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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 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 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 Castle, deep in Co. Clare. 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, 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 ” 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 , 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: in the north, Connaught in the west, 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 .9 Thomond is the northern portion of Munster and is the original name for the land encompassing Co. Clare and Co. , 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 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 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 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. MacNamara, The story of an Irish sept: their character and struggle to maintain their lands in Clare (London: Dent, 1896) 5. 14 MacNamara 74. 15 John O'Donovan, Michael O'Flanagan Letters Containing Information Relative to the Antiquities of the Counties [of Ireland: Clare. 3v] (Great Britain: Ordnance Survey, 1928) 45. 16 Eugene O’Curry The Battle of Magh Leana; Together With the Courtship of Momera (Dublin: The Celtic Society, 1855) 156. *Ui-Caisin is a reference to the area covering the center-north, to center-north-east of Co. Clare. MacNamara 70. 17 Macnamara 71. 18James Frost The History and Topography of the County of Clare: From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the 18th Century (Dublin: Sealy Bryers & Walker, 1893) 35-36. †In the second century AD the King of Munster, Cormac Cas formed a tribe of his ancestors. The tribe was name Dalcasians.18 ‡ A sept is a group of families. †† The septs comprising the eastern division of Co. Clare.

Son of the Hound of the Sea: Legend and History of the Name McNamara 5 By Daniel McNamara moved round the stone so as to view his territory from all sides, which he promised to protect from invasion; the Marshal then in a loud voice proclaimed the chief’s surname and declared him to be King of Thomond.”19 Detailed within the text Materials for a History of Clann-Cuilein, I discovered an unbroken of kings and chieftains ruling from 174 AD to the surrender of their land to Henry VIII of England in 1574.20 These were some of the last people in Ireland to cede control to the in England. One of the earliest kings of Munster, where written record is verifiable, was named Angus, or Oilill Olum.21 There are 5 kings prior to Angus available in Irish mythology as discussed in The Book of Invasions. These prior kings intermarry with the Goddesses of the period and play a large part in the creation of the seasonal cycles connected to the pagan mythology of the time.22 However, there is evidence supporting the existence of Angus as he wrote poetry that has survived through the ages.23

Legend and Myth As the oldest verifiable ancestor in the family, it is incredible that the story of Oilill Olum intertwines with the mythological Gods and Goddesses of Irish mythology. The most relevant myth, how he got his name, likely originates in the Book of Leinster, written in 116024. The Silva Gaedelica contains recreated versions of this text and is a verifiable source of this legend. According to the myth it is said that he (Olum) had a vision of Áine, the goddess of crops and fertility. And when he saw her, he forced himself upon her, which resulted in the goddess biting off his ear25. Olum in Gaelic means "one-eared", however, there is disagreement between scholars whether this translation is truly accurate. To quote Keating, “Olum. Dr. O’Connor† considers this word to mean the same thing as “ollumh,” i.e. a learned sage or doctor. But Dr. O’Donovan‡ informs us that it is always written “olum” by our antiquaries, and understood to mean of the bare ear, thus tacitly admitting the truth of the horrible and disgusting story told above. The word, however, with all due deference to Dr. O’Donovan, is

19 Nottidge C. MacNamara, The story of an Irish sept: their character and struggle to maintain their lands in Clare (London: Dent, 1896) 71. 20 R. W. Twigge, Materials for a history of Clann-Cuilein, "Macnamara's country" (the Eastern division of Co. Clare) from the earliest times Vol I - II (Manuscript located in the British Museum, 1915), referenced by R.W. Twigge, Pedigrees of the MacNamara Family (Dublin: Self published, 1908). 21 Macnamara 59. 22 Standish H. O’Grady, Silva Gadelica (I-XXXI) : a collection of tales in Irish with extracts illustrating persons and places (London: Williams and Norgate, 1892) 129. 23Eugene O’Curry, Manners and Customs of the Ancient Irish, Vol II (Dublin: Williams and Norgate, 1873) 57-58. 24 O’Grady vol I. † Dr. Dermod O’Connor, author of Psalters of Tara and Cashel, 1723. This is a critical work that Keating drew from in creating The History of Ireland from the Earliest Period to the English Invasion. ‡ Dr. John O’Donovan, translator of Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters in 1616. 25 Geoffrey Keating The History of Ireland from the Earliest Period to the English Invasion, 1634. Translated by John O’Mahony (New York: PM Haverty, 1857). Son of the Hound of the Sea: Legend and History of the Name McNamara 6 By Daniel McNamara sometimes written “eolum,” which, coming from “eol,” knowledge, may well mean sage, and Dr. O’Connor may be right after all… If (she, Áine) bit off his ear, some other fair… (Goddess) must have bitten off the ear of his fourth ancestor, Corb Olum, which, however salacious the tribe may have been, is exceedingly improbable. This fact must go far to prove that the surname “Olum” was hereditary. Can we believe that the misfortune of having an ear bitten off was so likewise?” The passing of traits from one generation to the next, through name, is a millennia old tradition.

