| Tracing the family tree has a long history
in Ireland where, in Celtic times, each family employed it's own seannachie, or
genealogist,to record the lines of descent. this section focuses on the meaning, origin,
locations and major personalities of these names. Most are among the most ancient, most
influential, and most enduring of Irish families. For convenience, the words sept and clan have been used
interchangeably, although it was most sept, rather than the clan, that was the dynastic
system in Ireland. The sept comprised a group whose immediate ancestors had a common name,
lived in the same locality, and who shared a common chieftain.
hereditary surnames came spontaneously and comparatively early to Ireland in the 10th
century. The prefix Mac meant son of, O could mean grandson or earlier
ancestor, Fitz was from the French fils, meaning son. A girl added Ni
before her father's name, while her mother prefixed Ban. Although these prefixes
were sometimes dropped, they are still widely in use today.
With over forty million people in the United States claiming an Irish background, let
alone those in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, and elsewhere, it is little
wonder that ancestor tracing has become such a large industry. Fortunately the
Genealogical Office, founded in 1552 in Dublin castle, is still in existence, located now
in Kildare Street, Dublin. |
