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Irish surname

Donnelly: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Donnghaile · 'descendant of Donnghal' (brown-valour)

Donnelly is an anglicised form of Ó Donnghaile, 'descendant of Donnghal' (brown-valour). Woulfe (1923) describes a distinguished Cinel Eoghain family of Ulster, seated at Ballydonnelly (now Castlecaulfield) near Dungannon, who were hereditary marshals of O'Neill's forces, with other families of the name in Sligo and Cork. In Matheson's 1890 survey Donnelly was the 65th commonest surname in Ireland, with about 10,700 people.

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Coat of arms associated with the Donnelly surname
Irish formÓ Donnghaile
Meaning'descendant of Donnghal' (brown-valour)
CountiesTyrone, Donegal, Sligo, Cork
Other spellings4

Origin of the Donnelly name

Woulfe: a Cinel Eoghain family descended from Donnghal, fourth in descent from Domhnall, King of Aileach, brother of Niall Glúndubh, ancestor of the O'Neills. First seated at Drumleen near Lifford, Co. Donegal; expelled by the Cinel Conaill, they settled at Ballydonnelly (Castlecaulfield), west of Dungannon. Separate families lived in Sligo and Cork.[1]

  1. late 11th centuryTipperary Ó Donnghalaigh chiefs of Muscraighe-Thire disappear from history.[2]
  2. reign of James IBallydonnelly granted to Sir Toby Caulfield, ancestor of the Earl of Charlemont.[1]
  3. early 1600sThe Galway Ó Donnghalaigh family is numerous in that county.[2]
  4. 1649Patrick Donnelly, later Catholic bishop of Dromore, born at Desertcreat, Co. Tyrone.[3]
  5. 1890Donnelly is Ireland's 65th commonest surname, about 10,700 people.[4]

Where in Ireland

Co. TyroneBallydonnelly, now Castlecaulfield, west of Dungannon, where Shane O'Neill was fostered; principal county in 1890.[1][5][7]
Co. DonegalFirst seat at Druim Lighean (Drumleen), a short distance north of Lifford.[1]
Co. SligoA Ui Fiachrach branch seated at Doonycoy, in the parish of Templeboy.[1]
Co. CorkA Corca Laoighdhe branch seated near Dunmanway.[1]
Co. AntrimFirst-named county for Donnelly births in 1890.[5]
Co. ArmaghOne of the counties where Donnelly was principally found in 1890.[5]
Co. TipperaryA separate Ó Donnghalaigh family, chiefs of Muscraighe-Thire (Lower Ormond), disappeared from history towards the end of the 11th century.[2]
Co. GalwayA separate Ó Donnghalaigh family, Siol Anmchadha branch, numerous there in the early 1600s.[2]

Notable people named Donnelly

Donnell O'Donellyd. at KinsaleWent with Hugh O'Neill to Kinsale as 'captain of one hundred men'; fought until he and all his men were slain.[1]
Patrick Donnelly (Pádraig Ó Donnghaile)1649–1716Catholic bishop of Dromore, born at Desertcreat, near Cookstown, Co. Tyrone.[3]

Other spellings

O'Donnelly · Donneely · Donelly · Donnally[1]

The Donnelly coat of arms

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

Donnelly crest gifts

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Donnelly surname: questions

What does the surname Donnelly mean?

Woulfe gives Donnelly as an anglicised form of Ó Donnghaile, 'descendant of Donnghal', a name he glosses as brown-valour.[1]

Where does the Donnelly family come from?

Woulfe's main family was a Cinel Eoghain sept of Ulster, first at Drumleen near Lifford, Co. Donegal, and later at Ballydonnelly (now Castlecaulfield) in Co. Tyrone. He also records families in Sligo and Cork. In the 1890 births index Donnelly was principally found in Antrim, Tyrone, Armagh and Dublin.[1][5][7]

Are the Donnellys related to the O'Neills?

Woulfe says they descend from Donnghal, fourth in descent from Domhnall, King of Aileach, a brother of Niall Glúndubh, the ancestor from whom the O'Neills take their name. He adds that O'Donnelly was hereditary marshal of O'Neill's forces and that Shane O'Neill was fostered by the O'Donnellys.[1]

Is Donnelly an Irish name?

Yes. Woulfe gives Donnelly as an anglicised form of the Irish surnames Ó Donnghaile and Ó Donnghalaigh, and says the anglicised forms of the two can no longer be told apart.[1][2]

Sources

  1. Ó Donnghaile — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/od/o-donnghaile.php
  2. Ó Donnghalaigh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/od/o-donnghalaigh.php
  3. Donnelly (O'Donnelly), Patrick (Pádraig Ó Donnghaile) (1649–1716) — Dictionary of Irish Biography (Éamonn Ó Ciardha), research portal record with abstract, Ulster University. pure.ulster.ac.uk/en/publications/donnelly-odonnelly-patrickp%C3%A1...
  4. Principal Surnames in Ireland (table of 100 principal surnames, Births Index 1890) — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/principal-surnames-ireland.php
  5. Donnelly — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/donnelly.php
  6. Donnelly — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), list no. 487, transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/487.php
  7. 2011:588 - LISNAMONAGHAN: Castle Caulfield, Tyrone (village of Castlecaulfield, about 3km west of Dungannon; former O'Donnelly lands), Excavations.ie (Excavations Bulletin). excavations.ie/report/2011/Tyrone/0022866/

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