A Line of Kings Olum passed rule to his 2 sons, the first son, Eoghan went on to rule South Munster, or Desmond, and Cormac Cas in North Munster.26 Cormac Cas, son of Olum, came to the throne of all Munster in 234 A.D. upon the death of his brother.27 The descendents of Cormac Cas became the tribe called the .28 Following through the lineage of ancestors described by NC MacNamara, as he references O’Curry, Keating and O’Conner, “We have, therefore, evidence from more than one source which agree in that Olioll Oluim died A.D. 234, his son Cormac Cas died A.D. 274, and his son Morgh Corb in 334. Morgh Corb left a son, Fircob, who died in A.D. 364, and his son Angus in A.D. 383… and his son Connal about the year A.D. 419. So that we have, in a direct line from Olioll to Connal, six generations…” Continuing, “Of these six persons, four were kings of Munster.” 29 The tribes of Cormac Cas, “in a lineal descent the progenitor of the renowned tribe of Dalcas, which in the course of time subdivided into the O’Briens, Macnamaras, O’Carrolls, O’Grady’s, and other septs. The Macnamaras were known also as the Sioll Aodha, Clan Cullen, Aodha and Cullen having been two famous chiefs of the sept.”30

The Hound of the Sea Fast forward 23 generations later, during the late 10th century, in direct descent from Cormac Cas, is the Chief of Magh Adhair, a man named Cu Mara, son of Domhnall.31 The name or title of Cu traces back to a famous Iron Age hero in early Irish mythology dating around 800 B.C. The first book to discuss the birth story of this mythological hero named Cú Chulainn, the Book of Druim Snechta, dates to the 8th or 9th century A.D. 32 The important part of this tale is a great warrior named Setanta, who as a child, fought and defeated a host of

26 Keating 317. 27 Nottidge C. MacNamara, The story of an Irish sept: their character and struggle to maintain their lands in Clare (London: Dent, 1896) 61. 28 MacNamara 61 “Dal” “Cas” meaning “Sons of Cas”. 29 MacNamara 66-67. 30 MacNamara 61. 31 Robert William Twigge, Pedigrees of the Macnamara Family (Dublin: Self Published, 1908) 16. 32 A.G. Van Hamel, Compert Con Culainn, and other stories (Dublin: The Stationary Office, 1933) Preface A. Son of the Hound of the Sea: Legend and History of the Name McNamara 7 By Daniel McNamara older boys. Upon hearing of this victory, Chulainn, the King of Ulster, invited Setanta to dine with him. When he entered the grounds of the ruler it was later in the evening and King Chulainn had let his protecting guard dogs loose upon the fields. Setanta was attacked by one of these hounds and managed to overcome his fear and slay the beast. Upon meeting with the King he asked for forgiveness for killing the animal and offered himself to serve as the King’s protecting “hound” until a time where he repaid his debt. He then took on the name Cú Chulainn, the “Hound of Chulainn.”33 Since that time the context of translating the Gaelic “cu” as a hound, took on the double meaning of a great warrior.34 The specific deeds that led to Cu Mara, the Chieftan of Magh Adhair, to be given or take on such a powerful name are lost to history and not documented in any document I’ve found. However, we do have some detail as discussed by Dr. Keating, writing in 1634 on the subject of the surname Macnamara, “Macnamara. The powerful Dalcassian sept of “Mac Conmara,” i.e., son of Cumara, takes its name from a descendent of Conall, of the Swift Steeds, who was King of Munster in the Fourth Century. Their tribe-land was called Tricha-kead-ui-casin (Triha-kaid-ee- casheen), and forms the present barony of Tullagh, and part of that of Bunratty in the County of Clare. Their tribe-name was “Clann-Cullein.” Their origin is the same of the O’Briens and Mac Mahons of Thomond, of which kingdom they were the hereditary grand-marshals. “Cumara” means a “hound” or rather, a “wolf-dog” of the sea, and metaphorically, a sea-champion. The wolf-dog was the most noble animal of prey that Ireland produced. Hence, “Cu” came to signify a hero, just as “” did in more southern latitudes.35 One of, if not the most well known writer on Irish genealogies, John O’Hart, has this to say about the translation: "”Cu”, (genitive “Con,”) which signifies a hound; and was figuratively applied to a swift-footed warrior.” Other heroes of ancient through medieval Ireland adopted or were given the name Cu, to recognize their strength in battle.36 Cu Mara, a sea champion, begins the legend of the Hound of the Sea.

