Background

Ó Cathail was the son of a Cormac Ó Cathail, and a nephew or close relative of the Donell Óge Ó Cathail, harp

Harp

The harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...

er to Elizabeth I. Apparently, harping was the family profession. The family were attached to the family of Viscount Buttevant, Lord Barry or Barrymore.

The family may not have been native to County Cork

County Cork

County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...

, as Ó Cathail is the name of unrelated families which originated separately in Galway

Galway

Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...

, Clare

Clare

-Australia:* Clare, South Australia, town in the Clare Valley* Clare Valley, wine region-Canada:* Clare, Nova Scotia, municipal district* Clare , electoral district-Ireland:* County Clare, one of the 26 counties of the Republic of Ireland...

, Kerry

County Kerry

Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...

, Tipperary

Tipperary

Tipperary is a town and a civil parish in South Tipperary in Ireland. Its population was 4,415 at the 2006 census. It is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly, and is in the historical barony of Clanwilliam....

 and Ulster

Ulster

Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...

.

His wife was Ellen (alive 1664), daughter of Charles MacCarthy and a granddaughter of Richard Barry of Ballinaltig. His known children were:

• David Óg (1586–1604), who had a son, David fitz David Ó Cathail, born 10 March 1605. The child's mother was Ellis, daughter of Richard, Lord Poer.
• James (died 1609)
• Ellen, married Garret fitz John Barry of Leamlara; their descendants were still extant in the 1900s.
• Lodowick, fl. 1621-c.1654.
• Daniel Óge, fl. 1635-1663.
• Richard, fl. 1637.
• Michael, a minor in the 1650s, alive in the 1690s.

External links

• http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/surname/index.cfm?fuseaction=Go.&UserID=