O'Friel

O'Friel is a County Donegal name. In Irish it is O Firghil (from Feargal); it is pronounced, and often written, O Frighil, i.e. in English phonetics O'Freel.

The sept has a distinguished origin, being descended from Eoghan, brother of St. Columcille (Fr. John Ryan, S.J. has pointed out that the chief point of interest about the O'Friels is that they are nearest in blood to St. Colmcill, for they alone are in the direct line from his brother), and the leading family were hereditary corabs of Kilmacrenan, Co. Donegal. The Chief of the Name possessed the hereditary right of inaugurating O'Donnell as lord of Tirconnell.

Not being a powerful or numerous sept they do not appear very frequently in the national records; wherever they do they are of Tirconnell (Donegal). The records of the Diocese of Raphoe have many references to distinguished ecclesiastics of the name, both as O'Friel and Friel, including one Bishop Florence or Feargal O'Friel (d. 1299). Awley O'Friel was one of the many clergy from Raphoe and Derry who went to Iona - he was elected Abbot of Iona in 1203.

Present day

Friel is seen more common as a surname than the traditional O'Friel. Statistics relating to the modern distribution of the population indicate that the name is seldom met with outside Co. Donegal and contiguous areas. The name is very closely associated with the north Donegal, especially Fanad and surrounding areas.

See also

• Friel