McLaughlin of Mayo
| According to O'Donovan, a branch of the
McLaughlins of Tirconnell, along with some of the
O'Donnells, removed to County Mayo in about 1670, where
they settled and to this day "still retain the rank
of gentlemen." O'Dugan's Topographical Poems Kingly O'Neill of great prosperity, and the very proud MacLachlains, A race of no hereditary tameness, Two tribes of the soverignty. O'Donovan's notes: 66. Royal O'Neill - The O'Neills were the most powerful family in Ulster in O'Dugan's time; but at the period of the english invasion, and for a century of two later, the MacLachlainns were more powerful. A branch of this latter family removed with the O''Donnells to the county of Mayo, about the year 1679, where they still hold the rank of gentlemen. The same event is mentioned in an article on the O'Donnells of Mayo. North Mayo Historical Journal (1987) Vol 2, No. 1 THE O'DONNELLS OF KILLEEN AND THE CATHACH I believe the O'Donnells came to Mayo after the Battle of Kinsale, 1601. They had connections with this county, as we well know long before that. Another wave of displaced people came from Ulster in the middle of the seventeenth century and the advent of Cromwell. Anybody who was attainted for rebellion, and there were many, generally fled to remote places like Newport, Keenagh, Ballycroy or Erris. They were not welcomed by the Errismen who fought them unsuccessfully. Knight in his "Erris in the Irish Highlands" gives the following account of them. "The colony of Ulster men, at whatever time they settled in this county still retain the ancient dialect of language used in the North, intermarry exclusively with one another; a hardy, low-sized, dark featured race, daring and intrepid in danger, not good tempered but hospitable to the extreme. they are considered very intelligent and having a degree of cleverness and acuteness, particularly in bargaining, said to be peculiar of their northern origin, they are the material of a fine people if properly managed." That is a pretty fair description for those of us who have had dealings with Northern farmers. Ordnance Survey Letters John O'Donovan Ordnance Survey Letters John O'Donovan 1838 Co. Mayo (Vol. 1) Errus p. 83 sec. 156 "A Colony of the Kinel-Connell were established here about two centuries since, and it was among them the Caah of St. Columbille was found. Who were the keepers of the Caah and Red Stone of Saint Columbkille according to the Donegal Inquisition?" p. 88 sec. 166 "This parish of Kilcommon is divided into four districts, viz.,- (1) Dunkeeghan (Domha Caochain) to the north. (2) Glenamoy (Gleann na Muaidh) to the north east. (3) Ballymonelly (Baile Ui Mhonaoile) to the east. (4) Ballycroy (Baile Cruaiche) to the south. The two latter districts were colonized by tribes from Tirconnell about two centuries ago. Ballymonelly was colonized by tribe of the Dohertys who cam hither as tradition says, under the conduct of Monaoile (Maonghaile) O'Doherty from whom they have been named O'Meneelys, and Ballycroy by several families from the same country who settled under O'Donnell. The principal surnames among these are Mac Sweeny, O'Clery, O'Gallagher, Conway, Mac Menamou and O'Friel. These still speak the Ultonian dialect of the Irish and are calloed by their neighbours na h-ultaigh, ie., the Ulstermen. The period at which they emigrated from Tirconnell into Ballycroy can be calculated from the following pedigree of Maney Mac Sweeny of Ballycroy:- 1, Maney, the son of 2. Edmond, who was the son of 3. Maney 4. Emon Roe 5. Loughlin 6. Manus Duff 7. Loughlin Garve, the first of the name who removed to Ballycroy 8. Loughlin Liath, who died in Tirconnell. They have no other chronology but the number of generations since their emigration - a very primitive mode of calculating time. The following is the pedigree of Sir Richard, the son of Sir Neal O'Donnell, preserved by tradition in this country. 1. Sir Richard, the son of 2. Sir Neal Beag, who was the son of 3. Niall Garve 4. Hugh More 5. Col. Maney 6. Rory, the first who removed to Ballycroy 7. Col. Manus 8. Niall Garve" "I have consulted the most intelligent of the O'Clerys and Conways of Ballycroy about the pedigree of the O'Donnell with whom their ancestors emigrated to Connaught and find that they have a vivid recollection of everything connected with him. The pedigree of the present Sir Richard O'Donnell runs as follows:- Sir Richard, the Darbyite or swaddlibng preacher, son of Ruaidhri (not correct here) Niall (i.e., Niall Garbh). Conn Caffar (recte Calbhach). ....some generations wanting here. Torlogh an Fhiona. Does this agree with the pedigree of the O'Donnell given by Sir William Betham? All the old men in Ballycroy concur in affirming that about 70 years ago there was a relic in Ballycroy called Cochall Choluim Chille, on which the people were in the habit of swearing, that it was in the possession of two old men of the name of Clery and Freel who looked upon themselves as the hereditary keepers of it, that it was a box with some gems inserted into its cover, which resembled glass eyes, and that whenever anyone perjured himself these eyes were wont to turn arround, to roll like human eyes, and make signs of melancholy disapprobation of the conduct of the profane perjurer, that these two men left Ballycroy and took the Cochall (Cucullus) with them, and that no one heard of it or anything like it until some years ago Lady O'Donnell got a relic somewhere called the Cathach of Colummbkille, but that there is no certainty of its being the same with the Cochall taken away by the two old men about 60 years before. The genealogical line of the branch of the Clerys who removed to Ballycroy with the O'Donnell runs as follows: Martin Clery, present head of the tribe, son of Michael Tedy Flann Cucogry, the first who came to Ballycroy. Mrs. Conway of Doonah Castle, alias Mary Clery, daur. of Patrick Clery, son of Looee Looee, who ws the brother of Cucogry the first who came to Ballycroy. The Clerys of Ballycroy believe that their own ancestor Cucogry was the senior of the Donegal O'Clerys, the hereditary chroniclers to the O'Donnells, who were located at Kilbarrin and near the Monastery of Assaroe not far from Ballyshannon in the County of Donegal." p. 178 sec. 346 "The present inhabitants of Achill are mostly of the descendants of the Kinel-Connell family wo emigrated with O'Donnell about two centuries since. They are shrewd and intelligent, and are well able to understand the motives of Nangle in telling lies of them. Mr. Mac Loughlin is making some improvements, and is apt to teach the natives the use of the plough of which they know nothing at present. He is also of the northern stock, but a traveller and a man of great intelligence." p. 194 sec. 380 "There is not an individual of the name O'Callaghan at present in the Territory of Errus, nor any name which could be at all identified with O'Caithniadh, but O'Cathain, a name which, though nearly synonomous is not identical with it, and the probability is that though one of the name (O'Cathain) is at present King of Iniskea, all those bearing it at present in Errus descend from one of the Derry O'Cahans who emigrated hither under Niall Garve O'Donnell about two centuries since." Some Donegal Surnames from the Griffith's for Co. Mayo. Monelly Doherty Sweeney Conway Gallagher Clarke McLoughlin McManmon Boyle Freel O'Donnell |