O'Clovan

Recorded as McClune, Clune, O' Cloney, O' Clovan, O' Cluvan and possibly others, this is an ancient Irish surname, which may also have some association with Scotland. It derives from the Gaelic word "gluin" meaning knee, although why anybody should be called son of Knee or with the prefix O,' the male descendant of Knee, is unproven. What is certain is that almost all Irish Gaelic surnames originate from a nickname for the first chief of the clan, and this would seem to be another example of the genre. The first surviving recording of the family as Mac Gluin was in the village of Ballymaclune, meaning the place of the Clunes, near Quinn, in County Clare in 1542, whilst Thomas O' Cloney from Wexford took part in the Uprising of 1798. There may have been earlier recordings, but sadly if so it seems likely that these were lost in 1922, during the Civil War of 1922 - 24. At this time the IRA destroyed the Public Records Office in Dublin, losing a huge part of Irelands history, much of which predated any British involvement. A number of members of this clan were prominent in the War of Independence which concluded in 1921. These included Conor Clune who died at Dublin Castle, whilst Dr Patrick McClune was the bishop of Perth, Western Australia, but who played a major part in the settlements, which lead to the end of hostilities with Britain.