O'Connell of Derrynane
Encyclopedia
The O'Connell family, principally of Derrynane
, are a Gaelic Irish noble family of County Kerry
in Munster
. The principal seat of the senior line of the family was Derrynane House
, now an Irish National Monument.
Cousins of the O'Connells of Derrynane were Sir Maurice Charles O'Connell
and son Maurice Charles O'Connell (Australian politician)
. Another cousin was Daniel O'Connell (journalist)
.
(Uí Chonaill Gabra sept) of County Limerick
, being descendants of Dáire Cerbba
, and are thus cousins of the O'Donovan
s and O'Collins
. Other ancestors, through marriage, include the Kings of Thomond of the great O'Brien dynasty, the MacCarthy Mor
dynasty of the great Kingdom of Desmond, the two O'Sullivan
dynasties Beare and Mor, O'Callaghan, O'Connor Kerry, O'Donovan of Clancahill, and the O'Donoghue Dhuv sept of O'Donoghue of the Glens
.
, the Ua Congaile, a kingdom native to County Kerry. While certainly a possibility, and one demanding more research, there still remains more supporting evidence at this time for a descent from the Uí Chonaill Gabra of County Limerick: a family using the sept name of their former kingdom as their surname following its disintegration is not something unheard of in Ireland, and the claims of Count O'Connell to descent from Dáire Cerbba cannot simply be dismissed as career-minded, when the Uí Fidgenti had long since faded and a Corcu Duibne ancestry would have been no less attractive. A descent from the Corcu Duibne would make the O'Connells of Derrynane kin to the O'Shea
s and O'Falveys
, and descendants of the legendary Conaire Mór
, ancestor also of the Dál Riata
monarchs of Scotland
.
Thus the O'Connells are not technically allowed to be of royal extraction because they cannot conclusively prove their patrilineal ancestors to have been kings of any specific septs or territories, even if they might have been. But through marriage they are closely related to the various ancient royal families of Munster
, and in fact to a greater extent than those are to each other. The province of Munster was itself divided into several exclusive provinces but the O'Connells were successful in bridging this.
Derrynane
Derrynane is a village in County Kerry, Ireland, located on the Iveragh peninsula, just off the N70 national secondary road near Caherdaniel on the shores of Derrynane Bay. Also Trundle outbreak zone.- History :...
, are a Gaelic Irish noble family of County 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...
in Munster
Munster
Munster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the south of Ireland. 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 purposes...
. The principal seat of the senior line of the family was Derrynane House
Derrynane House
Derrynane House was the home of Irish politician and statesman, Daniel O'Connell. It is now an Irish National Monumement and part of a 320 acre National Park....
, now an Irish National Monument.
Notable family members
- John O'Connell (d. 1740)
- Maurice O'Connell
- Baron Moritz O'Connell (1738-1830)
- Daniel O'Connell (1701-1770)
- Morgan O'Connell (1739-1809)
- Daniel O'Connell, The LiberatorDaniel O'ConnellDaniel O'Connell Daniel O'Connell Daniel O'Connell (6 August 1775 – 15 May 1847; often referred to as The Liberator, or The Emancipator, was an Irish political leader in the first half of the 19th century...
(1775-1847)- Maurice O'Connell (MP) (1801-1853)
- Morgan O'ConnellMorgan O'ConnellMorgan O'Connell , soldier, politician and son of Daniel O'Connell, the Liberator. He served in the Irish South American legion and the Austrian army. He was M.P. for Meath from 1832 until 1840 and afterwards assistant-registrar of deeds for Ireland from 1840 until 1868...
(1804-1858) - John O'Connell (MP)John O'Connell (MP)John O'Connell JP DL was one of seven children of the Irish Nationalist leader Daniel O'Connell and his wife Mary...
(1810-1858) - Daniel O'Connell, Jr. (1816-1897)
- John O'ConnellJohn O'ConnellJohn F. O'Connell is a former Irish politician, who was first elected as a Labour Party Teachta Dála in 1965 and was returned at each election until 1987, latterly for Fianna Fáil after a time as an independent. He served in Seanad Éireann from 1987 to 1989 and then returned to the Dáil until he...
(1778-1853) - Sir James O'Connell, 1st BaronetSir James O'Connell, 1st BaronetSir James O'Connell, 1st Baronet was an Irish baronet and younger brother of Daniel O'Connell. Sir James was the son of Morgan O'Connell, a general store proprietor, and Catherine O'Mullane - both parents being from a Roman Catholic family.On 29 October 1869 James O'Connell was created a...
(1786-1872)- The O'Connell BaronetsO'Connell BaronetsThe O'Connell Baronetcy, of Lakeview in Killarney in the County of Kerry and of Ballybeggan in Tralee in the County of Kerry, is a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 29 October 1869 for James O'Connell...
- The O'Connell Baronets
- Daniel O'Connell, The Liberator
- Eibhlín Dubh Ní ChonaillEibhlín Dubh Ní ChonaillEibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill also Eileen O' Connell, was an Irish noblewoman and poet, the composer of Caoineadh Airt Uí Laoghaire....
(1743-1800) - Daniel Charles, Count O'Connell (1745-1833)
- Morgan O'Connell (1739-1809)
- Maurice O'Connell
Cousins of the O'Connells of Derrynane were Sir Maurice Charles O'Connell
Maurice Charles O'Connell
Sir Maurice Charles O'Connell was a commander of forces and lieutenant-governor of New South Wales.O'Connell was born in Ireland in 1768. He had had a distinguished career in the army when he came with Macquarie to New South Wales in charge of the 73rd regiment...
and son Maurice Charles O'Connell (Australian politician)
Maurice Charles O'Connell (Australian politician)
Maurice Charles O'Connell , was a Queensland pioneer and president of the legislative council.O'Connell was born at Sydney in 1812. His father was Sir Maurice Charles O'Connell, his mother was a daughter of Governor Bligh. He was educated at the high school, Edinburgh, and entered the army as an...
