An ancient name meaning ‘descendant of Caamh’ (noble or gentle), the name O’ Keeffe, who are of the royal race of Munster, derive their name from Art Caomh who was the son of Fionghuine, King of Munster and who died in A.D. 902. The clan occupied territory throughout County Cork. […]
First found in county Clare, Mac Crábháin – son of Crábháin (religious) is an old surname also found in county’s Louth and Monaghan. There are two distinct septs that make up the family McGrath. The first sept is that from county Clare, who migrated south to county Waterford circa 1400 […]
Early in the nineteenth century America was beginning to rapidly expand to the west, and the railroads were to play a major role. Seeking labor for the construction the Irish were viewed by the Americans as a valuable kind of emigrant to the United States; cheap labor and a way […]
The surname Sweeny is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic ‘Mac Suibhne’, and has its origins in Scotland. Meaning ‘pleasant or well-disposed’ the Gaelic name was also used as equivalent to the unrelated Old Norse personal name ‘Sveinn’, meaning “boy”, “servant”. The original ‘Mac Suibhne’ was a Scottish chief based […]
