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Irish surname

O'Gara: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Gadhra · 'descendant of Gadhra' (an old Irish personal name, perhaps from gadhar, a dog, mastiff)

Woulfe (1923) gives O'Gara as the anglicised form of Ó Gadhra, 'the name of a Connacht family, of the same stock as the O'Haras', who were styled lords of Sliabh Lugha and in later times lords of Coolavin, Co. Sligo, where they built their castle of Moygara. Woulfe writes: 'It is to the patronage of Fergal O'Gara that we are indebted for the invaluable Annals of the Four Masters.' In the 1890 birth indexes Matheson records 20 entries for the spelling 'Gara' and, on a separate page, 7 entries including spelling varieties (6 spelled 'O'Gara').

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Coat of arms associated with the O'Gara surname
Irish formÓ Gadhra
Meaning'descendant of Gadhra' (an old Irish personal name, perhaps from gadhar, a dog, mastiff)
CountiesDonegal, Roscommon, Mayo, Down
Other spellings1

Origin of the O'Gara name

Woulfe: Ó Gadhra was 'the name of a Connacht family, of the same stock as the O'Haras', both sharing the clan-name Luighne, which was applied to their clan-lands in Co. Sligo and Co. Mayo. 'When the two families separated, about the end of the tenth century', the O'Garas took the southern, Co. Mayo portion and were 'then styled lords of Sliabh Lugha'; 'after the English invasion of Connacht they were driven out of this territory by the Jordans, Costellos, and other English families' and settled in the barony of Coolavin, Co. Sligo, where they built their castle of Moygara.[1]

  1. 1206Four Masters: Rory O'Gara, Lord of Sliabh Lugha, died.[5]
  2. 1256Four Masters: Rory O'Gara, Lord of Sliabh Lugha, slain by David, son of Richard Cuisin.[6]
  3. 1285Four Masters: Rory O'Gara slain by Mac Feorais Bermingham.[7]
  4. 1451Four Masters: preys taken between Felim O'Conor and O'Gara.[8]
  5. 1690'O GARA' appears in Sir James Terry's list of Irish septs.[4]
  6. 1890'Gara': 20 births; separately, 7 entries including varieties (6 spelled 'O'Gara').[2][3]

Where in Ireland

Co. DonegalMatheson's 'Gara' page: 9 of 20 births in 1890.[2]
Co. Roscommon'Gara' page: 6 of 20; 'O'Gara' page: 4 of 7, in 1890.[2][3]
Co. Mayo'Gara' page: 4 of 20; 'O'Gara' page: 3 of 7, in 1890.[2][3]
Co. Down'Gara' page: 1 of 20 births in 1890.[2]

Notable people named O'Gara

Fergal O'Garaundated in WoulfeWoulfe credits his patronage for enabling compilation of the Annals of the Four Masters.[1]

Other spellings

Gara[1][2]

The O'Gara coat of arms

'O GARA' is printed in the 'List of Names of Irish Septs as given in the Book of Arms, compiled by Sir James Terry, Athlone Herald (1690)', as reproduced by Matheson. The list gives sept names only; it does not describe any arms, and it does not mean every person named (O')Gara is entitled to a coat of arms.[4]

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the O'Gara surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

O'Gara crest gifts

Clan Ogara Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapRJ69 Classic Cap - Ogara Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Ogara Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Gara Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapFQ41 Classic Cap - Gara Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Gara Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Ogara Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap OC66 Ogara Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Ogara Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00

O'Gara surname: questions

What does the surname O'Gara mean?

Woulfe gives O'Gara as a form of Ó Gadhra, 'descendant of Gadhra' (an old Irish personal name, perhaps from gadhar, a dog, mastiff).[1]

Where in Ireland is the O'Gara family from?

Woulfe traces them to the Connacht clan-lands of Luighne (Sligo/Mayo); they later became lords of Sliabh Lugha and then of Coolavin, Co. Sligo, where they built Moygara castle.[1]

What is the O'Gara connection to the Annals of the Four Masters?

Woulfe writes: 'It is to the patronage of Fergal O'Gara that we are indebted for the invaluable Annals of the Four Masters.'[1]

Are Geary and Guiry the same family as O'Gara?

Woulfe writes of this same Ó Gadhra family that 'branches of the family had settled in Munster before the end of the 16th century, and the name still flourishes in Cork, Kerry and Limerick, under the anglicised forms of Geary and Guiry'; those forms are covered on a separate Geary hub.[1]

Is there an O'Gara coat of arms?

'O GARA' appears only as a sept name in Sir James Terry's 1690 list of Irish septs; that list names septs, it does not grant or describe a coat of arms belonging to everyone of the name.[4]

Sources

  1. Ó Gadhra — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/og/o-gadhra.php
  2. Gara — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/gara.php
  3. O'Gara — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/ogara.php
  4. List of Names of Irish Septs (Terry, 1690) — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/irish-septs.php
  5. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan) — M1206 (part 4) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005C/text004.html
  6. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan) — M1256 (part 9) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005C/text009.html
  7. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan) — M1285 (part 12) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005C/text012.html
  8. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan) — M1451 (part 8) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005D/text008.html

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).