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Irish surname

Mulcahy: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Maolchatha, Ó Maolchathaigh · 'descendant of Maolchatha' (battle-chief), or 'Maolcathach' (warlike chief), or 'Maolchathaigh' (follower of Cathach, warlike)

Woulfe (1923) gives Mulcahy as an anglicised form of Ó Maolchatha, 'descendant of Maolchatha' (battle-chief), and calls it 'a well-known Munster surname' that seems to have originated in South Tipperary. In 1890 Ireland's birth indexes held 76 Mulcahy entries, all except 6 in Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Tipperary.

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Coat of arms associated with the Mulcahy surname
Irish formÓ Maolchatha, Ó Maolchathaigh
Meaning'descendant of Maolchatha' (battle-chief), or 'Maolcathach' (warlike chief), or 'Maolchathaigh' (follower of Cathach, warlike)
CountiesTipperary, Waterford, Cork, Limerick
Other spellings2

Origin of the Mulcahy name

Woulfe calls Ó Maolchatha 'a well-known Munster surname' which 'seems to have originated in South Tipperary, but is now common also in Waterford, Cork and Limerick.' Under a different name, Ó Maolchluiche (a Sligo family), he says that in Limerick it 'has been turned into the more common surname, Mulcahy'.[1][2]

  1. 1659Woulfe: Ó Maolchluiche, a different name, appears as Mulclahy in Co. Limerick (1659 census).[2]
  2. 189076 Mulcahy birth entries; all except 6 in Cork, Limerick, Waterford, Tipperary.[3][4]
  3. 1922Richard Mulcahy becomes Minister for Defence (to March 1924), per ISAD.[5]
  4. 1948Richard Mulcahy becomes Minister for Education (1948–51, again 1954–57), per ISAD.[5]

Where in Ireland

Co. TipperaryWoulfe: the name seems to have originated in South Tipperary; a principal Mulcahy county in 1890.[1][3]
Co. WaterfordWoulfe: now common also in Waterford; among the counties named for Mulcahy births in 1890.[1][3]
Co. CorkWoulfe: now common also in Cork; first county named for Mulcahy births in 1890.[1][3]
Co. LimerickWoulfe: now common also in Limerick, where Ó Maolchluiche was also turned into Mulcahy.[1][2][3]

Notable people named Mulcahy

Richard MulcahyMinister for Defence 1922–24, Local Government and Public Health 1927–32, Education 1948–51 and 1954–57 (ISAD, citing oireachtas.ie).[5]

Other spellings

O Mulcahy · O Mulcaha[1]

The Mulcahy coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Mulcahy 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.

Mulcahy crest gifts

Clan Omulcahy Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap DE66 Omulcahy Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Omulcahy Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00Clan Omulcahy Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapIS37 Classic Cap - Omulcahy Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Omulcahy Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Mulcahy Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapKC72 Classic Cap - Mulcahy Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Mulcahy Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap KC72£33.00Clan Mulcahy Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapJK74 Classic Cap - Mulcahy Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Mulcahy Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap JK74£33.00Clan Mulcahy Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap BL46 Mulcahy Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Mulcahy Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00

Mulcahy surname: questions

What does the surname Mulcahy mean?

Woulfe gives Mulcahy as a form of Ó Maolchatha, 'descendant of Maolchatha' (battle-chief), or 'Maolcathach' (warlike chief), or 'Maolchathaigh' (follower of Cathach, warlike).[1]

Is Mulcahy an Irish name?

Yes. Woulfe lists O Mulcaha, O Mulcahy and Mulcahy as anglicised forms of the Irish surname Ó Maolchatha and calls it 'a well-known Munster surname'.[1]

Where in Ireland is the Mulcahy name from?

Woulfe says it seems to have originated in South Tipperary but is now common also in Waterford, Cork and Limerick. In 1890 all but 6 of the 76 Mulcahy births registered in Ireland were in Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Tipperary.[1][3]

Are all Mulcahys descended from one family?

Not necessarily. Woulfe says that in Limerick a different name, Ó Maolchluiche (from a Sligo family, chiefs of Cairbre), 'has been turned into the more common surname, Mulcahy'.[2]

Sources

  1. Ó Maolchatha — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/om/o-maolchatha.php
  2. Ó Maolchluiche — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/om/o-maolchluiche.php
  3. Mulcahy — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/mulcahy.php
  4. Table Explanation — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/table-explanation.php
  5. Minister Information: Richard Mulcahy — Irish State Administration Database, Irish State Administration Database (UCD / QUB project). isad.ie/item.php?id=100&t=m

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