This page dedicated to all the Érainn (Fir Bolg, Belgae) Celtic Surnames of Éire. This list is nearly complete, and in time undoubtedly a few
more Érainn names will be uncovered and added to the list. Because of tribal assimilation, extinction, and battlefield alliances - the origin of many of Ireland's
ancient surnames is today extremely difficult to determine. This list is as accurate as research can substantiate.
When the Greek writer, Ptolomey, wrote about the Iverni - he was speaking to us about the ancient tribal groups known as the Belgae, Fir Bolg and Érainn (all names
for the same celtic peoples). The true definition of "Fir Bolg" according to the respected celtic scholar Tómas F. ÓRahilly is - "Men of Lightning" - followers of
Lugaid, the Belgae celtic god of lightning. Iverni later became Euernii, which still later became "Érainn" and gave rise to the words --
Éire, Erin, Hibernia and Ireland.
The ancient origins of the Belgae Celts were in modern Belgium and later in southern "celtic" Britain before coming to Ireland c.500 BC as the "second" wave of
celtic invaders. Germanic tribes constantly fought the Belgae Celts convincing many to leave for the island of Britain nearly three millenium ago. In Julius Caesar's
"Gallic War" memoirs, he makes note of this ongoing conflict between the Belgae Celts and the german tribes on their eastern border. (Caesar gives high praise to the
Belgae Celts for their efforts in holding off these tribes.)
In Ireland, the Belgae Celts defeated the Cruithin Celts and would for the next two centuries rule Éire from Co. Antrim south to Co. Cork. Just as the Cruithin were
differentiated from the Picts (their tribal group) - the Belgae Celts became known as the "Fir Bolg" in Ireland. Later Irish Literati (gaelic tribal historians and
church genealogists) often misdefined and maligned the name "Fir Bolg" - according to Tómas F. ÓRahilly (himself of gaelic descent and the School of Celtic Studies,
Dublin). He blames this problem on the gaelic historians who wrote for their benefactor gaelic chiefs the early prose and poems often disbarraging the non-gaelic
Celts (Cruithin, Fir Bolg and Laghin) - and on church genealogists who wanted to remove any pagan druid reference to a 'god of lightning'. After the Gaels had taken
control of Éire, these two literary groups set about creating gaelic pedigrees for many of the Fir Bolg clans - and changed their tribal group name to "Érainn".
This then made the celtic tribal name of 'Fir Bolg' an inferior name for the people to use, and anyone continuing to refer to themselves this way would be of inferior
status.
In Munster province, the Érainn (Fir Bolg) Celts had long been a powerful force and this would continue on for centuries to come, even under goidelic Gaelic control.
Around 500 BC the celtic La Téne Culture developed on the european continent southeast of the Belgae Celts. It would for the next 400 years influence metalwork, art,
painted pottery, jewelry, weapons and armour.
The other ancient Celtic peoples in Éire known as the - Cruithin, Laghin and Gaels - have famous surnames as well. A few of the Cruithin and Laginian Celtic tribes
were also rewarded with "gaelic pedigrees" by early gaelic historians and church genealogists whose reasons for doing so are mentioned above.
For example, ÓRahilly states that the "Laginian" ÓKellys of Connacht (Galway/Roscommon) received a "pseudo" gaelic pedigree when in truth they were not of true Gaelic
tribal stock. They were as stated of Laginian Celtic (Laighin) descent who had come to Éire c.300 BC, at least two centuries before the arrival of the Gaels. The
Laginian Celts had departed from Armorica or Brittany peninsula in France, and they took control of both Leinster and Connacht provinces as their own till the last
celtic invader - The Gaels (from northwest Spain) - arrived c.50 BC.
Here...a reader can view from this list of 218 surnames many Érainn celtic surnames that have left their mark on Ireland's history such as... ÓCollins,
MacNamara, ÓBrien and ÓKennedy.
