MacGorman (
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 ...
: ''Mac Gormáin''), also known as
McGorman, Gorman, or
O'Gorman O'Gorman is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Áine O'Gorman (born 1989), Irish footballer
* Camila O'Gorman (1828-1848), wealthy socialite and figure of scandal in 19th century Argentina
* Chevalier O'Gorman (1732–1809), Iris ...
(
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 Gormáin''), is an
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 ...
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 ...
clan based most prominently in what is today
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 ...
. The paternal ancestors of the clan are of the
Laigin
The Laigin, modern spelling Laighin (), were a Gaelic population group of early Ireland. They gave their name to the Kingdom of Leinster, which in the medieval era was known in Irish as ''Cóiced Laigen'', meaning "Fifth/province of the Leinsterm ...
and emerged in what is today
County Waterford
County Waterford ( ga, Contae Phort Láirge) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is part of the South-East Region, Ireland, South-East Region. It is named ...
. As leaders of the
Uí Bairrche
Uí Bairrche (Modern Irish: ''Uí Bhairrche'', IPA: iːˈwaːɾʲɾʲçə was an Irish kin-based group that originally held lands in the south of the ancient province of Leinster (or ''Cóiced Laigen'' "the Fifth of the Laigin"). Another south L ...
, they competed with the
Uí Cheinnselaig in the 5th century for the
Kingship of Leinster, ultimately losing out in that specific arena, but holding on to significant lands in the
Leinster
Leinster ( ; ga, Laighin or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, situated in the southeast and east of Ireland. The province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige. Following the 12th-century Norman invasion of Ir ...
area.
Through influence over the
Sletty
Sletty, Sleaty, or Slatey (''Sléibhte'', 'mountains', in Irish), is a civil parish in County Laois, Ireland. It is situated some 2 km north-north-west of the town of Carlow. It was once the see of a bishopric, founded by Saint Fiacc in ...
monastery founded by
Fiacha mac Breccáin, the family played a role in early
Christianity in Ireland
Christianity ( ga, Críostaíocht) is, and has been the largest religion in Ireland since the 5th century. After a pagan past of Antiquity, missionaries, most famously including Saint Patrick, converted the Irish tribes to Christianity in q ...
. The ''Life of St. Patrick'' from the
Book of Armagh
The ''Book of Armagh'' or Codex Ardmachanus (ar or 61) ( ga, Leabhar Ard Mhacha), also known as the ''Canon of Patrick'' and the ''Liber Ar(d)machanus'', is a 9th-century Irish illuminated manuscript written mainly in Latin. It is held by the L ...
was authored on the request of
Áed of Sletty
Áed of Sletty was a Gaelic Irish Bishop and anchorite, fl. late 7th century.
Biography
Áed was a member of the Uí Bairrche. He was bishop of Sletty, County Laois, and patron of Muirchu Maccu Machteni, who at Áed's request wrote a life of ...
. As well as this, the mother of
Columba of Iona
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 ...
came from this dynasty. After working to fight off the
Vikings
Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden),
who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
in
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
and
Waterford
"Waterford remains the untaken city"
, mapsize = 220px
, pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe
, pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe
, pushpin_relief = 1
, coordinates ...
, the MacGormans eventually lost out to the
Normans
The Normans (Norman language, Norman: ''Normaunds''; french: Normands; la, Nortmanni/Normanni) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norsemen, Norse Viking settlers and indigenous West Fran ...
in the 12th century. The family relocated to
Thomond
Thomond (Classical Irish: ; Modern Irish: ), also known as the kingdom of Limerick, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Clare and County Limerick, as well as parts of County Tipperary around Nenag ...
upon being invited by the
Ó Briain
The O'Brien dynasty ( ga, label=Classical Irish, Ua Briain; ga, label=Modern Irish, Ó Briain ; genitive ''Uí Bhriain'' ) is a noble house of Munster, founded in the 10th century by Brian Boru of the Dál gCais (Dalcassians). After becoming ...
. From this point on they were Lords of
Uí Bhreacáin until losing influence when Thomond's sovereignty came to an end.
Etymology
There are multiple origins for the surname ''Gorman''. The
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 ...
name is an
Anglicised
Anglicisation is the process by which a place or person becomes influenced by English culture or British culture, or a process of cultural and/or linguistic change in which something non-English becomes English. It can also refer to the influen ...
form of the
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 ...
