page_title: O'Leary
section_title: Modern
hierarchical_section_title: O'Leary / History / Modern
caption_attribution_description: English: Peadar Ua Laoghaire, 1839–1920
context_page_description: O'Leary is an Irish name, and an anglicized version of the original Gaelic patronym Ó Laoghaire or Ó Laoire
context_section_description: Although almost nothing is known of their activities for several centuries, the O'Learys reappear as a still titled  family in the 16th century, and relatively wealthy, although they were subject to the MacCarthy of Muskerry dynasty, from whom they received the White Wand (a symbol of authority). They were the only other freeholders in Muskerry besides the O'Mahonys, and had built several castles in their territories, of which Carrignacurra is now the only one still standing. The celebrated Irish language writer Peadar Ua Laoghaire was a descendant of the Carrignacurra branch of the family.
  Auliffe O'Leary joined the side of Hugh Ó Neill, 2nd Earl of Tyrone in the Nine Years' War, from the very inception of it, and took the field with William Bourke (Clanricarde) and others. For this the chiefs of the O'Learys were eventually attained, and their lands parceled out, but because of the remoteness of their territory it was never carried out, and they remained safe there until the Cromwellian confiscations decades later. Donough MacCarty, 1st Earl of Clancarty did however appear to do his best to allow them to stay on their lands through leasing. The family became much more scattered during the later Williamite War in Ireland.
  As an example of their wealth and capacity in the mid-16th century, an early O'Leary of Carrignacurra  is purported to be the fosterer of Donnel na g croiceann, or Donnel of the Hides, ancestor of the modern O'Donovans of Clan Cahaill. His daughter Ellen married Donnell. Their issue was Donnell II O'Donovan.
  The last O'Leary lord of the Old Gaelic order was Donal MacArt O'Leary (1575–1657).
caption: Peadar Ua Laoghaire, one of the founders of modern literature in Irish.
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