Magennis

Magennis is an Irish surname, derived from Irish: Mac (or Mag) Aonghusa or the Sons of Angus, sometimes also spelt as Maginnis. The most famous branch controlled west County Down, particularly the Iveagh baronies, and occasionally Dundrum Castle to the east. The Magennis, Lords of Iveagh, are descendants of the Uí Echach Cobo branch of the Dál nAraidi dynasty of the Cruthin.[1] "Iveagh" derives from "Uibh Eachach", the genitive of Uí Echach.

Their closest kin were the McCartans of Kinelarty.[2] John O'Hart prepared their pedigree in his Irish Pedigrees; or the Origin and Stem of the Irish Nation.

Map showing the Magennis lordship in 1450

The heir of the former lords of Iveagh was created "Viscount Magennis of Iveagh" in 1623 by King James I of England. The title was attainted in 1693 after the Williamite war. Claiming a descent from the Magennis clan, Sir Edward Guinness took the title "Lord Iveagh" in 1891, and then Earl of Iveagh in 1919.

Magennis clan

The clan ruled in west County Down before the Norman invasion of 1169 and allied itself to the Earldom of Ulster from 1177 until the death of William Donn de Burgh, 3rd Earl of Ulster in 1333. By 1500 the chief's family had 12 branches, with the strongest based in Rathfriland and Kilwarlin. On the losing side at the Battle of Bellahoe (1539), in 1543 the chief travelled to Greenwich and accepted terms of surrender and regrant, and was knighted as Sir Arthur Guinez. In 1584-85 his son Sir Hugh was again regranted his lands, then about 100,000 acres. Though uninvolved in the Nine Years' War (1594-1603), about half of the clan's lands were sold in the 1610s and 1620s during the Plantation of Ulster. The chief was created a viscount in 1623 and he and some cousins were members of the Irish parliament, supporting Confederate Ireland in the 1640s and the Patriot Parliament of 1689.^[1]

Magennis viscounts

The viscountcy lasted from 1623 to 1693 in the peerage of Ireland:

• Arthur (d 1629), created viscount in 1623; married to Sarah, a daughter of Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone^[2]
• Hugh (1599-1639); married Mary Bellew of Bellewstown
• Arthur (d. 1683); married Margaret O'Reilly.
• Hugh (1630-84); married Rose O'Neill
• Bryan (d.1692); married Margaret de Burgh
• Phelim (d. before 1701)

In 1693 the title became attainted after the Williamite War in Ireland.

People

• James Joseph Magennis (1919-1986), Northern Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross
• Josh Magennis (born 1990), Northern Irish professional footballer
• William Magennis (1867-1946), Irish politician and university professor
• Ken Maginnis, Baron Maginnis of Drumglass (born 1938), Northern Irish politician
• John Maginnis

The name can also be spelt "McGuinness", as in:

• John McGuinness (disambiguation)
• Paul McGuinness, manager of U2
• Martin McGuinness
• Mairead McGuinness

In America the name is more often spelt "Maginnis"; see:

• Charles Donagh Maginnis
• John Maginnis
• Martin Maginnis
• Robert L. Maginnis
• Robert P. Maginnis
• Ross A. McGinnis
• Maginnis & Walsh

Other variant spellings include:

• Alban Maginness
• Paul McGennis
• McGinnis
• Ennis

Places

• Dundrum Castle, Norman castle in County Down, formerly known as Magennis castle.

The Border Chieftains of Ulster

Footnotes

1. ^ Proudfoot L. (ed.) Down History and Society (Dublin 1997) ISBN 0-906602-80-7
2. ^ http://histfam.familysearch.org/getperson.php?personID=I63165&tree=Nixon Family tree online

See also

• Iveagh House
• Guinness

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