Irish America

Irish America

Roots

Roots: O’Mahoney, McMahon and Vaughan

By James G. Ryan

Fall 2024

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The families of McMahon and O’Mahoney are related only by the common derivation of their names from the Irish name Mahon (in Gaelic Mathuna) which was a personal name, meaning a bear. The O’Mahoney or Mahony name is derived from Mathuna, a grandson of Brian Boru. The family were the Eoganacht, the regal dynasty of Munster and were one of the most prominent of West Munster. … [Read more...] about Roots: O’Mahoney, McMahon and Vaughan

How Name Changing Hid a Heritage

By Megan Smolenyak

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Barry Manilow. Yes, I know, most think of him as a Jewish fellow from Brooklyn – and he is. But he’s also a quarter Irish, and due to certain circumstances in his family, that Irish share has had a disproportionate influence on his family tree. - Megan SmolenyakName ChangingThough he wouldn’t have known it, when Barry changed surnames, he was the third generation of Pincus … [Read more...] about How Name Changing Hid a Heritage

Roots: The “Mul” Names

By James G. Ryan, Contributor
June / July 2000

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A large range of Irish names begin with the prefix "Mul." Examples include Mulcahy, Mulvihill, Mullally, and Mullan. These names have no familiar connections, but like the names beginning with "Gil," all have their origin in a common name form. They almost all derive from the Gaelic word "Maol" meaning follower, servant, or devotee. The name was invariably preceded by O as … [Read more...] about Roots: The “Mul” Names

The Undisgraced Ryans

By Olivia O'Mahony

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Given its status as one of the ten most numerous surnames in Ireland, the name Ryan is recognizable to most people as a telltale indicator of green in the veins. Less commonly known, however, is the fact that the great majority of these Ryans are actually O’Mulryans, an earlier form of the name that has been buried away over time. More unusual source names for Ryan are Ó … [Read more...] about The Undisgraced Ryans

Calling on Carrowduff

By Aidan Ryan

Fall 2022

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Pa Ryan's Birthplace in County ClareThe last time a Ryan stood in the low doorway of the dirt-floored byre-dwelling would have been the day before Willie Ryan passed, 7 Nov. 1967. I say the seventh instead of the eighth (the actual date of his death) because Willie was laid up with pneumonia in his kitchen, where he’d been living since the thatch roof had collapsed on the other … [Read more...] about Calling on Carrowduff