Descendents of the Sea Protector Cu Mara had three sons.37 The first 2 died in battle at early ages.38 The youngest son, Domhnall, now carrying the torch of his father, changed his name to honor him.39 Per O’Hart, “In the early 11th century A.D., the Irish Monarch made an ordinance that every Irish family should assume a particular sirname; the more correctly to preserve the history and

33Hamel 1-11. 34 John O’Hart, Irish Pedigrees; or, The Origin and Stem of the Irish Nation (Dublin: James Duffy and Co., 1892) 100. 35 Geoffrey Keating The History of Ireland from the Earliest Period to the English Invasion, 1634. Translated by John O’Mahony (New York: PM Haverty, 1857) 31-32. 36 O’Hart 35. 37 Robert William Twigge, Pedigrees of the Macnamara Family (Dublin: Self Published, 1908) 16. 38 Twigge 16. 39 Twigge 16. Son of the Hound of the Sea: Legend and History of the Name McNamara 8 By Daniel McNamara genealogy of the different Irish tribes.” He continues: “Each family was at liberty to adopt a sirname from some particular ancestor, and, generally, took their name from some chief of their tribe who was celebrated for his valour, wisdom, piety , or some other great qualities. And the members of a family, each in addition to his own proper name, took, as a common designation, the name of their father, or their grandfather, or of some more remote ancestor: in the first case prefixing the “Mac,” which means son; and in the other two cases, “”Ua” (modernized O’), which signifies grandson or descendent of; and, in all instances, the genitive case of the progenitor’s name followed the “Mac,” or the “O’”.”40 Applying the logic of these linguistic rules and royal ordinance, Domhnall, third son of Cumara, adopts the name Mac Con Mara. Mac, son of; Con, genitive of Cu, hound; Mara, of the sea41. Or, more eloquently put, Descendent of the Sea Protector. Of personal interest is that the Gaelic name Domhnall is the Gaelic translation of the biblical name Daniel.42 The name carried through for centuries, and ended with the modern “anglicized Macnamara, MacNamara, and McNamara”.43 Put together it means that the first McNamara was named Daniel McNamara.

Conclusion

As a child, we had a wooden picture, quite similar to this one44, hanging from a nail near the door to the backyard. It wasn’t until adulthood that I learned how this was the McNamara . It was our family and banner. Upon searching for the meaning of this coat of arms I found that the lion symbolizes courage, nobility, royalty; the spears represent military readiness, the colors red and white represent military fortitude and peace/sincerity respectively.45 This symbol carries a tremendous amount of meaning for me now. The people of Thomond, my ancestors, fought and died protecting their land from invaders. Over the course of this research I learned about the original invasions of Ireland. That Ireland had met with invaders from the dawn of time is poetic justice to me, as I am an American and the descendent of immigrants to this country.