''Mac Gormáin'' and ''Ó Gormáin'', meaning "son of ''Gormán''" and "descendant of ''Gormán''". The personal name ''Gormán'' is derived from the diminutive of ''gorm'', meaning "dark blue", "noble".
One English origin of the name is from the
Middle English
Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old English p ...
personal name
A personal name, or full name, in onomastic terminology also known as prosoponym (from Ancient Greek πρόσωπον / ''prósōpon'' - person, and ὄνομα / ''onoma'' - name), is the set of names by which an individual person is known ...
''Gormund'' (
Old English
Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...
''Garmund''). This name is made up of the elements ''gar'' "spear" + ''mund'' "protection". The English surname ''Gorman'' can also be a
topographic name
Toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics is the study of ''toponyms'' (proper names of places, also known as place names and geographic names), including their origins, meanings, usage and types. Toponym is the general term for a proper name of ...
for someone who lived near a triangular piece of land. The German surname (''Görmann'') is sometimes a variant of ''Gehrmann''. German Gorman can also be of
Slavic origin, from an occupational name, derived from the Slavic ''góra'' meaning "mountain".
One of the earliest mentions of the name "Gorman" can be found in a reference by
Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth ( la, Galfridus Monemutensis, Galfridus Arturus, cy, Gruffudd ap Arthur, Sieffre o Fynwy; 1095 – 1155) was a British cleric from Monmouth, Wales and one of the major figures in the development of British historiograph ...
to a Danish king named "Gormandus" who raided parts of Britain around 593 AD and settled near South Wexford.
Early bearers of the surname are William ''Gorman'' in 1296 and Adam ''Garman'' in 1327.
The John ''atte Gore'' recorded in 1296 within the ''Sussex Subsidy Rolls'' is identical with the John ''Gorman'' recorded in 1332.
Irish ''Mac Gormáin'' family
Most of the following is taken from a family history composed by Allan O'Gorman of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in 1966, based largely on notes obtained from Father John Robert O'Gorman of Renfrew, Ontario, Canada, who conducted family research at Dublin Castle in 1903. A copy of Allan O'Gorman's document was presented to Naoise Cleary and Ger Kennedy of the Clare Cultural Centre in Corofin, Co. Clare, in July, 1989, by Brendan Vincent Justin O'Gorman of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, a great-nephew of Father John Robert O'Gorman.
According to
Keating, the ''Mac Gormáin'' family descended from the chieftains of the
Uí Bairrche
Uí Bairrche (Modern Irish: ''Uí Bhairrche'', IPA: iːˈwaːɾʲɾʲçə was an Irish kin-based group that originally held lands in the south of the ancient province of Leinster (or ''Cóiced Laigen'' "the Fifth of the Laigin"). Another south L ...
. The family lived in
Leinster
Leinster ( ; ga, Laighin or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, situated in the southeast and east of Ireland. The province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige. Following the 12th-century Norman invasion of Ir ...
and held the lands of
Slievemargy in present-day
Co Laois and lands near
Carlow
Carlow ( ; ) is the county town of County Carlow, in the south-east of Ireland, from Dublin. At the 2016 census, it had a combined urban and rural population of 24,272.
The River Barrow flows through the town and forms the historic bounda ...
.
The family was forced from the lands with the arrival of the
Normans
The Normans (Norman language, Norman: ''Normaunds''; french: Normands; la, Nortmanni/Normanni) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norsemen, Norse Viking settlers and indigenous West Fran ...
and moved into
Monaghan
Monaghan ( ; ) is the county town of County Monaghan, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It also provides the name of its Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish and Monaghan (barony), barony.
The population of the town as of the 2016 census was 7 ...
.
According to James Frost, the family was likely driven from the lands by the Norman lord Walter de Riddlesford, who became the master of Carlow at around this time.
A poem, written by Maoelin Oge MacBrody (the MacBrodys were the
ollaves of the Uí Bairrche), states that after the Mac Gormáin family was driven from its lands a group of them made for Ulster and another made westwards towards Daire Seanleath in Uaithne Cliach (''Uaithne Cliach'' is the modern
barony Barony may refer to:
* Barony, the peerage, office of, or territory held by a baron
* Barony, the title and land held in fealty by a feudal baron
* Barony (county division), a type of administrative or geographical division in parts of the British ...
of
Owney Owney may refer to:
;People:
* Owney Madden (1891–1965) New York gangster
* Owney Geoghegan (1840–1885) boxer
;Places in Ireland:
* Owney and Arra, County Tipperary barony
* Owneybeg, List of baronies of Ireland#Limerick, County Limerick baron ...
