Folan (

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

: Ó Cualáin ''or'' Ó Culáin), is an Irish family name. They were a

Brehon Brehon ( ga, breitheamh, ) is a term for a historical arbitration, mediative and judicial role in Gaelic culture. Brehons were part of the system of Early Irish law, which was also simply called "Brehon law". Brehons were judges, close in import ...

family in County

Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a City status in Ireland, city in the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lo ...

. The Folan family are of

Conmhaícne The Conmhaícne or Conmaicne were a people of early Ireland, perhaps related to the Laigin, who dispersed to various parts of Ireland. They settled in Connacht and Longford, giving their name to several Conmaicne territories. T. F. O'Rahilly's a ...

origin.

Distribution

The surname Folan is most numerous in

County Galway "Righteousness and Justice" , anthem = () , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Galway.svg , map_caption = Location in Ireland , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = ...

, particularly in the area between

Galway City Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a city in the West of Ireland, in the province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay, and is the sixth most populous city o ...

and

Clifden Clifden (, meaning "stepping stones") is a coastal town in County Galway, Ireland, in the region of Connemara, located on the Owenglin River where it flows into Clifden Bay. As the largest town in the region, it is often referred to as "the Cap ...

, in

Connacht Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Delbhn ...

, Ireland. In the Irish-speaking

Gaeltacht ( , , ) are the districts of Ireland, individually or collectively, where the Irish government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant vernacular, or language of the home. The ''Gaeltacht'' districts were first officially recog ...

of Galway the Irish language

Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...

spelling Ó Cualáin is frequently used.

History

16th Century Brehon Family

There was a

family called O'Folan in County Galway in the sixteenth century."The Surnames of Ireland" Edward Mac Lysaght, Irish Academic Press, Dublin, 1985 * Servreagh O'Folan, Gentleman, signed a

fiant A fiant was a writ issued to the Irish Chancery mandating the issue of letters patent under the Great Seal of Ireland. The name ' comes from the opening words of the document, ', Latin for "Let letters patent be made". Fiants were typically issued ...

in 1585, called "''Indentures of Composition, The Country of the O'Flaherty's of Eyre Connacht'','' A.D. 1585''", which referenced him as a landowner in Moyrus in the Barony of

Ballynahinch, County Galway Ballynahinch or Ballinahinch () is a village in County Galway in the west of Ireland. It is situated close to Recess, on the road from Recess to Roundstone. It also lies on the route of the former railway line from Galway city to Clifden (th ...

."A History of West or H-Iar Connacht"

Roderick O'Flaherty Roderick O'Flaherty ( ga, Ruaidhrí Ó Flaithbheartaigh; 1629–1718 or 1716) was an Irish historian. Biography He was born in County Galway and inherited Moycullen Castle and estate. O'Flaherty was the last ''de jure'' Lord of Iar Connacht, ...

, Irish Archeological Society, Dublin, 1846 * Nehemias Folan of the Newtone, Gentleman, was listed as a landowner in

Loughrea Loughrea ( ; ) is a town in County Galway, Ireland. The town lies to the north of a range of wooded hills, the Slieve Aughty Mountains, and the lake from which it takes its name. The town's cathedral, St Brendan's, dominates the town's skyline ...

, County Galway, in a fiant dated 1585. In a fiant dated 1594 he is described in Latin as "''in Christo Nehemian Ffolan, generosum, meum attornatum''". In a 1615 trial concerning Sir Roger O'Shaughnessy in Loughrea, he was noted as "''Nehemias Folan, of Balladowgan, County Galway, Esquire, 60 years old''". *Soyrbrehagh Og Folan, in an indenture dated May 1606, is noted as "''Soyrbrehagh Og Folan of Ierconnaght in the Co. of Galway, atornie for seisin''". *Feargananim Folan, in a deed for the O'Flahertys in 1614, entitled "''Donogh McMoyler et al., is dede A.D. 1614''", is described as "''our true and lawfull attorney''", and signs as Forinan Folan.

Lands confiscated in 1651

Several O'Folans are mentioned in

Elizabethan era The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. The symbol of Britannia (a female personifi ...

fiants as being pardoned for rebel activities. *In fiants dated 1590, "''Sirwrehagh Folain,of Moiris, Gentleman, Nehemiah Folain of Moyris, Boetius Folain, Mackragh Folain, Fernand Folain and Connor McSerally of Moyris''", and "''Nehenas Folone of Newtown, Co Galway''", were all given Royal Pardons. *Salamon Folan took part in the

Irish Rebellion of 1641 The Irish Rebellion of 1641 ( ga, Éirí Amach 1641) was an uprising by Irish Catholics in the Kingdom of Ireland, who wanted an end to anti-Catholic discrimination, greater Irish self-governance, and to partially or fully reverse the plantatio ...

