The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1916-04-15
The Meaning of Some Irish Names
Historic Meaning Attached to Clan and Family Names
Dates back from Before the Christian Era. Ancient
Irish Democracy Reached High State Of Perfection
Interesting Account Of Meaning Of Common Family Names
BY HUGH O'NEILL.


mean and into Spain under the leader
ship of a great general named Mile
sius, also called Gadelius. Hence they
are called Milesians or Gaels.
Milesius died in Spain, but the Gaels
under the leadership of his son, reach
ed their bjective-Ireland, or the Is
land of Destiny. They conquered the
earlier inhabitants, the Formorians,
the Firbolys, the Danians, and for
more than 1000 years the rule of the
Gael was unbroken in Ireland.
Even after the invasion of the An
glo Normans in 1172, and down to the
present day the master ruling minds
of the race were Gaelic. Whatever is
noblest and best in the Irish race is
Gaelic. The quality of leadership
which is the dominant trait of the
race comes from the Gael.
Ireland takes it's name from Ir, one
of the sons of Milesius. After the
landing of Milesius in Ireland, regu-
lation was made that none but the de-
scdendants of Heber, Henemon and
Ir, the sons, and 18th, the son of Breo'
gan, uncle of Milesius, should inherit
any of the principalities, lordship or
provincial thrones, or that of the ard
RICH or chief monarch of the country.
There is only one instance where
this rule was violated, when the de-
scendant of Tutha de Danain was
allowed to rule as king. The ard righs
with few exceptions were elected from
one Of four houses, the O'Briens Of
Leinster, the McCarthys of Munster,
the O'Connors of Leinster, Munster
and Connaught, and the O'Neils of
Ulster.
Clan System Democracy.
After the days of Strongbow many
Normans and English came to Ireland,
and after the reign of James I, many
Scotch reached Ireland, but whether
they were Normans, English or Scotch
they were dominated as a race by the
Irish, and in many instances became
more Irish than the Irish them
selves" This was particularly true Of
Normans like the Buffers, the Burkes,
the De Lacys, the Nugents, the Roches,
the Plunkets, the Darcys, the Dever-
eux, the Daltons, the Fitzgeralds, the
Fitzsimmons and the Fitzpatricks.
The clan system which obtained in
Ireland was pure democracy, and the
chief of the clan, as well as the prince
of the province or the king of the
country, was elected by the people.
About $50 years before Christ, the
Irish leader, King Diam Fodla, found
ed trienial assembly, to be held at
Tara, and also an assembly of the
states, which together were called in
Gaelic, Flies Teamroich. 1t was Or
dained by this assembly that each
prince or lord should maintain bre-
hou or judge, whose duty it should be
to see to the observance of the law in
his jurisdiction and record alliances,
births and all deaths of his province,
which was presented to the assembly
for probate every third year, and the
record was then submitted to the scru-
tiny Of three historians, three druids
and three princes, and when submit
ted to probate they were recorded in
a great record called the soltair AS
the right of succession by the chief
tains, the princes and the kings were
fixed by these soltairs, the geneologes
were compiled with scrupulous care
and severe penalty was imposed on
any one Offering false or doubtful evil
dence.
The Irish then had, as they still
have, a peculiar reverence for names
Some Of them date back before Christ,
some date to the fourth century after
Christ, and none Of them date later
than the time of Brian Boroimhe CA.
D. 1919 in whose reign all were COM
PEELED to take a surname for them
selves to descend to their posterity, SO
that each family might know their de-
scent from common ancestor
The Irish never took their names
from places, nor from objects, nor
from color-they took their names
from qualities of the mind or heart or
deeds. In the subjoined list of names
/ will give the Gaelic meaning of the
names in parenthesis. Each tribe had
a pedigree, dated back to the founder,
and the head of a tribe was chief or
prince, and only a chief or prince
could be king of province or an ard
RICH.
i, Ireland was divided into twenty
tribes and every tribe had pedigree,
with well defined beginning.
The Del Gals Tribe.
Founded by Cas-, king of Munster,
A. D. III. The chief of the tribe was
O'Brien, prince of Thomond and king
Of Cashel and Munster. Some Of the
families Of this tribe were:
O'Brien (the author), O'Brody Eek
cited), O'Dea (author), O'Carmody
(joyfuD, O'Gleason (the tuner), O'Goo-
dy (noble), O'Hartigan (first choice),
O'Healy .(nimble), O'Hurley (the &C.
tive), O'Kennedy (favoring), O'Mul-
lanev (thOuphtfu1) O'NTeara (chiof\