Clans

Doohey, Dowey, Dowie, Duffey, Duffie, Duhig, O’ Duffy, Ó Dubhthaigh   The name Duffy is an Anglicisation of the Irish Ó Dubhthaigh, from the Gaelic “Dubhthach” meaning ‘the dark one’. There were...

Garman, Gorman, Mac Gorman, Ó Gormáin.     Most of the Irish Gormans today are descended from the Mac Gormáin sept, whose territory was Slivemargy in Co. Laois in the midlands.  The name is the...

This name originates in England. However in Ireland the name White was used locally for many Irish people who had the elements ‘ban’ –white or ‘fionn’ – fair. The Whites settled in Ireland, in all provinces, throughout...

The Ó Tuama sept was located in Co. Cork in the southern province of Munster. Twomey, and its variations, are the Anglicisation of the Gaelic Ó Tuama. The name is common in Ireland today, although it is not one of the 100 most numerous. It...

This surname is famous for being ordinary. It is the fifth most common name in Ireland. The name in Irish is Mac gabhainn meaning ‘son of the smith’. The name is most deeply rooted in County Cavan, where the MacGowan sept originated (find out...

Ó Síodhacháin comes from the Gaelic word “siodhach” which means ‘peaceful’. The Ó Síodhacháin sept originated in the barony of Lower Connello in Co. Limerick, and was part of the...

The O’ Shaughnessy sept were considerably important in County Galway and are still a very popular name there. It is also found in parts of County Limerick. The O' Shaughnessy sept are believed to be descended from the last pagan king of Ireland. ...

Ó Ruairc comes from the personal name Ruarc, which is derived from the Norse “Hrothekr” meaning ‘famous king’. The person from whom the O’ Rourkes claim descent was the King of Breifne in the ninth century, and there...

The name O’ Meara has always been associated with County Tipperary. Records show that over 60 years ago less than one third of the people of the name used the prefix O, today it is rare to find the name without the prefix – listed as Meara or...

The name O’ Malley is one of the few names from which the prefix O has not been dropped. It is not a very numerous name but is very well known. It has always been almost exclusively associated with County Mayo. The O’ Malleys were always...

This has always been essentially a County Cork name. They are most commonly found in Inchigeela in West Cork. It is still a very popular name being no 64 in the most popular 100 Irish names. The hand knit O’ Leary sweater has an intricate central...

Ó Caoimh comes from the word “caomh” which means ‘gentle’ or ‘kind’. The family is descended from Art Ó Caom, who himself was descended from the King of Munster. The clan’s territory was originally...

The name O’ Hara is a phonetic pronunciation of the Irish name Ó hEaghra. O’ Hara’s today are chiefly found in Counties Sligo and Letrim. The actress Maureen O’ Hara has made the name famous all over the world. The hand...

This name means illustrious, and originated in County Clare, but also had very strong associations with County Limerick. Nowadays the name is also found in abundance in Counties, Mayo and Roscommon. The hand knit O’ Grady sweater has a honeycomb...

Statistics show that the name O’ Flaherty is still most numerous and common in their original habitat in County Galway, than elsewhere in Ireland. The same name is found in Ulster, but there the initial F is silent producing the name O’...

Dwyer is the Anglicisation of the Gaelic Ó Duibhir or Ó Dubhuidhir, from “Dubh” meaning dark, and “odhar”, meaning sallow. The clan originated in County Tipperary, where they were a strong force of resistance against...

The surname O’ Driscoll comes from the Irish O hEidirisceoil, from eidirisceoil meaning ‘go between’ or ‘bearer of news’ Few Irish names have been so continuously associated with their territory of origin as the Driscolls or...

This name is one of the most common and one of the most important names in Ireland. Originally there were many distinct septs of the name in Counties Cork and Kerry – where Ross Castle was their fortress in Killarney. This name is from the Irish...

Nolan is the English version of the Gaelic Ó Nualláin, which comes from the word “nual” meaning ‘famous’ or ‘noble’. The clan was originally based in Co. Carlow, where in ancient times they were Princes...

Mulligan came from the Gaelic name Ó Maolagáin, derived from the word “maol” which means ‘bald’. The sept was located in Co. Donegal, in the baronies of Boylagh and Raphoe, where they were rulers of the territory of...