A GENEALOGICAL HISTORY OF THE MILESIA~ FAMILIES OF IRELAND, WITH THE MONUMENT TO BRIAN BOROIMHE: THE CHART 0F THE ARMORIAL BEARINGS OF THE SAME FAMILIES. COMP! LED AND EDITED BY 8. W. DECOURCY. PUBLISHED BY W. F. OVERDIEK AND M. L. RIEGEL, CINCINNATI, OHIO. 1880. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1880, by M. L. RIEGEL, W. F. OVERDIEK, and B. W. DeCOURCY. In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington, D. C. Printed by P. T. SCHULTZ, 172 Race St. "IN MEMORIAM." THE GREAT MONARiH OF ALL IRELAND, Jrian JBnrnim~~, 1'1.)e ?attiotic, a.110. (¼lotiou% ]'vlattyt% of AND EVERY IRISHMAN Wbo signalized his lro'l0 of gountry, by devoting his Irifa, and all that .......,j@man bolds dear, to be immolated on the- --------=--~Altar of Patriotism,~. IN the Noble, and Pious Endeavor to restore th@ rights of a ]lafinn, >i<o LOVE®,~]'[® r{ov,mr{Y r)'{J{l,SF~IL. TABLE~---fe----o---- OF CONTENTS. DEDICATION ........................................................................................................................ 8. INTRODUCTION ........•. : ..... ,................................................................................................... 5. CHAPTER 1·-'On Surnames................................................................................................... 5. CHAPTER II-Authorities for genealogies, Ancient Laws, etc.-Pedigree and adventures of Milesius, and bis followers, and Conquest oflreland by the Milesians.-Division of the Conquered Country, and death of Heber................... , ........................................, .............. 9. CHAPTER III-Regulations of the antient Milesi1m.s.-Antient names of Ireland.-Here­ mon, 1st. absolute monarch of thl;l whole island.--The most noted Kings of Pagan lre­ land.0-Derghtine, descendants of Heber.-Dairine, those of lth.-Usurpation of Mun­ ster by the Earnochs - Usurpation ended by Modha Nuagadh.-Dal Fiatachs· -Con Kead Caha.-Nial Noy Giollach.-Dathy.-Story of the Norman Influx.-Names and descent of many Strongbownians.-Plan of the Monument explained, and manner of consulting the History.-Description of the powers etc., of letters in the Irish Alphabet .................. 18. Counties in Ireland ..................................................................................................•.....•....... 20 •. ClannaRory ................................................................................................................ ;...... 21, 22 •. HyNial ..................................................................................................................... 23, 24, 2.5 62. Hy Brune ............... , ........................................... , .....................................................26, 27, 28, 62, Kinel'Daire Barrach ....................................................................................................... , ....... 28 .. ~:;::¼.·:::::::.·.·.·:::::.-.-.-.-::::::.·:.-:::::::·::::.::::::::·.:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::.·:.·.-::::.-.:·::.-::::.::·.-.-~~:.. !~, ;;:_ Hy Fiachra ........................................................................................................................82, 33 •. Eoganacht ...................................................................................................................... 33, 34, 3.5 •. Hy ManY, ....................................................................................................................... 35, 36, 62 •.. Dairine or Coreolugadh, (Race of Ith) .................................................................................... ~7 •. HY Fiacha.......................................................................................................................... 37, SS;. Dal Fiatachs ........................................................................................................................... 1l9 •. Deisi. ...................................................................................................... , ............................... 39 .. Hy Tuirtre, Branch of Hy Many ............................................................................................. 3~. Kinel Dubthach or Clanna Fothart ......................................................................................... 38 .. Hy Fogarta or Clanna Fogartaid, (Eoganacht) ........................................................................ 40. Clanna Failge ..............................................................................................., ......................... 40. Descendants of Cuchorp ...................................................................................................... U .. Clanna Conchorb ..........................................................................................., ........................ 41, Kinel Broasal Breac ............................................................................................................... · 41 .. Mottoes of Irish Families........................ '.,............................................................................. 41. Some Titles of Familes in Ireland of Norman descent ............................................................ 45. A list of Irish Families, and the worthies whose names they adopted.................................... 47 •. Names of families resident in Ireland other than Milesian .................................................... 49.c Explanation of Abbreviations ................................................................................................ 69. A few Names of Families omitted from the Tribe Tables ....................................................... 62. Different modes of spelling Milesian Family Names............................................................... 63~ Legend of St. Patrick's.Hand .................................................................................................. 75.. · Index of Arms ...................................................................................................................... 76.. IN.TRODUCTION. "What's in a name?" Such was the question put in the mouth of one of his characters by the Great Poet, and he adds as argument, that it is of no consequence. "A rose by any other name woulr smell as sweet." On the other side we have l:he old adage : "Give a dog a bad name and you might as well hang him." Man has, from the remotest times, . endeavored to preserve his genealogy and the origin of surnames, without any doubt among the Irish, took its rise from its convenience, as an aid to such a desire. Names in most countries were adopted among the lower orders, from a trade, a color, or occupation of some ki.nd; among the aristocracy, from the estate or place, they took their title from. Whereas, in Innisfail the Island of Destiny, names were adopted in accordance with a use1ge that was much more enobling in its effects. Our Mile­ sian surnames were assumed to perpetuate the remembrance of.some noble ancestor, who by his conduct in war, either by land or sea, or in some other sphere, had acquired eminence. There is nothing acci­ dental in the origin of Irish names, or if there is, an · Irishman may be permitted to say it is accidentally on purpose. Here we may be al­ lowed to observe that the growing tendency in this country to alter, shorten or change the orthography of our Irish names is a pity as it defeats the very end of the adoption of such names; and though some may even seek to disguise and unhirbernicise their surnames, they do not succeed as "The scent of the roses hangs around them still." and they only get laughed at for their pains, by all sensible people. Irishmen, keep to the time-honored O and Mac the password that proves you to come of the ancient Milesian race. CHAPTER I. On Surnames. The most ancient surname we have is Neil, in the first generation, McNeil in the second, and O'Neil in the third; the prefix Mac ·meaning son of, and 0, grand son of. This name carries its de­ rivation far into the past, as it is seen to be the name of the second son of Fenius Farsa, King 'of Scythia, who was the ancestor of Milesius, King of Spain, whose sons and nephew colonized Ireland. Gallamn 6 was the Scythian name of Milesius, Mileag Espaine or Hispania, short­ ened into Milesius (the Spanish soldier), is the Latin name and the common name used by his posterity and historians for that gallant sol­ dier and great General. Next we have another Nial, one of the ancestors of The Hy Nial tribe figuring in the descent on Ireland, made by the sons of Milesius. This Nial was one of the prince1;1 with Heremon the eighth son of Mi­ Jesius, who landed on the north east coast of Ireland. As the expedi­ tion was approaching land, the proclamation was made, that whoever first reached or touched the shore should possess it. As he stood by the bulwark of the vessel, his left hand resting thereon, his battle­ axe in his ri'ght, he suddenly raised the latter and severed his left hand from the ann, dropping the battle-axe, he seized the sinister hand with his dexter and cast it ashore, claiming the reward offered in the proc­ lamation. His descendants afterwards exercised sovereignty over the north of Ireland, and the northern Eoganachts were introduced into the south about A. D. 550. These were a branch of the Hy Nial Tribe being the descendants of Eogan son of Nial Noy Giollach or Nial of the nine Hostages, who was King of Ireland A. D. 379, and from whose time the name Niel was a permanent patronymic. The same fortitude and devotion to the interests