O'Friel ( ga, Ó Fearghial or ) is a surname of
Tyrconnell (modern-day
County Donegal).
The origin of the names comes from Firghil (Ó Fearghial or Fergal), a descendant of Eoghan, (son of
Niall NoÃgÃallach
Niall ''NoÃgÃallach'' (; Old Irish "having nine hostages"), or Niall of the Nine Hostages, was a legendary, semi-historical Irish king who was the ancestor of the Uà Néill dynasties that dominated Ireland from the 6th to the 10th centuries. ...
, the most prolific warrior in Irish history) brother of
St. Columcille
Columba or Colmcille; gd, Calum Cille; gv, Colum Keeilley; non, Kolban or at least partly reinterpreted as (7 December 521 – 9 June 597 AD) was an Irish abbot and missionary evangelist credited with spreading Christianity in what is toda ...
, and are thus nearest in descent to Columcille. The name Fearghial is composed of "fear." meaning man and "gal," meaning valour.
The leading line of the family were hereditary ''
coarbs ''of
Kilmacrennan, County Donegal. Before the introduction of Christianity, the family was a hereditary line of
Druid
A druid was a member of the high-ranking class in ancient Celtic cultures. Druids were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no written accounts. Whi ...
priests/priestesses. The Chief of the Name possessed the hereditary right of inaugurating
O'Donnell as lord of
Tirconnell
Tyrconnell (), also spelled Tirconnell, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Donegal, which has sometimes been called ''County Tyrconnell''. At times it also included parts of County Fermanagh, Co ...
.
Not being a powerful or numerous sept they do not appear very frequently in the national records. 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).
Amhalgaid Ó Frighil was one of the many clergy from Raphoe and Derry who went to Iona - he was elected
Abbot of Iona
The Abbot of Iona was the head of Iona Abbey during the Middle Ages and the leader of the monastic community of Iona, as well as the overlord of scores of monasteries in both Scotland and Ireland, including Durrow, Kells and, until the Synod of ...
in 1203.
Present day
Friel (Freel, Freels) 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 County Donegal and contiguous areas. The name is very closely associated with the north Donegal, especially Fanad and surrounding areas. Notable descendants include the
playwright
A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays.
Etymology
The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...
Brian Friel (born 1929) and the actress
Anna Friel (born 1976).
Another spelling of the surname is Freel or Freels.
See also
*
Friel
Friel is a surname, and may refer to
People
* Aisling Friel (born 1980s)
* Anna Friel (born 1976), British actress
* Arthur O. Friel (1887–1959), writer
* Benny Friel (1941–2010), Scottish footballer
* Bill Friel (1876–1959), American baseb ...
*
Friels
Friels is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
*Colin Friels (born 1952), Scottish-born Australian actor
* Gavin Friels (born 1977), Scottish footballer and manager
See also
* Freels (disambiguation)
* Friel
* O'Friel
O'Friel ...
*
Freel
Freel is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
*Aleta Freel (1907–1935), American stage actress
*Edward J. Freel, American politician
*Ryan Freel (1976–2012), American baseball player
See also
* Friel
* Freels (disambigua ...
*
Freels (disambiguation)
Freels may refer to:
Places
* Cape Freels, a headland on the island of Newfoundland, Canada
* Freels Farm Mounds, an archaeological site in Tennessee, United States
People
* Katy Freels (born 1990), American soccer midfielder
See also
* Fr ...
References
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:O'Friel
Irish families
Surnames of Irish origin