|
MacAleavy
MacBrody MacCadden MacCahan MacClancy MacClune MacCogan MacConchroe MacConsidine MacConway MacCurtin MacDonagher MacDonnell MacDorcey MacDunlevy MacEneiry MacGilduff MacGilfoyle MacGilhooley MacGill MacGilpatrick MacGorman MacGrath MacInerney MacKeahan MacKeogh MacLarty MacLevy |
MacLysaght
MacMahon MacMorrow MacMurney MacNally MacNamara MacNulty MacShaffrey MacSharry MacSheedy MacSherry MacUlrick ÓAhern ÓAnglin O'Baire ÓBarr ÓBaskin ÓBilry ÓBoden ÓBolan ÓBrady ÓBregan ÓBrennan ÓBrick ÓBrien ÓBuckley ÓBurrane ÓCagney |
ÓCahalane
ÓCahill ÓCanty ÓCarney ÓCarty ÓCasey ÓCassidy ÓCiarrain ÓClerihan ÓCloherty ÓClohessy ÓCoffey ÓCoghlan ÓColleran ÓCollins ÓComiskey ÓConnell ÓConnick ÓConroy ÓCorby O'Cornyn ÓCosgrove ÓCoveny ÓCoyne ÓCreagh ÓCroghan ÓCronelly ÓCronin |
ÓCrotty
ÓCullane ÓCullenan ÓCurnin ÓCurran ÓCurry ÓDallaher ÓDanaher O'Davoren ÓDea ÓDelaney ÓDineen ÓDoheny ÓDonegan ÓDonnelly ÓDonovan ÓDoorley ÓDowning ÓDriscoll ÓDuggan ÓDunlea ÓDunning ÓDurack ÓDwyer ÓFalvey ÓFarrell ÓFealy ÓFennelly |
ÓFergus
ÓFihelly ÓFinn ÓFlannagan ÓFlannery ÓFlynn ÓFogarty ÓFurey ÓGalvin ÓGarrigan ÓGavan ÓGleeson ÓGrady ÓGriffy ÓGunning ÓHallahan ÓHallinan ÓHallissy ÓHalloran ÓHanberry ÓHannan ÓHannon ÓHanraghty ÓHanrahan ÓHaren ÓHarkin ÓHarrington ÓHartigan |
ÓHaveran
ÓHea ÓHealy ÓHeffernan ÓHegan ÓHehir O'Henegan ÓHennessey ÓHerlihy ÓHernon ÓHickey ÓHogan ÓHoneen ÓHooghley ÓHurley ÓKealy ÓKeane ÓKearney ÓKeaty ÓKeely ÓKelleher ÓKennedy ÓKieran ÓKilleen ÓKinneally ÓKirwan ÓKissane ÓLarkin |
ÓLavery
ÓLeahy ÓLeary ÓLeyne ÓLiddane ÓLiddy ÓLonergan ÓLong ÓLongan ÓLongy ÓLoughlin ÓLynch ÓMalley ÓManchin ÓMarkahan ÓMeara ÓMinogue ÓMolony ÓMongan ÓMoran ÓMoroney ÓMoylan ÓMulholland ÓMullavill ÓMulleady ÓMullfover ÓMulvey ÓMurnane |
ÓNavin
ÓNeilan ÓNoonan ÓPhelan ÓQuinlan ÓQuin ÓQuirke ÓRegan ÓReidy ÓRonayne ÓRoughan ÓRowan ÓScurry ÓShalvey ÓShanahan ÓShea ÓShelly ÓSlowey ÓSpillane ÓTeige ÓToomey ÓTormey |
Finally, a note should be made concerning the Fir Bolg (Belgae or Érainn) tribe known as the "Dál Riata" of Co. Antrim. Around 500 AD they emigrated from Ireland to the Arglye region of western Scotland and helped give rise to the "Highlanders" of Scotland including several Scottish Kings.
Sources:
[National Archives of Ireland-1911 Census; Early Irish History and Mythology-Tómas F. O'Rahilly; Atlas Of The Celtic World-John Haywood; The Celts-John Haywood; The
Dictionary of Irish Family Names-Ida Grehan; Heirlooms of Ireland-Joseph F. Osborne; The Book of Irish Families Great and Small-Michael C. O'Laughlin; The Surnames
of Ireland-Edward MacLysaght; Irish Families-Edward MacLysaght; More Irish Families-Edward MacLysaght; National Park Service Civil War Roster; Clare County Library
- Paddy Hannan Story, Surnames In Ireland-Robert Matheson; Irish Names And Surnames-Rev. Patrick Woulfe; Cromwellian Wars; Families of County Clare - IGF, Michael C.
O'Laughlin; Families of County Limerick - IGF, O'Laughlin; The Annals of Ireland - The Four Masters, translated A.D. 1846, Irish Times.Com; "The Harp Of Old Erin &
Banner Of Stars", "The Opinions of Paddy Magee" - The Irish Volunteer CD, David Kincaid; A New Genealogical Atlas Of Ireland-Brian Mitchell; How The Irish Saved
Civilization-Thomas Cahill; Irish Family Mottoes-Tómas Ó Baoill]
