His Kind

By Christopher Connell, Contributor
October / November 2004

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Christopher Connell writes on his Uncle Jimmy McSweeney, the very model of the Irish bachelor farmer. ℘℘℘ My uncle Jimmy McSweeney was laid to rest recently beside his mother and sister in the yard of Saint Patrick's Church in Dunmanway. The last of his generation, he was the very model of the Irish bachelor farmer, yet he left a family that extends across Ireland, across the … [Read more...] about The Last of His Kind

Kennedy,
O’Kennedy, Ó Cinnéide

By Louise Carroll, Contributor
October / November 2003

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The Irish Kennedys are descended from Dunchaun, the brother of the mighty King Brian Born. The name comes from his father Ceann Eidig, meaning "helmet head." Appropriately, the arms of the Kennedys have three helmets. From the 11th-15th centuries they were Lords of Ormond. The Kennedys dealt with the various conquests and confiscations better than many other Gaelic families. … [Read more...] about Kennedy,
O’Kennedy, Ó Cinnéide

Irish Roots:
Some Light on the Dark Clan

By Elizabeth Raggi, Contributor
December / January 2002

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The name Delaney comes from the Irish O'Dubhshlaine. Its earliest anglicized form is O'Dulany with a broad `a.' Delane is another variant (the O' has been long since dropped). It is sometimes mistakenly associated with the Limerick surnames O'Duillean, Dillane and Dillin, though there is no relation. Dubh means black or dark. That's the easy part, but some dispute arises over … [Read more...] about Irish Roots:
Some Light on the Dark Clan

Roots: The Lynch Family

By James G. Ryan, Contributor
February / March 2001

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The Lynch family derives from several independent clans. One of these is the Norman family De Lench who came to Ireland in the 12th century and were the most prominent of the "Tribes of Galway." These were the 14 Norman families who controlled this important medieval trading city and made it one of the few outposts in the West of Ireland that was loyal to the British crown. An … [Read more...] about Roots: The Lynch Family

Two Grandfathers

By William Kennedy, Contributor
October / November 2000

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William Kennedy on his unsung origins. ℘℘℘ My grandfathers, George Kennedy and Peter McDonald, died before I was born. I came to know something of them through talks with my parents and other relatives, a few artifacts, death certificates and obituaries, and two photographs that defined them for me forever. Both photos are working-class portraits. The portrait of … [Read more...] about Two Grandfathers