Offaly Clans
Print Page
Source Irish Roots
Evidence of human activity in Offaly as far back as 9,000 years ago has been discovered in recent times. Permanent settlement dates back to about 2000 B.C. Traces of our Celtic heritage can be found in such monuments as hill forts. The high number of the county's religious foundations resulted from its remoteness and vast areas of peatland and oak woods.
The old gaelic chiefs who ruled over the territories within the bounds of Offaly today would not recognise the area as a political unit as it existed in their time. Offaly as we know it only goes back to the sixteenth century. Before that it was divided into several "tuath" or lordships which constituted larger kingdoms.
The O'Connors
The county gets its name from the O'Connors who were known as O'Connor Faly. They were descended from Ros Failghe, son of Cathair Mor, King of Ireland in the second century A.D.
The ancient territory of Ui Failghe now divided between the modern counties of Offaly, Laois and Kildare was originally made up of a number of divisions. These were Clan Colgan (Daingean area), Tuath da Muighe (Edenderry), Tuath Geisille (Geashill), Clan Maol Ughra (Cloneygowan), Magh Life (in Kildare), Ui Riaghain (Clonaslee - Rosenallis in Laois) and Tuath Leighe (Lea in Laois). Their centre of power was at Daingean where they had their chief fortress.
By the eleventh century the people of Ui Failghe had divided into several distinct families including the O'Connors who took their name from Conchuibair who died in 977.
Records of their activities prior to the arrival of the Anglo-Normans are sparce. The new invaders made inroads quickly into south Leinster, eventually gaining a foothold in Kildare and the eastern areas of Ui Failghe which became the baronies of east Offaly and west Offaly and incorporated into Co. Kildare.
By 1417, Calvach O'Connor became chief of his clan. Under his leadership they won back some of their old territory and captured Rathangan from the Fitzgeralds in 1437. Following his death in 1459 fortunes were reversed and his gains were lost again.
In 1534 the O'Connors became embroiled in the Geraldine rebellion. Following its failure the English saw it as an opportunity to crush the O'Connors. In 1537 they lost their stronghold of Daingean. Ui Failghe was declared shire ground in 1557 and renamed King's County with Daingean as its county town and renamed Philipstown in honour of Queen Mary's husband King Philip of Spain. The new county also included O'Dempseys territory north of the River Barrow, his southern territory going to the newly formed Queen's County (Laois).
The O'Connors weren't happy to live under English rule. They allied with the O'Neills and O'Mores in the Nine Years War. English retaliation dealt severely with them and they disappeared as a force around 1600.
The surname has survived the ravages of time fairly well and they are quite numerous in the county. Some of the present families may have originated from other O'Connor septs.
The O'Dempseys
Another related family were the O'Dempseys of Clanmalier, whose territory covered the baronies of Philipstown Upper in Offaly, of Portnahinch in Laois and West Offaly in Kildare. One of their main strongholds was at Ballykean in Offaly.
The O'Dempseys' common ancestor with the O'Connors was Ros Failghe. They took their name from a forebearer named Diomsach. Following the arrival of the Anglo-Normans in Ireland, Dermot O'Dempsey was among the few Leinster chiefs who refused to attend an assembly convened by King Henry II at Dublin in 1171. In 1178 Dermot established a monastery for Cistercians at Monasterevin. O'Dempseys were prominent in King James II's army at the Battle of the Boyne and many were among the "Flight of the Earls". The name still survives as ODemps in the Paris area.
An Edmund O'Dempsey of Cloneygowan became Bishop of Leighlin in 1642. He was forced into exile in 1653 and died in Spain in 1661.
The name is still strong in Laois and Offaly, particularly in their old homeland.
The O'Dunnes
This sept originated in the territory of Ui Riagain which, as stated above was part of Ui Failghe until the formation of King's and Queen's Counties in 1557 and is now included in the latter. They had castles throughout the Slieve Bloom area and up to modern times Brittas Castle near Clonaslee was regarded as their principal seat. Many Dunnes were prominent in history. Captain Francis Dunne of Tinnahinch fought at Aughrim in 1691 and died of wounds received on his way home. He is buried at Killeigh in Co. Offaly. Tradition tells us that he was the tallest man in Europe in his day. Another noteable Dunne was one nicknamed "Shun Battle Ned". He was General Edward Dunne who refused to lead his men into battle at Waterloo.
Fr. Patrick Dunne, born near Daingean in Offaly about 1818, was instrumental along with Bishop Quinn of Brisbane in organising several ships for Irish emigrants to Australia in 1862 - 1863.
The Dunne family of Dunnes Stores fame is perhaps the best known family of this clan in Ireland. Mick Dunne and his daughter Eileen, well known RTE personalities, are also proud bearers of the name.
