Roots Archive
Roots: Phelan, Whelan, and Fallon
The origin of the names Phelan and Whelan is an excellent example of the vagaries…
“No Man Left Behind”
“No Man Left Behind” is so much more than a slogan to me. In a…
Finding Our Roots
For many Irish Americans traveling to the Emerald Isle, the chance to track down family…
More Articles
Roots: The O’Dowd Clan
In 982 the King of Connaught, Aedh Ua Dubhda (or Hugh O’Dowd), “died an untroubled death.” This note in Lebor Laignech, the medieval Irish manuscript better known as the Book […]
My Mother the Imposter: A Roots Mystery
A search through Dermot McEvoy’s family history revealed an eye-opening secret. Here’s what he discovered, plus a guide to researching your own Irish ancestors. (This article has been updated since […]
Roots: The Bold O’Briens
The O’Briens are an illustrious and prominent clan that has shaped the history of Ireland. The name, also spelled O’Bryan or O’Brian, means “of Brian” indicating descendance from Brian Borumha […]
Roots: O’Connor
The O’Connor name, with its varied spellings, doesn’t spring from a common source. The name arose in five areas of Ireland: Connacht, Kerry, Derry, Offaly, and Clare and split into […]
Roots: Dunne and Duffy
he names Dunne and Duffy have nothing in common except that they are derived from colors, the Dunnes from donn, the Gaelic word for brown and Duffy from dubh, the […]
Roots: O’Malley and Molloys
These two families, although unrelated, share the same origin of their names, i.e. both are thought to derive from the Gaelic word for chieftain. The O’Malley family (from the Gaelic […]