. Another cousin was Daniel O'Connell (journalist)
Daniel O'Connell (journalist)
Daniel O'Connell was a poet, actor, writer and journalist in San Francisco, California, and a co-founder of the Bohemian Club. He was the grand-nephew of Daniel O'Connell , the famed Irish orator and politician....
.
Ancestry and extraction
According to tradition, they descend from the ancient Uí FidgentiUí Fidgenti
The Uí Fidgenti or Wood-Sprung People were an early kingdom of northern Munster, situated mostly in modern County Limerick, but extending into County Clare and County Tipperary, and possibly even County Kerry and County Cork, at maximum extents, which varied over time...
(Uí Chonaill Gabra sept) of County Limerick
County Limerick
It is thought that humans had established themselves in the Lough Gur area of the county as early as 3000 BC, while megalithic remains found at Duntryleague date back further to 3500 BC...
, being descendants of Dáire Cerbba
Dáire Cerbba
Dáire Cerbba was an Irish dynast of uncertain origins, named in many early and late sources as the grandfather of the semi-mythological Mongfind and Crimthann mac Fidaig, and the most frequently named early ancestor of the historical Uí Liatháin and Uí Fidgenti...
, and are thus cousins of the O'Donovan
O'Donovan
O'Donovan or Donovan is an Irish surname, as well as a hereditary Gaelic title. It is also written Dhonnabháin in certain grammatical contexts, and Donndubháin, being originally composed of the elements donn, meaning lord or dark brown, dubh, meaning dark or black, and the diminutive suffix án...
s and O'Collins
Michael Collins (Irish leader)
Michael "Mick" Collins was an Irish revolutionary leader, Minister for Finance and Teachta Dála for Cork South in the First Dáil of 1919, Director of Intelligence for the IRA, and member of the Irish delegation during the Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations. Subsequently, he was both Chairman of the...
. Other ancestors, through marriage, include the Kings of Thomond of the great O'Brien dynasty, the MacCarthy Mor
MacCarthy dynasty
The MacCarthy dynasty was one of Ireland's greatest medieval dynasties. It was and continues to be divided into several great branches. The MacCarthy Reagh, MacCarthy of Muskerry, and MacCarthy of Duhallow dynasties were the three most important of these, after the central or MacCarthy Mór...
dynasty of the great Kingdom of Desmond, the two O'Sullivan
O'Sullivan
O'Sullivan or simply Sullivan is an Irish surname, associated with the southwestern part of Ireland, originally found in County Tipperary before the Anglo-Norman invasion, then in County Cork and County Kerry, which due to emigration is also common in Australia, North America and Britain...
dynasties Beare and Mor, O'Callaghan, O'Connor Kerry, O'Donovan of Clancahill, and the O'Donoghue Dhuv sept of O'Donoghue of the Glens
O'Donoghue of the Glens
The O'Donoghue of the Glens , Prince of Glenflesk, is the hereditary chieftain of his sept of the Kerry Eóganacht...
.
Origins
It has been suggested that the O'Connells are a sept of the Corcu DuibneCorcu Duibne
The Corcu Duibne was a notable kingdom in prehistoric and medieval County Kerry, Ireland which included the Dingle Peninsula, the Iveragh Peninsula and connecting lands...
, the Ua Congaile, a kingdom native to County Kerry. While certainly a possibility, and one demanding more research, there still remains more supporting evidence at this time for a descent from the Uí Chonaill Gabra of County Limerick: a family using the sept name of their former kingdom as their surname following its disintegration is not something unheard of in Ireland, and the claims of Count O'Connell to descent from Dáire Cerbba cannot simply be dismissed as career-minded, when the Uí Fidgenti had long since faded and a Corcu Duibne ancestry would have been no less attractive. A descent from the Corcu Duibne would make the O'Connells of Derrynane kin to the O'Shea
O'Shea
O'Shea is a surname , originating in the Kingdom of Corcu Duibne in County Kerry, and could refer to:*Alicia O'Shea Petersen , Australian suffragist...
s and O'Falveys
Falvey
Falvey is a surname which is an anglicisation of the name Ó Fáilbhe: in the Irish language Ó means "descendant" [of] and "fáilbhe" literally means "lively, pleasant, sprightly, merry, cheerful" or, according to another historian, "joker". Other anglicisations include O’Falvie, O’Falvy, O’Failie,...
, and descendants of the legendary Conaire Mór
Conaire Mor
Conaire Mór , son of Eterscél, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. His mother was Mess Búachalla, who was either the daughter of Eochu Feidlech and Étaín, or of Eochu Airem and his daughter by Étaín...
, ancestor also of the Dál Riata
Dál Riata
Dál Riata was a Gaelic overkingdom on the western coast of Scotland with some territory on the northeast coast of Ireland...
monarchs of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
Thus the O'Connells are not technically allowed to be of royal extraction because they cannot conclusively prove their patrilineal ancestors to have been kings of any specific septs or territories, even if they might have been. But through marriage they are closely related to the various ancient royal families of Munster
Munster
Munster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the south of Ireland. 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 purposes...
, and in fact to a greater extent than those are to each other. The province of Munster was itself divided into several exclusive provinces but the O'Connells were successful in bridging this.