, in
Co Limerick
"Remember Limerick"
, image_map = Island_of_Ireland_location_map_Limerick.svg
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Ireland
, subdivision_type1 = Province
, subdivision_name1 = Munster
, subdivision_ ...
). The family then settled in lands controlled by the O'Briens, settling in the area of Ibrackan. The ''Mac Gormáin'' family of Ibrickan were known in the 15th century for their wealth, hospitality and their patronage of the Gaelic poets.
The first of the family to settle in Munster was Murtagh, son of Donogh.
The
chiefs of the family held parts of the lands of Moyarta and Ibrackan in
Co Clare. A branch of the family were hereditary marshalls to the O'Briens and held lands in Clare.
The family is listed as one of the septs of Thomond in 1317.
Today the members of the family bear Anglicised names such as ''Gorman'', ''MacGorman'', ''McGorman'', and ''O'Gorman''. Most members of the family bear the names ''Gorman'' or ''O'Gorman'' despite the original Gaelic names was ''Mac Gormáin''. According to
MacLysaght, this is because at the time of the
Gaelic revival
The Gaelic revival ( ga, Athbheochan na Gaeilge) was the late-nineteenth-century Romantic nationalism, national revival of interest in the Irish language (also known as Gaelic) and Irish Gaelic culture (including Irish folklore, folklore, Iri ...
in Ireland, the majority of bearers of the name had dropped all prefixes from their name. Though with the revival many Gormans mistaking added the historically incorrect prefix (''
O''') because they did not know any better. MacLysaght thought that the man who was chiefly responsible for the choice in the prefix was the Frenchman Chevalier Thomas O'Gorman (1725–1808), who constructed Irish pedigrees after being ruined in the
French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...
.
Within the 1669 Census of Ireland, the surnames ''Gormon'' and ''Gorman'' are listed as principal names for two baronies within Co Clare: 9 ''Gormons'' are recorded in the Islands barony which consisted of 1651 people; and 6 ''Gormans'' are recorded in the barony of Moyferta, which consisted of 1024 people.
In the 17th century ''O'Gorman'' was a principal name of
Armagh
Armagh ( ; ga, Ard Mhacha, , "Macha's height") is the county town of County Armagh and a city in Northern Ireland, as well as a civil parish. It is the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland – the seat of the Archbishops of Armagh, the Pri ...
; and ''McGorman'' was a principal name of Monaghan and
Louth Louth may refer to:
Australia
*Hundred of Louth, a cadastral unit in South Australia
* Louth, New South Wales, a town
* Louth Bay, a bay in South Australia
**Louth Bay, South Australia, a town and locality
Canada
* Louth, Ontario
Ireland
* Cou ...
. In 1890 most ''O'Gormans'' are found in
Clare Clare may refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Clare Range, a mountain range in Victoria Land
Australia
* Clare, South Australia, a town in the Clare Valley
* Clare Valley, South Australia
Canada
* Clare (electoral district), an electoral district
* Cl ...
.
History
Descent from Cathair Mór, High King
The Uí Bairrche kindred of the
Laigin
The Laigin, modern spelling Laighin (), were a Gaelic population group of early Ireland. They gave their name to the Kingdom of Leinster, which in the medieval era was known in Irish as ''Cóiced Laigen'', meaning "Fifth/province of the Leinsterm ...
took their name from Dairé Barrach, a son of
Cathair Mór
Cathair Mór ("the great"), son of Feidhlimidh Fiorurghlas, a descendant of Conchobar Abradruad, was, according to Lebor Gabála Érenn, a High King of Ireland.Foras Feasa ar Éirinn, Section 40, page 259, http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T100054/t ...
, who lived during the 2nd century AD. It is possible that they are mentioned in
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importanc ...
’s ''Geographia'' as the
Brigantes
The Brigantes were Ancient Britons who in pre-Roman times controlled the largest section of what would become Northern England. Their territory, often referred to as Brigantia, was centred in what was later known as Yorkshire. The Greek geogr ...
; it is unknown what connection, if any, they have to similarly named groups in Britain or Europe. Ptolemy may have simply used the term because of its phonetic similarity. In any case, Dairé lived at
Dún Ailinne
Dún Ailinne (; sometimes anglicized Dun Aulin) is an ancient ceremonial site on the hill of Cnoc Ailinne (Knockaulin) in County Kildare, Ireland. It is southwest of Kilcullen, near the R418 road to Athy. It is a large circular enclosure coveri ...
