The McDonough Name in County Cork

The McDonough Name in County Cork

“McDonough” derives from the ancient Gaelic name “MacDonnchadha”, which means the son of Donnchadha. This word translates as “Brown Warrior” or “Brown Chief”. Donough is also Anglicized as Dennis. So, McDonough could be Anglicized as Dennison.

Historically, there are two areas in Ireland where the MacDonnchadha name is considered to have originated. The first is in the northwest, near Sligo, where the family descends from Dermott, king of Connacht.

 The second is from County Cork, where a direct line can be found from the McCarthy family.

 On a fourteenth century map showing family names in Ireland we do not find MacDonnchadha (or McDonough or its variants) listed in Cork, however we do find the McCarthy name. This map shows the MacDonnchadha name in Sligo, implying that this branch is the more ancient. The MacDonnchadha name in Cork appears in the late fourteenth century, and appears in at least one document from 1588 where Duhallow is referred to as the “Country of the McDonogh”.

 Some suggest that the County Cork McDonoughs are descended from the County Sligo clan. While some members likely moved from Sligo to Cork, the second, distinct line can be traced directly from the McCarthy’s.

 TheMcCarthy family can be traced to the Eoghanacht Chaisil tribe of Celts, who originated in County Tipperary. Eoghanacht comes from the name of an early, and possibly mythological ancestor: ‘Eogan Mor’, who supposedly started the dynasty. Chaisil means ‘stone ringfort’, and is the name of a still existent community. The MacCarthaigh family was a major clan of this tribe. The name derives from Carthach, a son of Saerbhrethach, king of the Eoghanacht Chaisil, who died in 1045. Around this time the clan migrated to the south of the province of Munster (or Muma). The word for south Munster was Desmumu, or Desmond. The clan became the overloads, or kings of Desmond.

 The genealogy can be traced back to the third century and the kings of the Eoghanacht Chaisil: Ailill Aulom (perhaps mythological) had a son named Eogan Mor (perhaps mythological). He had a son named Fiachu Muillethan (perhaps mythological). His son, Ailill Flann Bec is probably the earliest ancestor that can be historically named. He had a son named Luigthech. He had a son named Corc MacLuigthig (born 340) who was founder of the Chaisil tribe. His son was Nad Froich MacCuirc (born 380). His son was Oengus Mac Nad Fritch (died 489). He was the first Christian king of Munster, baptized by Saint Patrick. His son was Friedlimid MacOengusa (born in 455 and king of Munster around 525). His son was Crimthan MacFriedlimid. His great grandson was Fingen Mac Aedo Duib (died 618). His brother Failbe Flann Mac Aedo Duid (died 639) inherited the kingship. Faible had a son named Colgu Mac Failbe Flaind (died 678). Records for the next eight generations are missing. A decedent of Colgu was Buadachan MacLachtnai. His son was Cellachan Caisil MacBuadachin. He was king of Munster between 936 and 954. His son was Donchid MacCellachan (king of Munster between 961 and 963). His son was Saerbrethach MacDonchid (died 1045), mentioned above. Besides king he was the Abbot of Emly. His son was Carthach MacSaerbretach (died 1045), king of Eog and Chaisil. His son was Muiredach MacCathach, (died 1092), king of Eog and Chaisil, and Abbot of Emly. His son was Cormac MacCarthy (ruled as king of Munster 1123-1127 or 1138). His son was Dermod Mor MacCarthy (ruled as king of Desmond from 1143 (or 1151)-1185). His son was Donal Mor MacCarthy (ruled as king of Desmond from 1185-1206). His son was Cormac Fionn MacCarthy Mor (ruled 1229-1247). Mor became an extension to the family name for one branch of the McCarthy family. It means ‘Great’ or ‘Senior’.  His third son was Dermod  Ruadh MacCormac MacCarthy (died 1302). He moved to the north end of County Cork and founded the Barony of Duhallow. This comes from Duthaidh Ealla (“the estate on the River Allo”), with his home at Kanturk. He built a castle there, which no longer exists. He was succeeded by his son, Donagh na Scoile MacDermod MacCarthy (died 1306). His son was probably named Cormac MacDonagh. His son was Donagh. His son was Cormac MacDonagh (died 1380). His son was Donagh  MacCormac. His son was Donagh Og MacDonagh (died 1501). ‘Og’ means ‘junior’. His son was Cormac MacDonagh Og (died 1516). His son was Cormac Og MacCormac. (died 1560). His son was Donagh MacCormac Og (died in March, 1601). His son was Cormac MacDonagh. Donagh MacCormac Og was known as “McDonogh of Duhallow”. His title to Lord of Duhallow was challenged by his cousin Dermod McEoghan McDonogh (died 1625). Dermod was recognized as the Lord in 1598. He and his cousin Cormac MacDonagh informally divided the estate, with Cormac getting Lohort Castle and Dermod retaining Kanturk. Dermod’s son was Dermod Og McDermod (died 1651). Dermod McEoghan McDonogh had mortaged most of his lands to Sir Philip Percival in the early 1600’s to provide funds to construct a new Kanturk Castle. After Dermod Og was killed at the battle of Dromagh (or Knockniclashy) the English Court of Claims decided that, since he was fighting in a rebellion against the English, his family would not be allowed to pay off the mortgage (another story was that he simply ran out of money). Sir Philip Percival II (grandson of the Philip Percival mentioned above) was declared the Lord of the Manor and the land associated with it. Around the same time Philip Percival II also took possession of Lohort Castle which was part of the mortgaged property. Cormac MacDonagh’s grandson, Charles McCarthy was the last family member associated with Lohort. He moved to France during the Jacobite war, in 1691, and did not return. This effectively ended the MacDonogh family’s history as Lords of Duhallow. However, extended members of the family continued to live in the region, but not as nobility.

