O'Donnell

O'Donnell
This surname is one of the most famous in Irish history. Originally chiefly associated with Ulster and specifically Donegal, where the main clan were located, with two further septs in West Clare and Galway, all trace their descent from the same ancestral chief "Domhnall" a gaelic compound which translates as "world ruler". "Domhnall" himself was descended from "Niall, of the nine hostages" one of the ancient legendary figures of Irish history, in the fourth century a.d. It is said that St Patrick himself directed that the clan should carry the sign of the cross on their shield for ever. Clearly with such a pedigree behind them the O'Donnells have had a lot to live upto, and this they have achieved in large measure. The predominence of the clan dates from the 13th century, and at one point they held over thirteen thousand acres of land in the district of Kilmacrenan, Co Donegal, and were measured amongst the leading land owners in the country. In 1567 Hugh O'Donel, the thirty third in descent from Domhnall, and Chief of Tirconnel, was knighted by the Lord Deputy, and the arms were confirmed as a gold field charged with an arm holding in the hand a cross crosslet fitchee. In 1603 Hugh Roe O'Donnell lead a rebellion against the English, but was defeated at Kinsale. A later ancestor Maximilian O'Donnell, Count O'Donnell, and forty third in descent from "Domhnall" saved the life of the Emperor of Austria and was granted the unique honour of impaling his coat of arms with that of Austria. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Godfrey O'Donnell, which was dated 1258, Chief of the Clan, and recorded in the Annals of Ireland, during the reign of Pope Alexander 1V elected 1254, died May 28th 1261. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Surnames reference. 2013.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Donnell Holmes — Statistics Real name Donnell Holmes Nickname(s) The Real Touch of Sleep Rated at …   Wikipedia

  • Donnell Harvey — Donnell Eugene Harvey (born August 26, 1980) is an American professional basketball player. He previously played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the New Jersey Nets, Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, Orlando Magic, and Phoenix… …   Wikipedia

  • Donnell Woolford — Position(s) Cornerback Jersey #(s) 21 Born January 6, 1966 (1966 01 06) (age 45) Baltimore, Maryland Career …   Wikipedia

  • Donnell — ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Forrest C. Donnell (1884–1980), US amerikanischer Politiker und von 1941 bis 1945 Gouverneur von Missouri Jeff Donnell (1921–1988), US amerikanische Schauspielerin Radka Donnell (* 1928), deutschsprachige… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Donnell Harvey — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Donnell Harvey Datos personales Donnell Eugene Harvey Nacimiento Shellman, Georgia …   Wikipedia Español

  • Donnell Rawlings — (born October 23, 1970 in Atlanta, Georgia) is an American comedian and actor. Contents 1 Career 2 Personal life 3 References 4 External links …   Wikipedia

  • Donnell Bennett — Position(s) Fullback Jersey #(s) 30, 32 Born September 14, 1972 (1972 09 14) (age 39) Fort Lauderdale, Florida Career information …   Wikipedia

  • Donnell Washington — Date of birth: February 6, 1981 (1981 02 06) (age 30) Place of birth: Beaufort, SC Career information Position(s) …   Wikipedia

  • Donnell Thompson — Date of birth: October 27, 1958 (1958 10 27) (age 53) Place of birth: Lumberton, North Carolina Career information Position(s) …   Wikipedia

  • Donnell Harvey — Fiche d’identité Nom complet Donnell Eugene Harvey Nationalité …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Donnell Harvey — Donnell Eugene Harvey (* 26. August 1980 in Shellman, Georgia) ist ein US amerikanischer Basketballspieler. Er absolvierte seine Collegelaufbahn bei den Florida Gators. 2000 wurde Harvey als 22. Spieler von den New York Knicks gedraftet und wurde …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”