40 John O’Hart, Irish Pedigrees; or, The Origin and Stem of the Irish Nation (Dublin: James Duffy and Co., 1892) 21. 41 O’Hart 100. 42 Patrick Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames (Dublin: MH Gill, 1922) 12. 43 John O’Hart, Irish Pedigrees; or, The Origin and Stem of the Irish Nation (Dublin: James Duffy and Co., 1892) 150. 44 Courtesy of Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacNamara#/media/File:MacNamara.png. 45 Bernard Burke, The general armory of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales; comprising a registry of armorial bearings from the earliest to the present time (London: Harrison 59 Mall, 1884) 646. Son of the Hound of the Sea: Legend and History of the Name McNamara 9 By Daniel McNamara

The people of Co. Clare over millennia met with, intermarried or repelled the invasions of Celts46, the Vikings47, and the Normans48. They eventually lost sovereignty to the crown in England49. While in Knappogue castle I came across a plaque immortalizing the Clare County Council, who held their secret meetings there during the Irish War of Independence, 1919-1921 against England. Michael Brennan, General of the East Clare Brigade, used the castle as his headquarters during the war. While visiting Co. Clare, I met with the owner of a local pub, aptly named “McNamara’s ”, who told me that Clare is “McNamara country”. If only I knew then the history of our people to the same depths that I know now, I would have had much more to discuss with this man. He told me that “there are so many McNamaras in the area, that they each give each other nicknames to differentiate between each other – like Red McNamara, Farmer McNamara, Coach McNamara.” Interestingly, using characteristics that describe a person as a method of naming them is a tradition that has transcended time. In a way, it reminds me of Native Americans, famous for names connected to natural events, animals or occurrences. This speaks to the depth and history in a people with a deep connection to the environment where they live. To quote Ralph Waldo Emerson, “To finish the moment, to find the journey’s end in every step of the road, to live the greatest number of good hours, is wisdom.” This path I’ve embarked upon is not yet reached its full conclusion. Each step on the road has led to other journeys worthy of exploration. For now, there is a contentment achieved in removing the fog of the unknown, in who was the first McNamara and how we are the Descendents of the Sea Protector.

46 Nottidge C. MacNamara, The story of an Irish sept: their character and struggle to maintain their lands in Clare (London: Dent, 1896) 10. 47 MacNamara 74. 48 MacNamara 130. 49 MacNamara 150. Son of the Hound of the Sea: Legend and History of the Name McNamara 10 By Daniel McNamara

Works Cited

Breen, Martin. The History of Bunratty Castle. Ruan, Co. Clare: Martin Breen, 2012. Burke, Bernard. The general armory of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales; comprising a registry of armorial bearings from the earliest to the present time. London: Harrison 59 Pall Mall, 1884. Byrne, Francis John. Irish Kings and High-Kings. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1973. Carey, John. The Irish National Origin-Legend: Synthetic Pseudohistory. Cambridge: University of Cambridge, 1994. Cork Historical and Archaeological Society. Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society Vol II. Cork: Guy & Co Ltd, 1896. Frost, James. The History and Topography of the County of Clare: From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the 18th Century. Dublin: Sealy Bryers & Walker, 1893. Keating, Geoffrey. The History of Ireland from the Earliest Period to the English Invasion 1634. Translated by O’Mahony, John. New York: PM Haverty, 1857. MacNamara, Nottidge C. The story of an Irish sept: their character and struggle to maintain their lands in Clare. London: Dent, 1896. O’Curry, Eugene. Manners and Customs of the Ancient Irish, Vol II. Dublin: Williams and Norgate, 1873. O’Curry, Eugene. The Battle of Magh Leana; Together With the Courtship of Momera. Dublin: The Celtic Society, 1855. O'Donovan, John and O'Flanagan, Michael. Letters Containing Information Relative to the Antiquities of the Counties [of Ireland: Clare. 3v]. Great Britain: Ordnance Survey, 1928. O’Grady, Standish H. Silva Gadelica (I-XXXI) : a collection of tales in Irish with extracts illustrating persons and places. London: Williams and Norgate, 1892. O’Hart, John. Irish Pedigrees; or, The Origin and Stem of the Irish Nation. Dublin: James Duffy and Co., 1892. Twigge, Robert William. Materials for a history of Clann-Cuilein, "Macnamara's country" (the Eastern division of Co. Clare) from the earliest times Vol I – II. Manuscript located in the British Museum, 1915 Twigge, Robert William. Pedigrees of the Macnamara Family. Dublin, Self Published, 1908. Van Hamel, A.G. Compert Con Culainn, and other stories. Dublin: The Stationary Office, 1933. Woulfe, Patrick. Irish Names and Surnames. Dublin: MH Gill, 1922.