Keaveney

Keaveney is an Irish clan name, stemming from Clann Ceallaigh - "O'Kelly".

Variants Keaveney, O'Guiney, Kevan, McCoveney, Keveney, Keaveny, Kevany, Keavney, Caveney, Geaveny, Geany, Guiney, Growney.

This name in Irish is O Geibheannaigh and the latter variants are the anglicized forms of this. This sept came from County Galway. A sept or clan was a collective term describing a group of persons whose immediate ancestors bore a common surname and inhabited the same territory. This was a sept of the Ui Maine descended from Geibhennach, son of Aedh, Chief of Hy Many. Geibhennach was slain in battle in 971 at Keshcorran, Co. Sligo. [http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G105007/ Annals of the Four Masters:UCC] The Hy Many chieftains ruled much of East Galway and South Roscommon.The Irish language meaning of Géibheannach is "hostage" or "captive" probably indicating that Aedh's son had been taken hostage by enemies at an earlier stage.

Keaveney has often been linked with the Kavanaughs of Leinster but this is erroneous. Kavanaghs from the south-east of Ireland were resettled in County Galway at the time of Cromwell but not in traditional Hy Many territory. Coveny has also been erroneously equated with Keaveney this being the name of an Ossory family formerly chiefs of a small sept in the Barony of Crannagh, County Kilkenny.

The Guineys are a branch of the sept.