, and was one of the group of men led by Colonel Edmond O'Flaherty at the siege of Tromroe Castle in

County Clare County Clare ( ga, Contae an Chláir) is a county in Ireland, in the Southern Region and the province of Munster, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Clare County Council is the local authority. The county had a population of 118,817 ...

. *Ferdinando Follin, (Feargananim Folan), of Moyrus,

Carna, County Galway Carna is an area in Connemara, County Galway, Ireland. It is located on the country's west coast in the Gaeltacht, about 50 km west of Galway city. Carna is a tiny, extremely small area, but as a focal point for the surrounding areas, it co ...

, was registered as owner of lands consisting of , and . Following the

Cromwellian conquest of Ireland The Cromwellian conquest of Ireland or Cromwellian war in Ireland (1649–1653) was the re-conquest of Ireland by the forces of the English Parliament, led by Oliver Cromwell, during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Cromwell invaded Ireland wi ...

in 1651, his lands were confiscated.

People with the surname

Contemporary people with the surname

Dónall Ó Cualáin Dónall Ó Cualáin (born 4 November 1957) is a former Irish Garda who served as Acting Garda Commissioner from September 2017 to September 2018, after the resignation of Nóirín O'Sullivan. Biography From Carna in the Gaeltacht area of Conn ...

served as the Acting

Garda Commissioner The Garda Commissioner ( ga, Coimisinéir an Gharda Síochána) – officially known as the Commissioner of An Garda Síochána – is the head of the Garda Síochána, the national police force of the Republic of Ireland. The Garda Commissione ...

of An Garda Síochána, the Irish Police Service. He replaced outgoing Garda Commissioner Noirin O'Sullivan on her resignation in September 2017, and retired as Garda Commissioner in September 2018. *

Caleb Folan Caleb Colman Folan (born 26 October 1982) is a former professional footballer who played as a striker. Born in England, he represented the Republic of Ireland in international football, qualifying through grandparents on his maternal side from ...

, was a

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. A ...

forward, who made his senior debut against Cyprus in October 2008. He played in the

Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...

with Hull City, and qualified for Ireland through his paternal Grandparents who are from

. * Cormac Folan,

Barna Barna (Bearna in Irish) is a coastal village on the R336 regional road in Connemara, County Galway, Ireland. It has become a satellite village of Galway city. The village is Irish speaking and is therefore a constituent part of the regions ...

County Galway "Righteousness and Justice" , anthem = () , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Galway.svg , map_caption = Location in Ireland , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = ...

, represented Ireland in

Rowing at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's coxless four Men's coxless four competition at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing was held between August 9 and 16, at the Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park. This rowing event is a sweep rowing event, meaning that each rower has one oar and rows on only o ...

, at the

2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Na ...

. * Tony Folan was an Irish footballer during the 1990s and 2000s. He represented Ireland at every level up to Under-21 and "B". *

Lilias Folan ''Lilias, Yoga and You'' (later shortened to ''Lilias!'') is a PBS television show hosted by Lilias Folan, a Cincinnati, Ohio based practitioner of yoga as exercise. The show first aired on October 5, 1970 on Cincinnati PBS member station WCET and ...

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

was a yoga pioneer in the US, and hosted the PBS television show ''

Lilias, Yoga and You ''Lilias, Yoga and You'' (later shortened to ''Lilias!'') is a PBS television show hosted by Lilias Folan, a Cincinnati, Ohio based practitioner of yoga as exercise. The show first aired on October 5, 1970 on Cincinnati PBS member station WCET and ...

''. The show was carried on the US TV Station

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

from 1972 until 1992. Named one of Yoga Journals 4 most influential figures in American Yoga over the past 100 years she is often referred to as "The First lady of Yoga" or "The Julia Child of Yoga". She still teaches in the USA. *

Seán Ó Cualáin Seán Ó Cualáin is an IFTA-award-winning Irish documentary and feature film film director. He directed ''Dara Beag — File Pobail'' in 2004, ''Rí an Fhocail'' in 2007, '' Lón sa Spéir''/''Men at Lunch'' in 2012, ''Mise Raiftearaí an Fío ...

and Eamonn Ó Cualáin are brothers and award-winning documentary producers and directors, they directed the award winning documentary

Men at Lunch ''Men at Lunch'' ( ga, Lón sa Spéir , ) is a 2012 Irish language documentary on the history behind the 1932 ''Lunch atop a Skyscraper'' photograph, its Irish connections, and the story of immigration in New York at the turn of the century. It ...

about an iconic photograph of construction workers on a New York skyscraper taken in 1932. *Dáithi Ó Cualáin was elected as a member of

Galway County Council Galway County Council ( ga, Comhairle Chontae na Gaillimhe) is the authority responsible for local government in County Galway, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for housin ...

in 2019, and Seosamh Ó Cualáin served as a member of

between 2014 and 2019. *William J Folan is an archaeologist and explorer, and is an expert on

Mayan Mayan most commonly refers to: * Maya peoples, various indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica and northern Central America * Maya civilization, pre-Columbian culture of Mesoamerica and northern Central America * Mayan languages, language family spoken ...