, one of the ancient Gaelic royal sites of Ireland and capital of the Laigin, located in what is now
County Kildare
County Kildare ( ga, Contae Chill Dara) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county, ...
. From here he gained a pupil in
, ancestor of the
Eóganachta
The Eóganachta or Eoghanachta () were an Irish dynasty centred on Cashel which dominated southern Ireland (namely the Kingdom of Munster) from the 6/7th to the 10th centuries, and following that, in a restricted form, the Kingdom of Desmond, an ...
, whom he supported in becoming King of Munster in conflict with
Conn of the Hundred Battles
Conn Cétchathach (; "of the Hundred Battles"), son of Fedlimid Rechtmar, was a semi-legendary High King of Ireland and the ancestor of the Connachta, and, through his descendant Niall Noígiallach, the Uí Néill dynasties, which dominated Irela ...
. Dáire himself may have been High King of Ireland for a “difficult month” if the 7th century AD poem about the early
Kings of Tara
The term Kingship of Tara () was a title of authority in ancient Ireland - the title is closely associated with the archaeological complex at the Hill of Tara. The position was considered to be of eminent authority in medieval Irish literature a ...
named ''Baile Chuinn Chétchathaig'' is to be believed.
Kings of Leinster and the Uí Bairrche
The
Uí Bairrche
Uí Bairrche (Modern Irish: ''Uí Bhairrche'', IPA: iːˈwaːɾʲɾʲçə was an Irish kin-based group that originally held lands in the south of the ancient province of Leinster (or ''Cóiced Laigen'' "the Fifth of the Laigin"). Another south L ...
are thought to have originally held lands around what is today
County Wexford
County Wexford ( ga, Contae Loch Garman) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region. Named after the town of Wexford, it was based on the historic Gaelic territory of Hy Kinsella (''Uí Ceinns ...
in the area named after them;
Bargy
Bargy is a barony in County Wexford, Ireland. From the 12th century Bargy and the surrounding area, including the barony of Forth, saw extensive Anglo-Norman settlement following the Norman invasion of Ireland. A distinctive Anglic language, kn ...
(Uí Bairrche). At this time they were very powerful, as one of the sons of Dáire Barrach named
Muiredach Mo Sníthech is listed by the 5th century poet
Laidcenn mac Bairchid
Laidcenn mac Bairchid, or Laidcenn mac Bairceda, is said to have been an early Irish language poet, whose floruit, if he existed, may have fallen in the middle of the 5th century.
According to later glosses, he belonged to the Cruthin of Dál nAra ...
, as a
King of Leinster
The kings of Leinster ( ga, Rí Laighín), ruled from the establishment of Kingdom of Leinster, Leinster during the Irish Iron Age, until the 17th century Early Modern Ireland. According to Gaelic traditional history, laid out in works such as th ...
and may have possibly even ruled at the
Hill of Tara
The Hill of Tara ( ga, Teamhair or ) is a hill and ancient ceremonial and burial site near Skryne in County Meath, Ireland. Tradition identifies the hill as the inauguration place and seat of the High Kings of Ireland; it also appears in Iri ...
. The kingship of the Uí Bairrche descended through another son of Dáire named Fiacha. What is known from this time is that the Uí Bairrche lost out in a power struggle with their cousins the
Uí Cheinnselaig, who as a consequence pushed them out of their lands and allowed the
Déisi Muman
The ''Déisi'' were a socially powerful class of peoples from Ireland that settled in Wales and western England between the ancient and early medieval period. The various peoples listed under the heading ''déis'' shared the same status in Gael ...
to settle there instead, according to the tales in the ''
Expulsion of the Déisi
Expulsion or expelled may refer to:
General
* Deportation
* Ejection (sports)
* Eviction
* Exile
* Expeller pressing
* Expulsion (education)
* Expulsion from the United States Congress
* Extradition
* Forced migration
* Ostracism
* Person ...
''. Indeed, they only returned when Eochaidh Guinech of the Uí Bairrche killed his maternal grandfather
Crimthann mac Énnai
Crimthann mac Énnai (died 483) was a King of Leinster from the Uí Cheinnselaig sept of the Laigin. He was the son of Énnae Cennsalach, the ancestor of this dynasty.
Biography
It is not known when he acquired the throne but, in the annals reco ...
