Son of the Hound of the Sea: Legend and History of the Name McNamara 1 By Daniel McNamara Son of the Hound of the Sea: Legend and History of the Name McNamara By Daniel McNamara Abstract This paper is an exploration into the history and people that make up my surname, that of McNamara. What began as a passing inspiration while traveling through Ireland has led to a thorough examination of texts written over the past centuries, describing the historical and genealogical tales of a people that span across millennia. “If there be a choice between a pedigree of four generations and one of fourteen centuries, I cannot help confessing to a preference for the latter.” Arthur Macnamara, 1783- 18761 Introduction Earlier this year, I traveled to Ireland. While traversing and admiring the different landscapes the nation offered us was a bonus, the primary goal of the trip was to explore the heritage and home of my ancestors. I found myself on a fascinating journey as I tried to learn more about the history and origin of my name, the people that are my ancestors and the land where they lived. When I was younger I was told that McNamara translates from Gaelic to English as “Son of the Hound of the Sea”. I would routinely wonder – what does that mean? How did my ancestors come to be called this, and how does it relate to my own history? Who am I and where do I come from? The veil truly began to be pulled back when visiting the Knappogue Castle in Co. Clare (Knappogue translates to Hill of the Kiss in Gaelic). The castle was built by Sean McNamara in 14672 and served as the family’s ancestral home. The McNamaras during this period were renowned castle builders, responsible for more than 50 castles, tower houses, forts and abbeys3. The most famous castle the McNamaras built was known as Bunratty Castle, deep in Co. Clare. Bunratty Castle receives hundreds of thousands4 of visitors each year. “The name Bunratty may be explained as follows: the word bun can be translated as the estuary, or the mouth of a river, and the word raite has been translated as, ways, passages or roads. Hence the name Bunratty may be translated as, “estuary of the passages.””5 1 Robert William Twigge, Pedigrees of the Macnamara Family (Dublin: Self Published, 1908) 43. 2 Clare Library http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/quininterest.htm 3 Nottidge C. MacNamara, The story of an Irish sept: their character and struggle to maintain their lands in Clare (London: Dent, 1896). 4 https://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/visitor-attractions-entice-record-numbers-451800.html 5 Martin Breen The History of Bunratty Castle (Ruan, Co. Clare: Martin Breen, 2012) 5. Son of the Hound of the Sea: Legend and History of the Name McNamara 2 By Daniel McNamara Knappogue castle had many books within it, and there was one that was clearly the most intriguing of all. “The Origin and History of the MacNamaras” written by NC MacNamara in 1896. What a treasure to be discovered! This book became the key necessary to begin unlocking the mystery. The passages within and the books that it referenced led to the discovery of a nearly two millennia old detailed genealogy. It is this remarkable exploration that has led to the creation of this paper. The path to unfolding what I’ve learned will follow with a brief explanation of how the land was named and divided. A discussion on the mythical connections to the original inhabitants of Ireland and in particular, Co. Clare follows next, culminating in the linguistic changes the name has adapted, from its original Irish of Mac Cumara to the modern and anglicized version known today, McNamara. I hope to take the reader on this journey with me, as I explore in more detail, the Son of the Hound of the Sea: Legend and History of the Name McNamara. Geography McNamara country in Ireland is located in County Clare, a peninsula in the south western portion of Ireland. There are 26 counties that comprise the Republic of Ireland6, and 6 counties located in Northern Ireland, under the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom. Originally, the island of Ireland was known as 1 area composed of 4 provinces. During the ancient history period into the start of Modern History, the 4 provinces existed with a king sitting on the throne of each: Ulster in the north, Connaught in the west, Leinster in the east and Munster in the south. The kings of these areas would occasionally war, and during select periods of Irish 6 Map courtesy of Wikipedia: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Ireland_trad_counties_named.svg/400px- Ireland_trad_counties_named.svg.png. Son of the Hound of the Sea: Legend and History of the Name McNamara 