McGillycuddy of the Reeks

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The McGillycuddy of the Reeks (Irish : Mac Giolla Mochuda) is the hereditary Chief of the Name of McGillycuddy, a family originating around MacGillycuddy's Reeks, a range of mountains (reeks) in County Kerry in Ireland. [1]

Contents

Origins of the title

The Annals of the Four Masters records in AD 234 the death of Prince Oilill Olum, King of Munster, the 43rd direct descendant of Milidh, or Milesius, who died in 1284 BC. Thus in legend and in history, the line of the most distinguished families of Munster traces back over 3,300 years.

The McGillycuddys were a cadet sept of the O'Sullivans [2] who about 1600 adopted the surname Mac Giolla Chuda, in recognition of their devotion to St Mochua. A seventh-century O'Sullivan Mór sent his trusted son, Mac Giolla, to be educated under the tutelage of Saint Mochuda at Lismore. He hence became known as O'Sullivan Mac Giolla Mochuda. The name was anglicised into McGillycuddy.

During the 19th century the McGillycuddy estate consisted of about 15,000 acres in Co. Kerry. [3] The estate would eventually be handed over to its tenants after the passing of the 1923 land act. [4]

Recent chiefs

See also

Other Munster families:

References

  1. 1 2 3 O'Shea, Owen (26 October 2021). "An apology from the BBC - Ross Kinloch, Senator The McGillycuddy of the Reeks". owenoshea.ie. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  2. Brady, W. Maziere (1915). "The MacGillycuddy Family" . Kerry Archaeological Magazine. 3 (15): 176–185. doi:10.2307/30059739. ISSN   2009-1362. JSTOR   30059739.
  3. "McGillycuddy | Landed Estates | University of Galway". landedestates.ie.
  4. O'Shea, Owen; Revington, Gordon (2018). A century of politics in the kingdom: a county Kerry compendium. Newbridge Co. Kildare, Ireland: Merrion Press. ISBN   9781785372018.
  5. "Page 575 | Supplement 29438, 11 January 1916 | London Gazette | The Gazette". www.thegazette.co.uk.
  6. "Page 7093 | Supplement 30184, 13 July 1917 | London Gazette | The Gazette". www.thegazette.co.uk.
  7. Oireachtas, Houses of the (1 January 1970). "McGillycuddy of the Reeks – Houses of the Oireachtas". www.oireachtas.ie.
  8. "The McGillycuddy of the Reeks". Andrew Cusack. 20 December 2017. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  9. Lysaght, Charles (23 January 2005). "The McGillycuddy of the Reeks". Irish Independent. INM.
  10. "Home". Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 6 January 2007.

Further reading