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Archiver > GALLAGHER > 1998-07 > 0901683092


From: "the Gallchobhair" <>
Subject: Re: Gallaugher/Gallagher
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1998 21:31:32 -0600


David Black wrote:
>
> My ancestors came from Strabane, Co. Tyrone in 1826 to Simcoe
> County, Ontario. Family lore has it that at about that time the spelling
> of the name was changed to Gallaugher to distinguish the family from the
> predominantly catholic Gallaghers. My ancestors were very active
> Wesleyan Methodists. They settled in an area where there was very
> segregated settlement of religious groups between townships within the
> county.

This is interesting, I'm glad you told this. It seems changing
the spelling of the surname was a fairly common thing to do
back then to distinguish or separate oneself from the rest of
the clan. It also seems to have happened in America over
fights about wills and religion as well...
>
> Has anyone seen this spelling with the 'U' added? I wonder whether
> my ancestors were Irish or Ulster Scot. It would be interesting to know
> whether they converted from catholicism as Irish or if they came to
> Ireland from Scotland as protestants.

This is not the first time I've seen it spelled Gallaugher, and
there are a great many variant spellings of this surname. It
is a variant of the Irish Gaelic surname Ó Gallchobhair,
indicating descendancy of Gallchobhar, a branch of the Cenél
Conaill ("kindred of Conal" Gulban), son of Niall Naoighiallach
"of the Nine Hostages," high king of all Ireland. The Uí
Gallchobhair claim to be the most senior and loyal sept of the
Cenél Conaill, and were one of the three major clans of the Tír
Chonaill ("Land of Conal," now known as Co. Donegal), the other
major clans being the Gall-Óglaigh (galloglas) clan of the
tSuibne (Sweeny) and the Clann ÓBaoighill (O Boyle). Gallchobar
was sixth in descent from the mid-seventh century high king of
the Uí Néill, Cellach son of Máel Cobo.

The Gallaghers were originally mostly a warrior clan, being the
marshals (cavalry) of the mighty Clann Ó Domhnaill. Later they
distinguished themselves as clerics, producing the greatest
number of Catholic bishops of any Irish family, the most famous
being perhaps Réamonn (Redmond) Ó Gallchobhair, bishop of Derry
from 1569 to 1601. Known (by the English) as "Ó Domhnaill's (O
Donnell's) most traitorous bishop," he was known to be actively
assisting survivors of the Spanish Armada who had landed in Mac
Suibne na dTuath's territories.

That the Gallaghers started out devout Catholic is nothing
strange, considering their "cousin" would be none other than
the great Colum Cille or St. Columba, revered second only to
St. Patrick himself (an early hostage of Niall, the annals tell
us, who escaped and returned to convert the Irish). The penal
laws must have been hard for anyone to bear, and by the early
1600s, there does appear to be some movement toward the
Protestant faiths. In an early 1600s census, there appear two
Gallagher families and one Gallaugher family in Co. Donegal,
Barony of Killmacrenan; one listed as Catholic, and the other
two as Church of Ireland, the Gallaugher being a member of the
former faith. Thus, you may very well be correct that changing
the surname indicated a break from the major clan or its
traditions.

At any rate, religion has certainly proved to be a most
heartbreaking subject for many Gallagher lineages, as it has
for many Irish families. Very many of the Gallaghers,
Gallahers, et al who came to America seemed to turn to other
religions, causing no little amount of grief and
misunderstanding in many families as one branch favored the
Baptists, another the Presbyterians, and even one family
embracing the "new" American religion began by visionary Joseph
Smith, Jr., founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints ("Mormon").

No little amount of confusion persists about whether the
Gallaghers originated in Scotland, but this is not so. The
only connection we seem to have to "Alba" seems to be through
the Dal Rhiata, a connection I have yet to pin down. The
confusion stems from the meaning of the name, no doubt; "Gall"
meaning "stranger, foreigner" and "cabhar" meaning "help, aid"
as in "foreign" warriors come to assist a sister clan. Neither
were the Gallaghers ever a mercenary clan, such as were the
tSuibne, another misconception. The "Gall" in Gallagher may
well have more to do with a Danish marriage than to Scotland.
There are many Gallaghers in Scotland it is true, for there has
always been good friendship and trade between these Celtic
tribes (they tend to spell the name there Gallacher or
Gallchoir), but the clan was never a Scottish clan.

Anyone interested in more ancient clan history can come to our
Clann Ó Gallchobhair site, specifically our history pages, in
about two weeks or so. Matt Gallagher, of Manchester, England
has begun a good chronology of events concerning Gallagher's of
mention in the annals beginning with Niall circa 450 A.D. which
I will be posting.

_________
Always...

Michael Monroe Gollaher, aka
Micheil Mac an Rothaich Ó Gallchobhair
"the.ÓGollaher"
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