Archaeology who has worked on the Coba and Calakmul excavations.

People with the surname in military history

Many Folans served in the Connaught Rangers Regiment of the British Army. *Patrick Folan was killed at the

Battle of Inkermann The Battle of Inkerman was fought during the Crimean War on 5 November 1854 between the allied armies of Britain and France against the Imperial Russian Army. The battle broke the will of the Russian Army to defeat the allies in the field, and ...

5 November 1854, during the

Crimean War The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia. Geopolitical causes of the war included the de ...

, while serving with the Connaught Rangers. * John Folan won the Distinguished Conduct Medal in 1916 for Gallantry while serving in Mesopotamia during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

with the 3rd Battalion of the Connaught Rangers. *Patrick Folan was killed in action in the Gallipoli Campaign on 27 August 1915, his brother John Folan was Killed in Action in France in 1918, and Joseph Folan died in

Mesopotamia Mesopotamia ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن or ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the F ...

in 1918. All were serving with the Connaught Rangers during

.Forgotten Heroes, Galway Soldiers of the Great War 1914–1915. William Henry, Mercier Press, Dublin 2007 *Peter Folan died while serving with the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

in 1919. *Joseph Folan was killed in action during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, while serving with the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

in Malaysia, in April 1945. *John Folan, serving with the New York, I Co, 6th HA Regiment, was killed in action at

Spotsylvania Court House The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes more simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania (or the 19th-century spelling Spottsylvania), was the second major battle in Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's 1864 ...

, VA on 19 May 1864 during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. *Bartholomew Folan, serving with the B Co, 16th Inf Regiment. NH died from disease at New Orleans, LA on 7 June 1863. during the

. *James J Folan, from Boston, Massachusetts, served as 1st Lieutenant with the

48th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment The 48th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was a regiment of infantry that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was one of the 18 Massachusetts regiments formed in response to President Abraham Lincoln's August 1862 c ...

, of the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

during the

. *Captain A.H. Folan served with the 18th North Carolina Infantry Regiment of the

Confederate Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

during the

. *Colonel John B. Folan flew during the Berlin Airlift in 1948, with the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

. *Patrick Folan, Carna, Galway, was one of four members of the West Connemara Brigade of the

IRA Ira or IRA may refer to: *Ira (name), a Hebrew, Sanskrit, Russian or Finnish language personal name *Ira (surname), a rare Estonian and some other language family name *Iran, UNDP code IRA Law *Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, US, on status of ...

who were drowned on their way to a Brigade Battalion Meeting in Roundstone, Galway on the 6th of February, 1920 during the

Irish War of Independence The Irish War of Independence () or Anglo-Irish War was a guerrilla war fought in Ireland from 1919 to 1921 between the Irish Republican Army (IRA, the army of the Irish Republic) and British forces: the British Army, along with the quasi-mil ...

. *James Folan, Woodquay, Galway, was the Battalion Quarter-master of the Galway Brigade of the

during the

Other people with the surname in history

*Dermot Folan was vicar of Moycullen and Kilcummin in 1628. *

Thomas Folan Thomas D Folan (1810–1874) was an Irish local leader who served as King of the Claddagh. Biography Folan was a Dominican priest, and a native of Galway City. He was the Prior of St Mary's Dominican Priory, Galway City. He was previously Pri ...

was the Prior of the Dominican Convent in Galway from 1865 to 1873, and was also

King of the Claddagh The King of the Claddagh was the leader of the Claddagh community in Galway city as well as at sea who was charged with being the arbiter in any disputes. A new king was chosen on Midsummer#Ireland, St. John's Day, 23 June. It is now an honorary ...

up to his death in 1874.''Dominicans in Ireland, 1841-1845''. Hugh Fenning, Collectanea Hibernica

References

External links

Thomas Folan Biography

Folan Family Forum

Folan Bulletin Board on Ancestry.Com

Naval and Military Archive
{{wolf-surname Irish families Irish Brehon families Surnames of Irish origin People of Conmaicne Mara