The families among the lower ranks who have translated, anglicised, or totally changed their ancient surnames, are very numerous, and are daily becoming more and more so. Besides the cause already mentioned, we can assign two reasons for this rage which prevails at present among the lower classes for the continued adoption of English surnames. First, the English language is becoming that universally spoken among these classes, and there are many Irish surnames which do not seem to sound very euphoniously in that modern language; and, secondly, the names translated or totally changed are, with very few exceptions, of no celebrity in Irish history; and when they do not sound well in English, the bearers naturally wish to get rid of them, in order that they should not be considered of Atticotic or plebeian Irish origin. As this change is going on rapidly in every part of Ireland, I shall here, for the information, if not for the amusement, of the reader, give some account of the Milesian or Scotic names that have thus become metamorphosed.
And first, of names which have been translated correctly or incorrectly. In the county of Sligo the ancient name of O’Mulclohy has been metamorphosed into Stone, from an idea that clohy, the latter part of it, signifies a stone, but it is a mere guess translation; so that in this instance this people may be said to have taken a new name. In the county of Leitrim, the ancient and by no means obscure name of Mac Connava has been rendered Forde, from an erroneous notion that ava, the last part of it, is a corruption of atha, of a ford. This is also an instance of false translation, for we know that Mac Connava, chief of Munter Kenny, in the county of Leitrim, took his name from his ancestor Cusnava, who flourished in the tenth century. In Thomond the ancient name of O’Knavin is now often anglicised Bowen, because Knavin signifies a small bone. This change was first made by a butcher in Dublin, who should perhaps be excused, as he conformed so well to the act of 5 Edward IV. In Tirconnell the ancient name of O’Mulmoghery is now always rendered Early, because moch-eirghe signifies early rising. This version, however, is excusable, though not altogether correct. In Thomond, O’Marcachain is translated Ryder by some, but anglicised Markham by others; and in the same territory O’Lahiff is made Guthrie, which is altogether incorrect. In Tyrone the ancient name of Mac Rory is now invariably made Rogers, because Roger is assumed to be the English Christian name corresponding to the Irish Ruaidhri or Rory. In Connamara, in the west of the county of Galway, the ancient name of Mac Conry is now always made King, because it is assumed that ry, the last syllable of it, is from righ, a king; but this is a gross error, for this family, who are of Dalcassian origin, took their surname from their ancestor Curoi, a name which forms Conroi in the genitive case, and has nothing to do with righ, a king; and the Kings of Connamara would therefore do well to drop their false name, a name to which they have no right, and re-assume their proper ancient and excellent name of Mac Conry, through which alone their pedigree and their history can be traced.
These examples, selected out of a long list of Irish surnames, erroneously translated, are sufficient to show the false process by which the Irish are getting rid of their ancient surnames. I shall next exhibit a few specimens of Irish surnames which have been assimilated to English or Scotch ones, from a fancied resemblance in the sounds of both.
In Ulster, Mac Mahon, the name of the celebrated chiefs of Oriel, a name which, as we have already seen, the poet Spenser attempted to prove to be an Irish form of Fitzursula, is now very frequently anglicised Matthews; and Mac Cawell, the name of the ancient chiefs of Kinel Ferady, is anglicised Camphill, Campbell, Howell, and even Cauldfield. In Thomond, the name O’Hiomhair is anglicised Howard among the peasantry, and Ivers among the gentry, which looks strange indeed! And in the same county, the ancient Irish name of O’Beirne is metamorphosed to Byron; while in the original locality of the name, in Tir-Briuin na Sinna, in the east of the county of Roscommon, it is anglicised Bruin among the peasantry; but among the gentry, who know the historical respectability of the name, the original form O’Beirne is retained. In the province of Connaught we have met a family of the name of O’Heraghty, who anglicised their old Scotic name to Harrington, an innovation which we consider almost unpardonable. In the city of Limerick, the illustrious name of O’Shaughnessy is metamorphosed to Sandys, by a family who know their