, King of Leinster in 483. Eochaidh “took the oak with its root” (made total war) with the Déisi and subsequently drove part of them into
Ossory
Osraige (Old Irish) or Osraighe (Classical Irish), Osraí (Modern Irish), anglicized as Ossory, was a medieval Irish kingdom comprising what is now County Kilkenny and western County Laois, corresponding to the Diocese of Ossory. The home of ...
.
![Коламба Айонский (икона)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/%D0%9A%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%B1%D0%B0_%D0%90%D0%B9%D0%BE%D0%BD%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9_%28%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B0%29.jpg)
The Uí Bairrche had an important role in the early days of the
Christian Church in Ireland. A member of the family,
Fiacha mac Breccáin was said to have been converted to Christianity by
Patrick Patrick may refer to:
* Patrick (given name), list of people and fictional characters with this name
* Patrick (surname), list of people with this name
People
* Saint Patrick (c. 385–c. 461), Christian saint
*Gilla Pátraic (died 1084), Patrick ...
himself. Fiacha was a bard and his uncle
Dubthach maccu Lugair
Dubthach maccu Lugair (fl. fifth century), is a legendary Irish poet and lawyer who supposedly lived at the time of St Patrick's mission in Ireland and in the reign of Lóegaire mac Néill, high-king of Ireland, to which Dubthach served as Chief ...
was the
Chief Ollamh of Ireland; the conversion of the two helped to reconcile elements of native
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 ...
tradition with Christianity. Fiacha founded a monastery at
Sleaty and is considered a saint by Christians. His brother Ailill Mór mac Breccáin moved north during the political turmoil in Leinster and his grandson Sinnell mac Manach was Abbot of
Cleenish
Arney is a civil parish located in the barony of Clanawley and Tirkennedy in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Clogher
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Clogher ( ga, Deoise Chlochair) was forme ...
(''Cluan Innish'') and later considered a saint; it is here, under
Sinnell, that
Columbanus
Columbanus ( ga, Columbán; 543 – 21 November 615) was an Irish missionary notable for founding a number of monasteries after 590 in the Frankish and Lombard kingdoms, most notably Luxeuil Abbey in present-day France and Bobbio Abbey in pr ...
began his studies. The mother of ''Colm Cille'' (
Columba of Iona
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 ...
) named Eithne also descended from Ailill Mór mac Breccáin. Later on, in the 7th century, Aodh, the Abbot of Sleaty was the man who requested the writing of the ''
Vita sancti Patricii'' (Life of St. Patrick), contained in the ''
Book of Armagh
The ''Book of Armagh'' or Codex Ardmachanus (ar or 61) ( ga, Leabhar Ard Mhacha), also known as the ''Canon of Patrick'' and the ''Liber Ar(d)machanus'', is a 9th-century Irish illuminated manuscript written mainly in Latin. It is held by the L ...
''.
When the Uí Bairrche had returned to Leinster, they moved to ''Slíabh Mairge'' (
Slievemargy), in what is today the south-east corner of
County Laois
County Laois ( ; gle, Contae Laoise) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and in the province of Leinster. It was known as Queen's County from 1556 to 1922. The modern county takes its name from Loígis, a medie ...
, as well as parts of
County Carlow
County Carlow ( ; ga, Contae Cheatharlach) is a county located in the South-East Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. Carlow is the second smallest and the third least populous of Ireland's 32 traditional counties. Carlow Cou ...
and
County Kilkenny
County Kilkenny ( gle, Contae Chill Chainnigh) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the South-East Region. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. Kilkenny County Council is the local authority for the cou ...
. The kindred still had a prominent position; the mother of
Diarmait mac Cerbaill
Diarmait mac Cerbaill (died ) was King of Tara or High King of Ireland. According to traditions, he was the last High King to follow the pagan rituals of inauguration, the ''ban-feis'' or marriage to goddess of the land.
While many later stor ...
(died 565), the last
High King of Ireland
High King of Ireland ( ga, Ardrí na hÉireann ) was a royal title in Gaelic Ireland held by those who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over all of Ireland. The title was held by historical kings and later sometimes assigned ana ...
inaugurated according to the traditional Gaelic pagan rites, was Corbach, daughter of Maine, a member of the Uí Bairrche. A notable king of the age was
Cormac mac Diarmata
Cormac is a masculine given name in the Irish and English languages. The name is ancient in the Irish language and is also seen in the rendered Old Norse as ''Kormákr''.