 As we can see from the genealogy, in traditional Irish naming convention, a son would take his father’s name as his sir-name. Thus, a Donagh MacCormac was the son of Cormac MacDonagh.  Donagh’s son was Donagh Og MacDonagh (or Donagh Junior). To confuse things more, the grandfather’s name might also be included as a second sir name. So, Donagh Og might be called Donagh Og MacDonagh McCormac. We see this in several of the names in the genealogy. However, by around 1600 the extended family seems to have settled on the sir-name MacDonogh / MacDonagh. The use of “Mc” instead of “Mac” and the spelling “McDonough” are simply spelling variations.

A final bit of confusion is the fact that there are several different pedigrees available for study for the periods 1300 to 1500. I have combined pedigrees to compile the genealogy.

 So then, what do we know? Essentially that a branch of the McCarthy Mor family settled in an area in the north of County Cork which became known as Duhallow. They lived in a castle  in the town of Kanturk as well as Lohort Castle, near Cecilstown. By the late 1500’s or early 1600’s the family was using the name McDonagh, or McDonogh. The family had expanded into several branches due to the various male children over many generations. Families with the McDonagh / McDonogh / McDonough name today, who trace their ancestry to County Cork, can be confident that they came from the Kanturk area. They may trace their line to the noble family (which can be traced to the third century) or, at the very least, from farm families that adopted the name because of their close ties to the family and so identified with the clan.

Compiled by Peter W. McDonough

References:

1. The Story of Kanturk Castle, Jean J. MacCarthy. In www.duholloww.info
2. Historic Kanturk- An Overview. In www.kanturk.ie
3. List Kings of Munster. In http://shelf3d.com/i/Kings%20of%20Munster
4. The McDonagh McCarthys Of Curraghs and Kilbrin.In http://www.kilbrin.net
5. The MacCarthys of Munster : the story of a great Irish sept, Samuel McCarthy, 1922
6. Irish Pedigrees, John O’Hart,1892
7. McCarthy Mors, http://iol.ie/~edmo/mccarthy.html
8. http://familytree maker.genealogy.com/users/j/o/o/brian-jones/file/0059page.html
9. The Rise of Meic Carthaigand the Political Geography of Desmumu, Paul M. McCotter, http://www.academia.edu/2058475/The_rise_of_Meic_Carthaig_and_the_political_geography_of_Desmuma