pedigree well; for no other reason, perhaps, than to disguise the Irish origin of the family; but we are glad to find it retained by the Roman Catholic Dean of Ennis, and also by Mr O’Shaughnessy of Galway, who, though now reduced to the capacity of a barber in the town of Galway, is the chief of his name, and now the senior representative of Guaire Aidhne, king of Connaught, who is celebrated in Irish history as the personification of hospitality. Strange turn of affairs! In the county of Londonderry, the celebrated old name O’Brollaghan is made to look English by being transmuted to Bradley, an English name of no lustre, at least in Ireland. In the county of Fermanagh, the O’Creighans have changed their name to Creighton, for no other reason than because a Colonel Creighton lives in their vicinity; and in the county of Leitrim, O’Fergus, the descendant of the ancient Erenachs of Rossinver, has, we are sorry to say, lately changed his name to Ferguson. Throughout the province of Ulster generally, very extraordinary changes have been made in the names of the aborigines; as, Mac Teige, to Montague; O’Mulligan, to Molyneaux; Mac-Gillycuskly, to Cosgrove; Mac Gillyglass, to Greene; O’Tuathalain, to Toland and Thulis; O’Hay, to Hughes; O’Carellan, to Carleton, as, for instance, our own William Carleton, the depicter of the manners, customs, and superstitions of the Irish, who is of the old Milesian race of the O’Cairellans, the ancient chiefs of Clandermot, in the present county of Londonderry; O’Howen, to Owens; Mac Gillyfinen, to Leonard; Mac Shane, to Johnson, and even Johnston; O’Gneeve, to Agnew; O’Clery, to Clarke; Mac Lave, to Hande; Mac Guiggin, to Goodwin; O’Hir, to Hare; O’Luane, to Lamb; Mac Conin, to Canning; O’Haughey, to Howe; O’Conwy, to Conway; O’Loingsy, to Lynch; Mac Namee, to Meath, &c., &c.
In Connaught, O’Greighan is changed to Graham; O’Cluman, to Coalman; O’Naghton, to Norton; Mac Rannal, to Reynolds; O’Heosa, to Hussey; Mac Firbis, to Forbes; O’Hargadon, to Hardiman (the learned author of the History of Galway, and compiler of the Irish Minstrelsy, is of this name, and not of English origin, as the present form of his name would seem to indicate); O’Mulfover, to Milford; O’Tiompain, to Tenpenny; O’Conagan, to Conyngham; O’Heyne, to Hindes and Hynes; O’Mulvihil, to Melville; O’Rourke, to Rooke; Mac Gillakilly, to Cox and Woods. In Munster, O’Sesnan is changed to Sexton; O’Shanahan, to Fox; O’Turran, to Troy; O’Mulligan, to Baldwin; O’Hiskeen, to Hastings; O’Nia, to Neville (in every instance!); O’Corey, to Curry; O’Sheedy, to Silke; O’Mulfaver, to Palmer; O’Trehy, to Foote; O’Honeen, to Greene; O’Connaing, to Gunning; O’Murgaly, to Morley; O’Kinsellagh, to Kingsley and Tinsly; Mac Gillymire, to Merryman; O’Hehir, to Hare; O’Faelchon, to Wolfe; O’Barran, to Barrington; O’Keatey, to Keating; O’Connowe, to Conway; O’Credan, to Creed; O’Feehily, to Pickley; O’Ahern, to Heron, &c., &c.
Scores of similar instances might be given, but the number exhibited is sufficient to show the manner in which the Irish are assimilating their names with those of their conquerors.
SCRAP FROM THE NORTHERN SCRIP.
Translated for the Irish Penny Journal, from the publications of the Royal Society of Northern Antiquaries, Copenhagen.
NO. II.—AN IRISH HERDSMAN’S DOG.
After King Olave had married his Irish spouse Gyda, he dwelt partly in England, partly in Ireland. While King Olave was in Ireland, it so happened that he was engaged in a certain expedition attended by a great naval force. When they were short of plunder, they went ashore, and drove off a great multitude of cattle. Then a certain peasant followed them, begging that they would return him the cows which belonged to him in the herd they were driving away. King Olave answered, “Drive off your cows, if you know them, and can separate them from the herd of oxen, so as not to delay our journey; but I believe that neither you nor any one else can do this, from among so many hundreds of oxen as we are driving.” The peasant had a large herdsman’s dog, which he ordered to sort the herds of oxen that were collected. The dog ran about through all the herds of oxen, and drove off as many oxen as the peasant had said he wanted; all these oxen were marked in the same manner, from which they inferred that the dog had rightly distinguished them. Then the king says, “Your dog is very sagacious, peasant! will you give me the dog?” He answered, “I will, with pleasure.” The king immediately gave him a large gold ring, and promised him his friendship. This dog was named Vigins, and he was of all dogs the most sagacious and the best; that dog was long in King Olave’s possession.