Mac is Irish for "son", and can be used as either a prefix or a suffix. ...
, whom many Christian hagiographies associated with their rivals the Uí Cheinnselaig or the Osaraighe; such as that of
Abbán
Abbán moccu Corbmaic ( la, Abbanus; d. 520? AD), also Eibbán or Moabba, is a saint in Irish tradition. He was associated, first and foremost, with Mag Arnaide (Moyarney or Adamstown, County Wexford, near New Ross) and with Cell Abbáin (Kill ...
and
Cainnech of Aghaboe
Cainnech of Aghaboe (515/16–600), also known as Saint Canice in Ireland, Saint Kenneth in Scotland, Saint Kenny and in Latin Sanctus Canicus, was an Irish abbot, monastic founder, priest and missionary during the early medieval period. Cainne ...
; paint him as pillaging monasteries and the like. Cormac and his brother Crimthann are also described as being in conflict with
Finnian of Clonard
Finnian of Clonard ('Cluain Eraird') – also Finian, Fionán or Fionnán in Irish; or Finianus and Finanus in its Latinised form (470–549) – was one of the early Irish monastic saints, who founded Clonard Abbey in modern-day County Meath. ...
. Cormac was closely associated with
Comgall
Saint Comgall (c. 510–520 – 597/602), an early Irish saint, was the founder and abbot of the great Irish monastery at Bangor in Ireland.
MacCaffrey,James (1908). " St. Comgall". In ''Catholic Encyclopedia''. 4. New York: Robert Appleton Co ...
and gave him some lands, before retiring to become a monk at
Bangor.
"Gormandus" invades post-Roman Britain
One of the more unusual stories is that of Gormáin mac Diarmata, another brother of Cormac. He is mentioned in various sources, including the ''
Annals of Ireland'' written by Friar
John Clyn
John Clyn, O.F.M. (c. 1286 – c. 1349), of the Friars Minor, Kilkenny, was a 14th-century Irish friar and chronicler who lived at the time of the Black Death.
Background
Clyn was probably born in Leinster some years prior to 1300, possibly at ...
and
Thady Dowling, the ''
Topography of Ireland'' by
Gerald of Wales
Gerald of Wales ( la, Giraldus Cambrensis; cy, Gerallt Gymro; french: Gerald de Barri; ) was a Cambro-Norman priest and English historians in the Middle Ages, historian. As a royal clerk to the king and two archbishops, he travelled widely and w ...
, the ''
History of the Kings of Britain
''Historia regum Britanniae'' (''The History of the Kings of Britain''), originally called ''De gestis Britonum'' (''On the Deeds of the Britons''), is a pseudohistorical account of British history, written around 1136 by Geoffrey of Monmouth. I ...
'' by
Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth ( la, Galfridus Monemutensis, Galfridus Arturus, cy, Gruffudd ap Arthur, Sieffre o Fynwy; 1095 – 1155) was a British cleric from Monmouth, Wales and one of the major figures in the development of British historiograph ...
and even the ''Annales'' of
William Camden
William Camden (2 May 1551 – 9 November 1623) was an English antiquarian, historian, topographer, and herald, best known as author of ''Britannia'', the first chorographical survey of the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, and the ''Annal ...
. What these sources say is that around 593 AD, Gormáin invaded Britain, fought several battles and sacked a number of monasteries. He is said to have sacked the
Llanbadarn Fawr monastery,
Ceredigion
Ceredigion ( , , ) is a county in the west of Wales, corresponding to the historic county of Cardiganshire. During the second half of the first millennium Ceredigion was a minor kingdom. It has been administered as a county since 1282. Cere ...
and Camden claims the
Amesbury
Amesbury () is a town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. It is known for the prehistoric monument of Stonehenge which is within the parish. The town is claimed to be the oldest occupied settlement in Great Britain, having been first settle ...
monastery containing three hundred monks was destroyed by him. His name is sometimes stylised differently such as Gormandus, Gordmundus or Gurmundus. In the account of Geoffrey of Monmouth he is bizarrely transformed into a king of Africa. Most of the native Annals in Ireland which are untouched by the Normans and
Arthurian literature
The Matter of Britain is the body of medieval literature and legendary material associated with Great Britain and Brittany and the legendary kings and heroes associated with it, particularly King Arthur. It was one of the three great Western ...
are quiet on the matter.
