IRISH NAMES, MADE ENGLISH.
(For the Mirror.)
Macnamara, son of a sea-hound.
Macmahon, son of a bear.
Brien, the force of water.
Kennedy, wearing a helmet.
Horan, the gold of poetry.
Sullivan, having but one eye.
Gallagher, the helper of Englishmen.
Riordan, a royal salmon.
Lysaght, a hired soldier.
Finnoala, white-shouldered.
Una, matchless.
Farrell, a fair man.
Mohairey, an early riser.
Naghten, a strong person.
Trayner, a strong man.
Keeffe, mild.
Keating, a shower of fire.
Kinahan, a moss trooper.
Kearney, a soldier.
Leahy, a champion.
Macaveely, son of the hero.
Ardil, of high descent.
Dermid, a god in arms.
Toraylagh, like a tower.
Cairbre, a royal person.
Flinn, red haired.
Dwyer, a dark man.
Docharty, dangerous.
Mullane, broad head.
Cullane, broad poll.
Flaherty, a powerful chief.
Lalor, or Lawler, one who speaks by halves.
Tierney, a lord.
Bulger, a Dutchman.
Dougal, a Dane.
Mac Intosh, son of the chief.
Mac Tagart, son of the priest.
Mac'Nab, son of the abbot.
Mac Clery, son of a clerk.
Mac Lure, son of a tailor.
Macgill, son of a squire.
Macbrehane, son of a judge.
Mac Tavish, son of a savage.
Goff, or Gough, smith.
Galt, a Protestant.
Gillespie, the bishop's squire.
The whole of the above are literal translations without having recourse to fancy, or torturing the originals; thus, Macnamara, called in Irish Mac Conmara, from mac, a son, con, the genitive case of cu, a hound, and mara, the genitive case of muir, the sea; and so of the rest. It is proper, however, to observe, that although the name of Keating sounds exactly in Irish a "shower of fire" yet as the Keatings came at first from England, this cannot be the real origin of that name. All the rest are literally correct.
H.S.