Ó Cianáin was the name of a
Gaelic-
Irish Brehon family. They were originally
erenaghs of the parish of Cleenish,
Lough Erne
Lough Erne ( , ) is the name of two connected lakes in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is the second-biggest lake system in Northern Ireland and Ulster, and the fourth biggest in Ireland. The lakes are widened sections of the River Erne, ...
, but who had served for several centuries as historians to
Mag Uidir of
Fear Manach (2007, p. 437).
The
Annals of Ulster
The ''Annals of Ulster'' ( ga, Annála Uladh) are annals of medieval Ireland. The entries span the years from 431 AD to 1540 AD. The entries up to 1489 AD were compiled in the late 15th century by the scribe Ruaidhrà Ó LuinÃn, ...
record the death of
Giolla na Naomh Ó Cianáin, abbot of Lis Gabhail (Lisgoole), on 12 August 1345 (actually 1348).
One of the family's most noted productions was
Leabhar Adhamh Ó Cianáin
''Leabhar Adhamh Ó Cianáin'' or ''The Book of Adhamh Ó Cianáin'', now G 2-3 NLI (National Library of Ireland), is a book written in or about the 1340s by Adhamh Ó Cianáin by and for himself, and out of the book of his teacher, Seán Mór Ó ...
, written in or about the 1340s by
Adhamh Ó Cianáin
Adhamh Ó Cianáin (died 1373) was an Irish historian and genealogist.
Described in his obituary as "a learned historian" and "a canon" of Lisgoole, "having secured victory of deamon and world".
A member of the Ó Cianáin learned family of Fe ...
(died 1373) by and for himself, and out of the book of his teacher,
Seán Mór Ó Dubhagáin (died 1372).
The
Annals of the Four Masters cite the deaths of members of the family under the years 1348, 1373, 1387, 1400, 1405, 1459, 1569, 1483.
The
surname
In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community.
Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...
is anglicised as
Keenan.
See also
*
Adhamh Ó Cianáin
Adhamh Ó Cianáin (died 1373) was an Irish historian and genealogist.
Described in his obituary as "a learned historian" and "a canon" of Lisgoole, "having secured victory of deamon and world".
A member of the Ó Cianáin learned family of Fe ...
, died 1373
*
Eoghain Ó Cianáin (fl. 1540)
harp
The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has a number of individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orche ...
er and servant of
Gerald FitzGerald, 9th Earl of Kildare
*
Tadhg Ó Cianáin
Tadhg Óg Ó Cianáin (IPA://)Outside of Ulster, Og (son) is pronounced /o:g/ (died ) was an Irish writer.
He was the author of ''Turas na dTaoiseach/the Departure of the Lords'', a diary of the Flight of the Earls, kept from September 1607 to No ...
/
Tadhg Óg Ó Cianáin, writer, died
Rome, November/December 1614.
*
Cú Chonnacht Ó Cianáin
Cú Chonnacht Ó Cianáin, d. 1615, was a rymer or chronicler to Rory Maguire.
He was apparently the first man racked in Ireland, the instrument being used most severely upon him during an interrogation into a bungled insurrection in early summer ...
, d. 1615, was a rymer or chronicler to Rory Maguire.
*
Thady Ó Cianáin
Thady Ó Cianáin (or Thady Keenan) was an Irish composer of the early 17th century.
A member of the Ó Cianáin family, he is famous as the composer of the tune "''An Tighearna Mhaigheo''"/"Lord Mayo". However, Captain Francis O'Neill credited o ...
, composer, fl. 17th century
*
Owen Keenan
Owen may refer to:
Origin: The name Owen is of Irish and Welsh origin.
Its meanings range from noble, youthful, and well-born.
Gender: Owen is historically the masculine form of the name. Popular feminine variations include Eowyn and Owena. ...
, harper, born 1725
*
John Keenan (Medal of Honor)
John Keenan (1840s–March 18, 1906) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in the Indian Wars of the western United States involving "bravery in sc ...
, 1840s-1906
*
Brian Keenan (Irish republican),
IRA, 1942–2008
*
Brian Keenan (musician), 1943–85
*
Paddy Keenan
Paddy Keenan (born 30 January 1950) is an Irish player of the uilleann pipes who first gained fame as a founding member of The Bothy Band. Since that group's dissolution in the late 1970s, Keenan has released a number of solo and collaborati ...
, born 1950),
uilleann piper
*
Brian Keenan (writer), born 1951,
kidnap victim
*
Brigid Keenan,
author and
journalist
Sources
* ''The Learned Family of Ó Cianáin/Keenan'', by
Nollaig Ó MuraÃle, in
Clogher Record, pp. 396–402, 2005.
* http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/surname/index.cfm?fuseaction=Go.&UserID=
{{DEFAULTSORT:O Cianain
Irish families
Irish Brehon families
Surnames of Irish origin
Irish-language surnames
Families of Irish ancestry
Roman Catholic families