Uí Bairrche interaction with the Vikings
![Slaney River at Dusk - Near Ferrycarrig - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/Slaney_River_at_Dusk_-_Near_Ferrycarrig_-_geograph.org.uk_-_838184.jpg)
In the 7th century, Suibhne mac Domhnall; grandson of Cormac mac Diarmata; came into conflict with
Fintán of Taghmon
Saint Fintán, or Munnu (died 635) is one of the saints of Ireland and Britain who served in Ireland and Scotland being the founder and abbot of the abbey at Teach-Mhunn - The House of Saint Munn - where his bed may be visited is a pilgrimage s ...
(died 635), also known as
Munnu. After allegedly being insulted by Suibhne, this abbot made a prophecy which envisaged that Subhne would have his head cut off by his own brother and that his severed head would be thrown in the River Barrow. Suibhne's brother Failbe eventually married Eithne, daughter of
Crundmael mac Rónáin, King of the Uí Cheinnselaig. Various branches of the Uí Bairrche are mentioned in the ''
Annals of the Four Masters
The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' ( ga, Annála Ríoghachta Éireann) or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (''Annála na gCeithre Máistrí'') are chronicles of medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Deluge, dated as 2,24 ...
'' with the advent of the
Viking Age in Ireland
Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden),
who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
. This includes Conn mac Cinaedh (died 866) of the
Uí Bairrche Tire, who we are told died while “demolishing the fortress of the foreigners”, most likely the settlement at Dublin on the
River Liffey
The River Liffey (Irish: ''An Life'', historically ''An Ruirthe(a)ch'') is a river in eastern Ireland that ultimately flows through the centre of Dublin to its mouth within Dublin Bay. Its major tributaries include the River Dodder, the River ...
. Around the area of Uí Bairrche and the Laigin more generally, we know that the Vikings pillaged
Dún Másc in 842 and established a settlement at
Loch Garman
Wexford () is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. Wexford lies on the south side of Wexford Harbour, the estuary of the River Slaney near the southeastern corner of the island of Ireland. The town is linked to Dublin by the M11/N11 Nat ...
(later known as Wexford), close to Bargy.
Mac Gormáin in Airgíalla as clerics
Just prior to the
Norman invasion of Ireland
The Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland took place during the late 12th century, when Anglo-Normans gradually conquered and acquired large swathes of land from the Irish, over which the kings of England then claimed sovereignty, all allegedly sanc ...
, a number of Mac Gormáin are found to have been in prominent clerical roles as writers and teachers. Some of the most significant of these were invited to
Airgíalla
Airgíalla (Modern Irish: Oirialla, English: Oriel, Latin: ''Ergallia'') was a medieval Irish over-kingdom and the collective name for the confederation of tribes that formed it. The confederation consisted of nine minor kingdoms, all independe ...
by
Donnchadh Ó Cearbhaill. A religious reformer and a prominent political player, Donnchadh had just conquered territory from the
Conaille Muirtheimne
Conaille Muirthemne was a Cruithin kingdom located in County Louth, Ireland, from before 688 to after 1107 approximately.
Overview
The Ulaid according to historian Francis John Byrne 'possibly still ruled directly in Louth as far as the Boyne in ...
(what is today
County Louth
County Louth ( ; ga, An Lú) is a coastal county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. Louth is bordered by the counties of Meath to the south, Monaghan to the west, Armagh to the north and Down to the ...
) and established
Arrouaisian Order
The Abbey of Arrouaise in northern France was the centre of a form of the canonical life known as the Arrouaisian Order, which was popular among the founders of canonries during the decade of the 1130s. The community began to develop when Heldema ...
religious foundations at
Louth Louth may refer to:
Australia
*Hundred of Louth, a cadastral unit in South Australia
* Louth, New South Wales, a town
* Louth Bay, a bay in South Australia
**Louth Bay, South Australia, a town and locality
Canada
* Louth, Ontario
Ireland
* Cou ...
,
Knockabbey and
Termonfeckin
Termonfeckin or Termonfechin () is a small village and townland in County Louth, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is within the parish of the same name, and lies north-east of Drogheda. The population of the village tripled in the 20 years betw ...
there. From the Mac Gormáin family,
Máel Caoimhghin Mac Gormáin was put in place as the master of Louth and abbot of Termonfeckin and
Máel Muire Mac Gormáin as the abbot of Knockabbey. Máel Muire (Marianus) is the man who authored the ''Martyrology of Gorman'' in 1166.
