A recently unearthed list from around 1515 detailing the Royal families in Ireland could indicate if you have Royal Irish ancestry, based on your surname. An English state paper from the era provides insights into this.
"There reigneth more than 60 chief captains ...that liveth only by the sword and obeys unto no other temporal person. Also, there be thirty great captains of the English folk (Normans) that follow the same Irish order, and every one of them makes war and peace for himself without any license of the King," is a quote taken from A Letter from Ireland.
The approximately 90 "captains," also referred to as "lords" rather than Kings, were the autonomous Royal families of Ireland. These Lords were established throughout Ireland's four provinces, safeguarding their domains with Gallowglass warriors and the tower houses and castles still visible today.
During this period, a Gaelic revival was underway, reinvigorating Ireland's culture prior to the invasions of the 1100s. The lords maintained historians and genealogists, restored ancient Royal inauguration sites, and celebrated with their poets and bards.
Curious if your surname is among those listed?, reports the Irish Star.
Take a look below:.
Munster:
- McCarthy (Overlord).
- O'Sullivan.
- O'Donovan.
- O'Mahony.
- O'Driscoll.
- Finn.
- Fitzgerald (Overlord).
- Roche.
- Condon.
- Barry.
- Courcy.
- Fitzmaurice.
- Fitzgibbon.
- O'Brien (Overlord).
- McMahon.
- McNamara.
- O'Grady.
- O'Connor.
- O'Loughlin.
- Butler (Overlord).
- Power.
- Tobin.
- Purcell.
- Kennedy.
- MacBrien.
- Ryan (Mulryan).
- Meagher.
- O'Dwyer.
Leinster:
- MacMurrough (Overlord).
- O'Byrne.
- O'Toole.
- O'Brennan.
- O'More.
- O'Dempsey.
Fitzgerald of Kildare (Overlord).
Fitzpatrick.
O'Dunne.
Fleming.
O'Molloy.
Tyrell.
O'Carroll.
O'Connor.
MacCoghlan.
MacGeoghegan.
Nugent.
Plunkett.
O'Ferrall.
Dillon.
Ulster:
MacClancy.
O'Rourke (Overlord).
MaGauran.
O'Reilly.
Maguire.
MacMahon.
MacKenna.
O'Neill (Overlord).
O'Donnell (Overlord).
O'Boyle.
MacSweeney.
O'Doherty.
O'Cahan (Kane).
MacQuillan.
MacDonnell.
Savage.
White.
MacCartan.
Magennis.
MacCann.
O'Hanlon.
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Connaught:
Burke (Overlord).
O'Shaughnessy.
O'Heyne.
O'Madden.
O'Kelly.
O'Flaherty (Overlord).
Joyce.
O'Malley.
Barrett.
O'Dowd.
O'Hara.
MacJordan.
MacMorris.
Bermingham.
MacCostello.
O'Gara.
MacDermot.
MacDonagh.
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