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Irish clans are traditional kinship groups sharing a common surname and heritage and existing in a lineage-based society, originating prior to the 17th century. A clan included the chief and his patrilineal relatives; however, Irish clans also included unrelated clients of the chief.
The Gallowglass were a class of elite mercenary warriors who were principally members of the Norse-Gaelic clans of Ireland and Scotland between the mid 13th century and late 16th century. It originally applied to Scots, who shared a common background and language with the Irish, but as they were descendants of 10th-century Norse settlers who had intermarried with the local population in western Scotland, the Irish called them Gall Gaeil.
The surname Ray has several origins.
Clan Sweeney is an Irish clan of Scottish origin. The Mac Suibhne family did not permanently settle in Ireland before the beginning of the 14th century, when they became Gallowglass soldiers for the Ua Domnaill dynasty of Tír Chonaill. The clan also claims an Irish descent from a prince of the Uí Néill dynasty, Ánrothán Ua Néill, son of Áed, son of Flaithbertach Ua Néill, King of Ailech and Cenél nEógain, died 1036. Through this descent the clan can claim a descent from Niall Noigíallach.
Castle Sween, also known as Caisteal Suibhne, and Caistéal Suibhne, is located on the eastern shore of Loch Sween, in Knapdale, south of the forestry village of Achnamara on the west coast of Argyll, Scotland. Castle Sween is thought to be one of the earliest stone castles built in Scotland, having been built in the late 11th century. The castle's towers were later additions to wooden structures which have since vanished.
McSweeney is a surname of Norse-Gaelic origin. It is the Anglicized form of the Gaelic Mac Sween or Swein, meaning "son of Suibhne". Despite claims that the personal name Suibhne is of Irish origin and derived from suibneus, suaimhneas, meaning "easy-going", or "pleasant", the eponymous ancestor of the McSweeneys was of Norse-Gaelic descent. According to the Annals of Tigernacht, Swein, Son of Cinaid (Kenneth), King of the Gal-Gaidhil, Died 1034 AD. Claims of the McSweeneys being of Irish origin and descendants of the O'Neills are entirely false and would appear to have been made up for two purposes - firstly to smooth their way into medieval Tyr Connail, where they conquered territory and became kingmakers, protectors and fosterers to the O'Donnells, who ruled that part of Ireland, and secondly, so it wouldn't appear that the O'Neills were having to rely on foreigners to do their fighting for them - especially as the 'cessing' of galoglas
McNiven is a surname of Gaelic origin. It is derived from the Gaelic Mac Naoimhín. The latter surname is derived from a personal name based upon naomh. The surname MacNiven can be rendered in Scottish Gaelic as Mac'IlleNaoimh.
Suibne, modern spelling Suibhne, a Gaelic male name from which the modern Sweeney is derived, may refer to:
Tormod is a masculine Norwegian and Scottish Gaelic given name. The Norwegian name is derived from the Old Norse personal name Þórmóðr. This name is composed of two elements: Þorr, the name of the Norse god of thunder; and móðr, meaning "mind", "courage". The Gaelic name is derived from the Old Norse personal names Þórmóðr and Þormundr. A variant of the Norwegian name is Thormod. An Anglicised form of the Scottish Gaelic name is Norman. The Irish surname Tormey or Tarmey translate into English as "descendant of Tormach". The name Tormach is a Gaelic derivative of the Old Norse personal name Þórmóðr. Tormey or Tarmey are the anglicised versions of Ó Tormaigh or Ó Tormadha.
McQueen, Mcqueen, and MacQueen, Macqueen are English-language surnames derived from Scottish Gaelic. There have been several differing etymologies given for the surnames; as well as several differing ways to represent the surname in modern Scottish Gaelic. The surnames are not among the most common surnames in the United Kingdom, Australia, nor the United States.
MacSween and McSween are surnames of Gaelic origin. People with those surnames include:
Suibhne mac Duinnshléibhe was a late 12th-century, and early 13th-century, lord in Argyll. He does not appear in contemporary records, although his name appears in the patronymic names of two of his sons. Suibhne appears in the 16th century Leabhar Chlainne Suibhne, which documents the early history of Clann Suibhne. This account claims that he is the ancestor of Irish clan, and that he was the builder of Castle Sween in Knapdale, Argyll. However, other sources suggest the castle was built in the late 11th century by Suibhne MacAnrahan, brother of the High King of Ireland. Suibhne is said to be identical to the "Swineruo", or Suibhne Ruadh, recorded in the Ane Accompt of the Genealogie of the Campbells, a 17th-century Clan Campbell genealogy.
Murchadh is masculine given name of Irish origin, used in the Irish and Scottish Gaelic languages.
Aodh Mac Suibhne, aka Hugh McSweeney, Gallowglass of Clanricarde, died 1586.
The Gaelic surname Mac Somhairle means "son of Somhairle". The personal name Somhairle is a Gaelicised form of the Old Norse Sumarliðr and Sumarliði. The Old Norse Sumarliðr is composed of the elements sumar ("summer") and liðr ("seafarer"). As such, Sumarliðr and Sumarliði can be taken to mean "summer warrior", "summer seafarer". Anglicised forms of Mac Somhairle include: MacSorley, McSorley, Sorley, and Sorlie. Many settled in Ulster, hired as Gallowglass for Gaelic Kingdoms.
MacAlasdair is a masculine surname in Scottish Gaelic. The name translates into English as "son of Alasdair". The feminine form of the name is NicAlasdair, which translates into English as "daughter of Alasdair". These surnames originated as a patronyms, however they no longer refer to the actual name of the bearer's father. There are numerous Anglicised forms of MacAlasdair.
The surname Nevin has several origins.
McRory is a surname. It is derived from the Irish surname Mac Ruaidhrí.
Eóin Mac Suibhne was a fourteenth-century Scottish nobleman and a leading member of Clann Suibhne. In the middle of the thirteenth century, seemingly during the 1260s, Eóin's family appears to have been ejected from its homeland in Argyll by the Stewart/Menteith kindred. It may have been during this period that members of Clann Suibhne took up residence in Ireland.
The Gaelic surname Mac Ruaidhrí means "son of Ruaidhrí". The personal name Ruaidhrí is composed of two elements: the first is ruadh, meaning "red"; the second is rí, meaning "king".
References
- Hanks, P; Coates, R; McClure, P, eds. (2016a). The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland. Vol. 3. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-879883-5.
- Hanks, P; Coates, R; McClure, P, eds. (2016b). The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland. Vol. 4. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-879884-2.
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