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Origin Displayed: Irish Origins Available: Irish, Scottish Spelling variations of this family name include: MacSweeney, MacSweeny, MacSwine, MacSwiney, MacSwyne, MacSwyny, MacWhinney, MacWhinny, MacWhinnie, MacSwiny, McSweeney, Swiney, Swinney and many more. First found in county Donegal, where they were seated from very ancient times. Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Adam Sweeney, who settled in New York, NY in 1805; Alexander Sweeney, who came to Boston in 1768; Biddy Sweeney, who arrived in St. John, N.B. aboard the Brig Ambassador in 1834. (Above is a small excerpt from our 1800 word history) Copyright © 2000 - 2008 Swyrich Corporation, all rights reserved |
Is your family of Scottish descent? If so, you can proudly display the MacQueen Clan Badge. This clan badge is used by all septs of that clan.
According to Irish tradition, the ancient kings of Ireland were the descendants of King Milesius of Spain. Milesius was the grandson of Breoghan, conqueror of Galicia, Andalusia, Murcia, Castile, and Portugal, who was also called Brigus or Brian. Milesius achieved outstanding military success in Egypt, and was given Scota, the Pharoah's daughter, in marriage. When Spain underwent a twenty-six year famine, Milesius sent his uncle Ithe to seek a new homeland, in accordance with an ancient prophecy. After Ithe discovered Ireland, only to be murdered by the resident Tuatha de Danan, his son Lughaide brought his body home to Spain.
MoreThe history and people of Ireland are a fascinating subject of study. Ireland is an island of the British Isles, to the west of Great Britain, and it is divided into the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland. Ireland is renowned for its lush green landscape, festive atmosphere and friendly populace. The vibrant culture of the modern Irish is a product of Ireland's ancient history.
MoreFor approximately two centuries, a great number of able-bodied young Irishmen emigrated from Ireland. This migration, which took place over the 17th and 18th centuries, is colloquially known as the 'Flight of the Wild Geese'.
MoreConnaught is the westernmost province of Ireland. In the modern era, the spelling changed to Connacht. This province has a population of approximately 424,000 today, and contains the counties of Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon, and Sligo. These county names have remained the same since the Middle Ages.
MoreAfter the clans were banished from the Scottish/English Borderlands in 1603, many clan families emigrated to Ireland, which was nominally called the Plantation of Ulster. The area was particularly attractive to the emigrants because the British parliament had created a land scheme to attract settlers to the area.
MoreLeinster is in the southeast of Ireland, and is the most populous of the four provinces, with approximately 1,500,000 people. This province contains the counties of Carlow, Dublin, Kilkenny, Laois (formerly Leix), Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wexford, and Wicklow. These divisions have remained the same from the Middle Ages to the present.
MoreDuring the early 17th century, the Plantation of Ulster was an attractive area of settlement for migrants within the British Empire. The Plantation was composed of six entire counties, namely, Armagh, Tyrone, Coleraine, Donegal, Fermanagh and Caven, which were confiscated as a result of a war between Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone and Queen Elizabeth. As a result, about 3,798,000 statute acres were under the crown of England.
MoreThe Irish Potato Famine, which lasted from 1845 to 1850, resulted in a great exodus of Irish refugees fleeing to Britain, Australia, and North America, one of the most dramatic waves of Irish migration in history.
MorePrior to the development of hereditary surnames in Ireland, there was a sept system by which families were divided into broad clans or tribes. These were usually based on a common descent from a particularly notable ancestor. For example, the septs who all claimed descent from the famed 4th century warrior king Niall of the Nine Hostages were collectively known as the Ui Neill, or the Hy Niall. Other particularly distinguished groups of ancient septs included the Ui Fiachra, the Ui Maine (also called the Hy Many), the Cinel Eoghain, the Clann Cholgain, the Corca Laighe, and the Dal Cair (also known as the Dalcassians). The use of surnames gradually rendered the sept system obsolete.
MoreThe northern region of Ulster was an ancient kingdom, and one of the four historic Provinces of Ireland. The region was mostly annexed by the English Crown during the reign of James I (1603-1625).
In the Middle Ages, the Province of Ulster contained the counties Donegal, Derry, Antrim, Down, Armagh, Cavan, Monaghan, Fermanagh, and Tyrone.
MoreUnder the Plantation of Ulster, the mostly Scottish settlers, nominally called undertakers and planters agreed to remain loyal to the English Crown and to retain their religion which was for the most part, Protestant. Essentially, they undertook to retain their loyalty to the Crown, hence the term undertakers.
MoreBy the turn of the 20th century, millions of Irish had emigrated to Britain, its colonies, and the United States. They left behind them a society in which virtually every family had close relatives overseas. Few countries in the world have ever experienced such rapid, intensive and long lasting demographic upheaval.
MoreScottish and Irish patronymic surnames frequently have the prefix Mac or Mc. When these surnames were originally developed, they were formed by adding the Gaelic word mac, which means son of, to the name of the original bearer's father. For example, the surname MacDougall literally means son of Dougal. In later times, these prefixes were also added to the occupation or nickname of the bearer's father. For example, MacWard means son of the bard and MacDowell means son of the black stranger.
MoreIrish patronymic surnames frequently feature the distinctive prefix O'. When these surnames were originally developed, they were formed by adding the Gaelic words O or Ui which mean descendant of, to the name of the original bearer's grandfather or to that of an earlier ancestor.
MoreAs with the fall of Troy, the long conquest of Ireland began with a dispute over the abduction of a beautiful woman. In 1167, Dermod MacMorough, the King of Leinster, is said to have kidnapped Dearvorgil, the wife of Tiernan O'Rourke, the Prince of West Brefney. However, this so-called 'abduction' may be described more accurately as an elopement. This incident led to the invasion and conquest of Leinster by Roderick O'Connor, the king of Connacht and self-styled monarch of Ireland, who sided with O'Rourke. Fleeing to England, the defeated MacMorough sought the aid of King Henry II, who allowed MacMorough to gather support among his subjects in return for an oath of fealty.
MoreIreland was first settled in about 6000 BC by a race of Middle Stone Age hunter-gatherers who lived there and hunted such creatures as the megaceros, a giant variety of deer so large that their antlers spanned 10 feet. Around 3000 BC, they made significant technological improvements which moved them into the classification of Bronze Age people. These people eventually came to be known as the Picts, who ruled over Ireland for millenia and even expanded to Scotland. Irish folklore tells that during these very early times, two sons of King Milesius of Iberia conquered Ireland, becoming King Heremon, and his brother Heber. It is said that after assuming power in Ireland Heremon slew his brother, took the throne and fathered a line of kings of Ireland that includes Malachi II and King Niall of the Nine Hostages.
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MoreIn MacFirbis's "Irish Genealogies" the following Celtic names are designated "Maghaidh Saxonta" ("magadh: Irish; mocking, jeering); meaning that it was only in jest these names were said to be of Saxon origin:
MoreAccording to "A Topographical and Historical Map of Ancient Ireland," compiled by Philip MacDermott, M.D., the following were the names of the principal families in Ireland, of Irish, Anglo-Norman, and Anglo-Irish origin.
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