- O'Callaghan
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Ó Ceallacháin, O'Callaghan, or simply Callaghan without the prefix, is an Irish surname.
Contents
Origin and meaning
Munster
See also: Viscount LismoreThe surname means descendent of Ceallachán who was the Eóganachta King of Munster from AD 935 until 954. The personal name Cellach means ‘bright-headed’. The principal Munster sept of the name Callaghan were lords of Cineál Aodha in South Cork originally. This area is west of Mallow along the Blackwater river valley. The family were dispossessed of their ancestral home and 24,000 acres (97 km2) by the Cromwellian Plantation and settled in East Clare. In 1994, Don Juan O'Callaghan of Tortosa was recognised by the Genealogical Office as the senior descendant in the male line of the last inaugurated O'Callaghan.
The Callaghan land near Mallow, forfeited by Donough O'Callaghan after the Irish rebellion of 1641, came into the hands of a family called Longfield or Longueville, which built a 20-bedroom Georgian mansion there. In a twist of history, 500 acres (2.0 km2) of the ancient Callaghan land returned to Callaghan hands in the twentieth century, when Longueville House was bought by a descendant of Donough O'Callaghan.[1] The ancestral estate of the Callaghans, now a luxury hotel, is currently owned by William O'Callaghan.
Oriel
An entirely different sept, Ó Ceileacháin in Irish, is to be found in the counties Armagh, Louth, Meath and Monaghan. It has been anglicized as Callaghan, Kelaghan, Keelaghan, Kealahan and other variants. In County Meath, where it is widespread but has been found mainly in the parishes of Kells, Trim and Athboy, it is mainly anglicized as Callahan, Callaghan or O'Callaghan (with local spelling variants). In County Westmeath it is still found in the form Kelaghan. In County Monaghan it is often found as Keelan.[2]
Members of the Ó Ceileacháin family were mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters as being lords of Uí Breasail, a district on the southern shore of Lough Neagh, and priors of Armagh in the 11th century.[3]
People
- Barry O'Callaghan, CEO and controlling shareholder of Riverdeep Interactive Learning
- Con O'Callaghan, Ireland's first Olympic decathlete; brother of Dr. Pat O'Callaghan
- Christopher Callaghan, 2006 Republican Candidate for NY State Comptroller
- Daniel J. Callaghan, Rear Admiral - US Navy
- Denis O'Callaghan, Australian rules rugby player
- Denis O'Callaghan (cleric), vicar capitular of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cloyne during the sexual abuse scandal there
- Donncha O'Callaghan (born 1979), Irish international rugby union player
- Edmund Bailey O'Callaghan, doctor, journalist, leader in the patriotic movements of both Ireland and Quebec
- Fred Callaghan (born 1944), footballer with Fulham
- Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Callaghan
- Georgina Callaghan, who performs as Callaghan, British musician
- Guy Callaghan, New Zealand butterfly swimmer
- James Callaghan, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1976–1979)
- John O'Callaghan (DJ), DJ and producer from Ireland, mostly well known for his hit "Big Sky"
- John O'Callaghan, lead singer of The Maine
- Joseph T. O'Callahan, Captain, US Navy, Jesuit priest, Medal of Honor Recipient
- Miriam O'Callaghan, RTÉ presenter; her father grew up at Callaghan's Cross, County Kerry
- Morley Callaghan, Canadian novelist, short story writer, playwright, TV and radio personality
- Seán O'Callaghan, from Tralee, County Kerry; IRA informer
- Sheila Callaghan, American playwright
- Steve Callaghan, Writer of Family Guy TV series
- William M. Callaghan, Admiral, US Navy; first commanding officer of the battleship USS Missouri
Places
- O'Callaghans Mills County Clare Ireland
- Callaghan, New South Wales, a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales and home of the University of Newcastle, Australia
- Liscallaghan, old Irish name for Fivemiletown, County Tyrone
Other
See also
- Irish nobility
- Eóganachta
- Eóganacht Chaisil
- Irish royal families
- Chief of the Name
- Callahan (disambiguation)
- Callihan
- Other Munster families
- McGillycuddy of the Reeks
- O'Donoghue
- O'Donovan
- O'Brien, Prince of Thomond
- O'Grady of Kilballyowen
References
- ^ Longueville House
- ^ Edward McLysaght: Irish Families, Their Names, Arms and Origins
- ^ Annála Rioghachta Éireann: Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland
Further reading
- Bugge, Alexander (ed. and tr.), Caithreim Cellachain Caisil: The Victorious Career of Cellachan of Cashel Christiania: J. Chr. Gundersens Bogtrykkeri. 1905.
- Curley, Walter J.P., Vanishing Kingdoms: The Irish Chiefs and their Families. Dublin: Lilliput Press. 2004.
- O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees. Dublin. 5th edition, 1892.
External links
- Keelans from County Monaghan
- The First Callahan, 10th Century AD
- Callahan Genealogy Information
- CAITHREIM CEALLACHAIN CAlSIL -- The Victorious Career of Cellachan of Cashel or The Wars Between the Irishmen and the Norsemen in the Middle of the 10th Century
- Photo Gallery
This page or section lists people with the surname O'Callaghan. If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name(s) to the link. Categories:- Surnames
- Ancient Irish dynasties
- Irish families
- Surnames of Irish origin
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