3 By Daniel McNamara history the 4 provinces would be united under a single “High King” of Ireland7. The modern configuration of Ireland in counties became the standard over many years of subdivision and ramped up after the English, under King Henry VIII, wrested control of Ireland from its existing kings in 15418. Of particular importance to the story of the McNamara name is the northern area in province of Munster, called Thomond.9 Thomond is the northern portion of Munster and is the original name for the land encompassing Co. Clare and Co. Limerick, when overlaid with the modern map of Ireland. The ancestral home of Clan McNamara is Thomond and it is geographically important as an area for the development and succession of these people. It was rich in field for farming, forest for lumber, had 2 rivers flowing through it and to the west was the Atlantic Ocean. The hills and forests provided bounty as well as strategic military positioning as the rivers formed a natural defensive boundary from the rest of Ireland. 10 Ancient Ireland The Lebor Gabála Érenn ("The Book of the Taking of Ireland", or “The Book of Invasions”) is a mythological-history of Ireland during ancient times discusses the people and timing of migrations from the European continent prior to the eventual landing of the Celts, the final inhabitants of ancient Ireland.11 Within the mythology of Ireland, there were 6 total invasions (the Celts were the 6th). The fourth invasion involved a people known as the Firbolg. "The legendary account of the Firbolgs is very curious. To take the lowest date, for authorities differ, they are represented as landing in Ireland something over 1300BC."12 The Firbolg, in ancient Irish history were known as the Iberian race, having crossed the Atlantic Ocean from 7 Francis John Byrne Irish Kings and High-Kings (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1973) 36-37. 8 Nottidge C. MacNamara, The story of an Irish sept: their character and struggle to maintain their lands in Clare (London: Dent, 1896) 148. 9 Thomond map courtesy of: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/- 4HtwGQg8t5c/TgbJ7xbMBgI/AAAAAAAAARI/3OkEB0XZWX0/s320/thomond+map.jpg. 10 MacNamara 3. 11 John Carey The Irish National Origin-Legend: Synthetic Pseudohistory (Cambridge: University of Cambridge, 1994) 1–4. 12 Cork Historical and Archaeological Society Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society vol 2 (Cork: Guy & Co Ltd, 1896) 311. Son of the Hound of the Sea: Legend and History of the Name McNamara 4 By Daniel McNamara Spain13. They are important to the story in the history of the McNamaras because they were not completely wiped out, like the other prior invaders of Ireland. As the Celtic invasion moved through Ireland from East to West, the Firbolg retreated to the south west and survived in Thomond many hundreds of years after the rest of their race either fled, or were killed.14 A powerful Firbolg chieftain ruled this area during the first century, "Adhar, the Firbolg”. After his death he was buried in a holy site which came to take on his name Magh Adhair, or “Adhar’s plain”15. A description of the history and importance of this site: “Magh Adhair, a plain or field of adoration or worship, where an open temple, consisting of a circle of tall strait stone pillars with a very large flat stone called crom-leac, serving for an altar, was constructed by the Druids for religious worship. These Druidish temples, whereof many are still existing in Ireland, were built in the same manner with that which was built by Moses, as it is described in Exodus xxiv 4…”16 Adhar was buried in an important site of Druidic worship. Kings and Chieftains of Munster The descendents of McNamaras for millennia were Kings, Chieftains and crowners of Kings. A description of the crowning ceremony at Magh Adhair, from 847 A.D.17: “The ceremony of inauguration took place at Magh Adhair, situated within the Ui-Caisin* tribal lands, upon the mound under which the last of the Firbolg chiefs of Clare was buried. 18 On the day of inauguration the heads of the various Dalcasian† septs‡ assembled around Magh Adhair; the king-elect, his chief bard, and the head of the Macnamara sept then ascended the mound, the king-elect stood on a stone placed near its centre; his bard then recited certain laws which the chief promised to obey. The chief of Clancuilien†† then handed the king-elect a straight white wand, a symbol of authority and an emblem of what his conduct should be, straight and without stain; the king promised to maintain the prestige and the customs of his tribe; and having put aside his sword and other weapons, and holding the wand in his hand he 13 Nottidge C.