The arms they bore for centuries with pride,
The Ship, the Salmon, and the famed Red Hand,
And blushed when called O’Neill in his own land!
Poor, paltry skulker from thy noble race,
Infelix Felix, weep for thy disgrace!
Many others even of the most distinguished family names were anglicised in a similar manner, as O’Conor to Conors and Coniers, O’Brien to Brine, Mac Carthy to Carty, &c. The respectability of the O’s and Macs, however, was kept up on the Continent by the warriors of the Irish Brigade, who preserved every mark that would prove them to be of Irish origin; the Irish having at this period become so illustrious for their military skill, valour, and politeness, that they were sought after by all the powers on the Continent of Europe. Thus we find O’Donnell made Field Marshal, Chief General of Cavalry, Governor-General of Transylvania, and Grand Croix of the Military Order of St Theresa. The O’Flanigan of Tuaraah (John), in the county of Fermanagh, became Colonel in the imperial service; and his brother James O’Flanigan was Lieutenant-General of Dillon’s regiment in France. O’Mahony became a Count and Lieutenant-General of his Catholic Majesty’s forces, and his Ambassador Plenipotentiary at the Court of Vienna; Mac Gawley of the county of Cork became Colonel of a regiment in Spain; O’Neny of Tyrone settled at Brussels, and became Count of the Roman Empire, Councillor of State to her Imperial Majesty, and Chief President of the Privy Council at Brussels. A branch of the family of O’Callaghan, who followed the fortunes of King James II, became Baron O’Callaghan, and Grand Veneur (chasseur) to his Serene Highness the Prince Margrave of Baden-Baden. The head of the O’Mullallys, or O’Lallys of Tulach na dala, two miles to the west of Tuam, in the county of Galway, settled in France and became Count Lally-Tollendal and a General in the French service. O’Conor Roe became Governor of Civita Vecchia, a sea-port of great trust in the Pope’s dominions, &c., &c.
The lustre derived from the renown of these warriors kept up the respectability of the O’s and Macs on the Continent, and induced many of the Irish at home to resume these prefixes, especially the O’. Thus in our own time the name O’Conor Don was assumed by Owen O’Conor, Esq. of Belanagare, whose line was seven generations removed from the last ancestor who had borne the name; and the name of the O’Grady has also been assumed by Mr O’Grady of Kilballyowen, in our own time, though none of his ancestors had borne it since the removal of that family from Tomgraney, in the county of Clare. Myles John O’Reilly, late of the Heath House, Queen’s County, was at one time disposed to style himself the O’Reilly, but I regret to say that his circumstances prevented him. Daniel O’Connell, Esq. of Derrynane Abbey, prefixed the O’ after it had been dropped for several generations; and I have heard it constantly asserted that he has no title to the O’, because his father, who did not know his pedigree, never prefixed it; but such assertions have no weight with us, for we know that O’Connell’s father never mentioned his own name in the original Irish without prefixing O’, because it would be imperfect without it. And whether O’Connell can trace his pedigree with certainty up to Conall, chief of the tribe in the tenth century, we know not, but we know that he ought to be able to do so.
In like manner, Morgan William O’Donovan, of Mountpelier, near Cork, has not only re-assumed the O’ which his ancestors had rejected for eight generations, but also has styled himself the O’Donovan, chief of his name, being the next of kin to the last acknowledged head of that family, the late General Richard O’Donovan of Bawnlahan, whose family became extinct in the year 1829. His example has been followed by Timothy O’Donovan, of O’Donovan’s Cove, head of a respectable branch of the family. We like this Irish pride of ancestry, and we hope that it will become general before many years shall have passed.
There are other heads of families who retain their Irish names with pride, as Sir Lucius O’Brien of Dromoland, in Clare; Mac Dermot Roe of Alderford, in the county of Roscommon; Mac Dermot of Coolavin, who is the lineal descendant of the chief of Moylurg, and whose pedigree is as well known as that of any royal family in Europe; O’Hara of Leyny, in the county of Sligo; O’Dowda of Bunyconnellan, near Ballina, in the county of Mayo; O’Loughlin of Burren, in the north of the county of Clare; Mac Carthy of Carrignavar, near Cork, who represents one of the noblest families in Ireland; Mac Gillicuddy of the Reeks, in the county of Kerry, a collateral branch of the same great family; O’Kelly of Ticooly, in the county of Galway; O’Moore of Clough Castle, in the King’s County; More O’Ferrall, M. P. O’Fflahertie, of Lemonfield, in the same county; and John Augustus Mageoghegan O’Neill, of Bunowen Castle, in the west of Connamara, in the same county. We are not aware that any of the old families of Leinster have preserved their ancient names unadulterated. Of these, the Cavanaghs of Borris, in the county of Carlow, are the most distinguished; and we indulge a hope that the rising generation will soon resume the name of Mac Murrogh Cavanagh, a name celebrated in Irish history for great virtues as well as great vices.
Among the less distinguished families, however, the translation and anglicising of names have gone on to so great a degree as to leave no doubt that in the course of half a century it will be difficult, if not impossible, to distinguish many families of Irish name and origin from those of English name and origin, unless, indeed, inquirers shall be enabled to do so by the assistance of history and physiognomical characteristics. The principal cause of the change of these names was the difficulty which the magistrates and lawyers, who did not understand the Irish language, found in pronouncing them, and in consequence their constant habit of ridiculing them. This made the Irish feel ashamed of all such names as were difficult of pronunciation to English organs, and they were thus led to change them by degrees, either by translating them into what they conceived to be their meanings in English, by assimilating them to local English surnames of respectable families, or by paring them in such a manner as to make them easy of pronunciation to English organs.