Ó Gadhra or O'Gara is an Irish

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

 surname

Surname

A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...

 which originated in the kingdom of Luighne Connacht

Luighne Connacht

Luighne Connacht was a territory located in north-central Connacht, on the boarders of what is now County Mayo and County Sligo.-Origin:The Luighne were a people, originally found in Brega, south of Kells in what is now County Meath. The baronys of Lune in Meath, and Leyney in Sligo, were called...

.

Background

The first O'Gara's were descendants of the Gailenga

Gailenga

Gailenga was the name of two related peoples and kingdoms found in medieval Ireland in Brega and Connacht.-Origins:Along with the Luighne, Delbhna, Saitne and Ciannachta, the Gailenga claimed descent from Tadc mac Cein mac Ailill Aulom. Francis John Byrne, in agreement with Eoin MacNeill, believes...

 people. Their descendants were located in Sliabh Lugha (later known as the Barony of Gallen

Barony of Gallen

The Barony of Gallen is one of the nine baronies in County Mayo, Ireland. It is situated in the eastern part of the county south of the town of Ballina, bordering County Sligo...

), the southern part of the territory ruled by the Kings of Luighne Connacht.

In the 13th century they were expelled from the area (by the Clan

Clan

A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clan members may be organized around a founding member or apical ancestor. The kinship-based bonds may be symbolical, whereby the clan shares a "stipulated" common ancestor that is a...

 Mac Siúrtáin) and moved to Cul Ui Fionn, later known as the barony of Coolavin, County Sligo.

Notable Bearers of the Name

• Domhnall mac Gadhra
  Domhnall mac Gadhra
  Domhnall mac Gadhra, King of Gailenga and Luighne Connacht, died 931.Domhnall was a son of Gadhra, from whom the surname O'Gara derived.The Annals of the Four Masters, sub anno 931, state that "Domhnall mac Gadhra, king of Luighne, slain 931." He may have been the only representative of his line...
  
  , King of Luighne Connacht, died 931.
• Toichleach Ua Gadhra
  Toichleach ua Gadhra
  Toichleach Ua Gadhra, King of Gailenga, died 964.Toichleach was a grandson of Gadhra, from whom the surname O'Gara derived. He may have been a son of Domhnall mac Gadhra, King of Gailenga, who was killed in 931....
  
  , King of Gailenga, died 964.
• Donn Sléibhe Ua Gadhra
  Donn Sléibhe Ua Gadhra
  Donn Sléibhe Ua Gadhra, King of Sliabh Lugha, died 1181.The Annals of Lough Ce appear to be the only contempoary reference to Donn Sléibhe, laconicly reporting that Donnsleibhe O'Gadhra mortuus est in the year 1181.-External links:*...
  
  , King of Sliabh Lugha, died 1181.
• Ruaidrí Ó Gadhra
  Ruaidrí Ó Gadhra
  Ruaidrí Ó Gadhra, King of Sliabh Lugha and Chief of the Name, died 1256.During Ruaidrí's lifetime the territory of Sliabh Lugha was conquored by the Sheriff of Connacht, Jordan de Exeter , ancestor of the Clan Mac Siúrtáin...
  
  , last King of Sliabh Lugha, died 1256.
• Ruaidri Ó Gadhra
  Ruaidri Ó Gadhra
  Ruaidri Ó Gadhra, Chief of the Name, died 1285.The Annals of the Four Masters record, sub anno 1285, "Rory O'Gara, Lord of Sliabh-Lugha, was slain by Mac Feorais Bermingham on Lough O'Gara." However by this stage the family had been exiled into Cul Ui Fionn .-External...
  
  , Chief of the Name, died 1285.
• Fearghal Ó Gadhra
  Fearghal Ó Gadhra
  Fearghal Ó Gadhra, lord of Coolavin, patron of the Annals of the Four Masters, c. 1597 - after 1660.-Family background:Ó Gadhra was the son of Tadhg mac Oilill Ó Gadhra of Coolavin, located in what is now south County Sligo...
  
  , lord of Coolavin, patron of the Annals of the Four Masters
  Annals of the Four Masters
  The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland or the Annals of the Four Masters are a chronicle of medieval Irish history...
  
  , c. 1597-after 1660.
• Matt O'Gara
  Matt O'Gara
  Matt O'Gara is a former hurler from Toomevara, County Tipperary, Ireland. He played his hurling with his local club Toomevara, and Tipperary as midfield and wing back...
  
  , Irish sportsperson, fl. 1960.
• Ronan O'Gara
  Ronan O'Gara
  Ronan John Ross O'Gara is an Irish rugby union player, playing at fly-half for both Munster and Ireland. He is the all time highest point scorer for both Munster and Ireland. In addition to his prolific point-scoring, he has captained Munster, Ireland and the British and Irish Lions...
  
  , Irish rugby union rugby player, born 1977.
• Eoghan O'Gara
  Eoghan O'Gara
  Eoghan O'Gara is a Gaelic footballer who plays as a forward for the Dublin inter-county team. Eoghan attended St. Josephs BNS Primary School in Terenure.-Intercounty Football:...
  
  , Irish sportsperson, alive 2010.

See also

• Ó Gadhra Chiefs of the Name
  Ó Gadhra Chiefs of the Name
  The Ó Gadhra Chiefs of the Name were the head of the Clan O'Gara, who were originally located in Sliabh Lugha , the southern part of the territory ruled by the Kings of Luighne Connacht...
  
  
• Kings of Sliabh Lugha
  Kings of Sliabh Lugha
  The Kings of Sliabh Lugha were rulers of the district of Sliabh Lugha, located in what is now County Mayo.The Sliabh Lugha area was originally known as Gailenga but by the 12th-century called Sliabh Lugha. Its rulers were the Ó Gadhra, whose ancestors were Kings of Luighne Connacht, an over-kingdom...
  
  
• Kings of Luighne Connacht
  Kings of Luighne Connacht
  The Kings of Luighne Connacht were rulers of the people and kingdom of Luighne Connacht, located in what is now County Mayo and County Sligo.The southern area was originally known as Gailenga but by the 12th-century called Sliabh Lugha...
  
  

External links

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