Milagh History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe spelling and overall form of Irish names tend to vary widely over time. The original Gaelic form of the name Milagh is O'Cinneide , which is derived from the words "ceann," which means "head," and "éidigh," which means "helmet" 1 or O'Cinnidha, which means "a nation" or "kind." 2 Early Origins of the Milagh familyThe surname Milagh was first found in County Tipperary (Irish: Thiobraid Árann), established in the 13th century in South-central Ireland, in the province of Munster. This distinguished Irish family were descended from Kennedy, nephew of King Brian Boru, Ireland's great Warrior King who fell in the battle of Clontarf in the year 1014. 2 The name has a long and illustrious history that begins in early times: Flan O'Kennedy, Abbot of Tim, a learned poet who died in 1110; two O'Kennedy of Ormond chiefs who were slain in 1117; Giolla-Kevin O'Kennedy who died on a pilgrimage at Killaloe in 1159; O'Kennedy, Abbot of Innisfallen who died in 1198; Donal O'Kennedy, Bishop of Killaloe who died in 1212; and many more. 2 Early History of the Milagh familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Milagh research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1615 and 1685 are included under the topic Early Milagh History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Milagh Spelling VariationsOne explanation for the many variations is that scribes and church officials frequently spelled the name as it sounded: an imprecise method at best. Understandably then, various spellings of the surname Milagh were found in the many archives researched. These included Kennedy, Minagh, Kennady, O'Kennedy and others. Early Notables of the Milagh familyProminent amongst the family at this time was Mathew Kennedy, who was forced to leave Ireland for France after the Fall of Limerick; Sir Robert Kennedy, 1st Baronet, an official of the... Migration of the Milagh familySuffering from poverty and racial discrimination, thousands of Irish families left the island in the 19th century for North America aboard cramped passenger ships. The early migrants became settlers of small tracts of land, and those that came later were often employed in the new cities or transitional work camps. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. Although the immigrants from this period were often maligned when they arrived in the United States, they provided the cheap labor that was necessary for the development of that country as an industrial power. Early immigration and passenger lists have revealed many immigrants bearing the name Milagh: Teage O'Kenedy, who arrived in Virginia in 1666; Ffergos Kenedey, a Scotch-Irish settler in New England in 1718; David Kennedy, who arrived in Boston in 1737.
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