Dunne is one of the most numerous names, if not the most, in Offaly and Laois at the present time. more ›››
The O'Molloys
Now commonly called Molloy, this sept ruled the territory of Fir Ceall an area which stretched from north of Tullamore to almost, but not including, the town of Birr. It was part of the kingdom of Meath and was composed of the baronies of Ballyboy, Ballycowan and Eglish. This territory was added to the already existing King's County in 1570. Fir Ceall is considered by many authorities to mean "men of the churches" as there were a number of important monasteries in the territory including Durrow, Rahan, Lynally and Drumcullen. According to MacLysaght, they are descended from Niall of the Nine Hostages. They had castles dotted throughout their territory including Eglish, Ballyboy, Rathlihen and Derrydolney but their principal stronghold until 1537 was at Broughal near Kilcormac. An Odo O'Molloy founded a monastery for Carmelite friars at Kilcormac where many of the sept were afterwards buried. Among the well known personalities of the name was James Lynam Molloy (1837 - 1909). Born in Rahan of a well-to-do family, he studied in Dublin, Paris and Bonn and was called to the bar in 1872. He was a noted songwriter and his compositions include "The Kerry Dance", "Bantry Bay" and "Thady O'Flynn".
Molloys are among the commonest names in the county particularly in their old homeland. more ›››
MacCoughlan
Having dropped the Mac, they are now mostly called Coughlan. The MacCoughlan sept ruled over an area in modern West Offaly called Delvin Eathra, now the Barony of Garrycastle, excluding Lusmagh parish, around Banagher and Clonmacnois. This was annexed to King's County in 1570 at the same time as O'Molloy's territory. According to John Grenham in Clans and Families of Ireland they share common ancestry with the O'Briens and McNamaras. They were known as "MacCoughlan of the Fair Castles" obviously because of the number of castles in their territory including Garrycastle, Clononey, Lemanaghan and Kilcolgan. Some authorities claim that a Colgan sept were once established at Kilcolgan. The name still survives in numbers in the area. Likewise, the Mooneys were located in the same area and they still reside in the ancestral home at Doon near the Westmeath border. Members of the Coughlan clan were prominent in political life, two being members of the Irish Parliament for the borough of Banagher. One was Thomas Coughlan, called the "Maw" who died in 1790 and was the last to hold the title of head of the family. At the present time the name is still fairly common, particularly in west and south Offaly.
The O'Carrolls
This sept derives its name from Cearbhal who sided with Brian Boru at Clontarf in 1014. Their territory covered modern South Offaly and North Tipperary and was called Ely. Following the Anglo-Norman invasion they lost the Tipperary portion and were confined to the baronies of Clonlisk and Ballybritt in modern Offaly. It was regarded as belonging to the province of Munster and to the present day that area is in the Diocese of Killaloe, with the exception of Seir Kieran parish which is in Ossory diocese. When King's County was enlarged in 1605 it took in this area. They had castles stretching from Dunkerrin to Birr and at times they occupied parts of neighbouring Fir Ceall of the O'Molloys. Leap Castle in the shadow of the Slieve Blooms was also one of their residences which later passed to Bannons and Darbys. A General Darby from here fought with Nelson at the Battle of the Nile. Leap Castle has been described as the most haunted castle in Ireland.
The O'Carrolls were allied to the O'Connors of Ui Failghe through the marriage of Margaret O'Carroll to Calvach O'Connor, chief of his clan. One of the most renowned persons of her era in Ireland, she hosted a great feast at Killeigh Monastery, near Tullamore, in 1433. The annals tell us that there were 2,700 guests including poets, musicians and poor men. There were several other famous members of the clan including Charles Carroll who was among the signatories of the American Declaration of Independence. His grandfather had emigrated according to reliable sources, from Letterluna near Kinnitty to Maryland in the US. Another member of the Maryland family, John Carroll, became the first Catholic bishop in the USA.
The 1821 Census of Ballybritt barony (one of the surviving fragments of 19th century returns) shows us that there were 214 Carrolls residing there. The entire 1901 Census of Offaly lists 597 Carrolls including 63 whose relationship to the head of household was stated as wife. The name was widespread throughout the county as it is to the present.
Fox/Kearney
The Fox and Kearney clans associated with Offaly were originally one clan. The area they controlled was called Kilcoursey which is situated in the northwest of the county. One of the Kearneys was nicknamed "An Sionnach" meaning the fox. At some stage his descendants adopted this name instead of Kearney. Their place of inauguration was called Cloch a tSionnaigh which was probably located in the modern townland called Cloughatanny, about three miles from Clara. John O'Donovan gives the meaning of the townland as the stone house of the Foxes.
Back to List
Site Hosted by Dotser