There were other prominent Mac Gormáín clerics in the north around this time;
Fionn Mac Gormáin,
Bishop of Kildare
The Bishop of Kildare was an episcopal title which took its name after the town of Kildare in County Kildare, Ireland. The title is no longer in use by any of the main Christian churches having been united with other bishoprics. In the Roman Cat ...
and abbot of
Newry
Newry (; ) is a city in Northern Ireland, divided by the Clanrye river in counties Armagh and Down, from Belfast and from Dublin. It had a population of 26,967 in 2011.
Newry was founded in 1144 alongside a Cistercian monastery, althoug ...
(also founded by Donnchadh Ó Cearbhaill, on the encouragement of
Maelmhaedhoc Ó Morgair),
who helped to author the ''
Book of Leinster
The Book of Leinster ( mga, Lebor Laignech , LL) is a medieval Irish manuscript compiled c. 1160 and now kept in Trinity College, Dublin, under the shelfmark MS H 2.18 (cat. 1339). It was formerly known as the ''Lebor na Nuachongbála'' "Book ...
'' with
Áed mac Crimthainn and finally
Flann Mac Gormáin (1099–1174), the chief lector of the School of Armagh and all Ireland. The latter spent twenty-one years at universities in Paris and Oxford before working on the development of a similar institution at Armagh. This had been established by
Ruairí Ó Conchubhair, High King of Ireland and was dedicated to Patrick. This school was never allowed to develop to its full potential as it was soon destroyed by the
Normans
The Normans (Norman language, Norman: ''Normaunds''; french: Normands; la, Nortmanni/Normanni) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norsemen, Norse Viking settlers and indigenous West Fran ...
.
It is likely that the latter-day Gormans and McGormans of
County Monaghan
County Monaghan ( ; ga, Contae Mhuineacháin) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Ulster and is part of Border strategic planning area of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Monaghan. Monaghan County Cou ...
and
County Antrim
County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, ) is one of six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of and has a population o ...
originate from this population movement. Mac Gormáin heritage in the north is remembered in several place names referencing them. The majority of these are in County Monaghan; ''Feartach Ghormáin'' (Fartagorman) in
Magheross, ''Coill Uí Ghormáin'' (Killygorman) in
Killeevan, and ''Lios Gormáin'' (Lisdungorman) in
Clontibret
Clontibret () is a village and parish in County Monaghan, Ireland. The village population in the 2016 census was 172. Clontibret is also a parish in both Roman Catholic and Church of Ireland traditions. The territory of the parish also includes ...
. Aside from this, there is also a ''Ráth Gormáin'' (Rathgorman) in
County Down
County Down () is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. It covers an area of and has a population of 531,665. It borders County Antrim to the ...
.
Mac Gormáin pushed out to Thomond
![Holy Cross Abbey08](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Holy_Cross_Abbey08.JPG)
Murchadh mac Eachthighearn was driven from his territories of Uí Bairrche by the Norman invaders
Walter de Riddlesford
Walter de Riddlesford ('' fl.'' 1150 – d. 1226) was an Anglo-Norman lord who was granted in Ireland the baronies of Bray, County Wicklow and Kilkea, County Kildare between 1171 and 1176.
De Riddlesford was born in Carriebenan, Kildare, Irel ...
,
John de Clahull and
Hugh de Lacy Hugh de Lacy may refer to:
* Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Lassy (c.1020–1085), first recorded member of the Norman noble family de Lacy
* Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath (died 1186), 4th Baron Lacy
* Hugh de Lacy, Abbot of Shrewsbury (died c. 1215/18)
*Hug ...
during the 1170s. Riddlesford, who took over as a master at
Carlow
Carlow ( ; ) is the county town of County Carlow, in the south-east of Ireland, from Dublin. At the 2016 census, it had a combined urban and rural population of 24,272.
The River Barrow flows through the town and forms the historic bounda ...
, had married the daughter of a bastard son of a king
Henry I of England
Henry I (c. 1068 – 1 December 1135), also known as Henry Beauclerc, was King of England from 1100 to his death in 1135. He was the fourth son of William the Conqueror and was educated in Latin and the liberal arts. On William's death in ...
which left him in a prominent position among his own people. At first Murchadh settled at Daire Seanleath in Uaithne Cliach (what is today
Owney Owney may refer to:
;People:
* Owney Madden (1891–1965) New York gangster
* Owney Geoghegan (1840–1885) boxer
;Places in Ireland:
* Owney and Arra, County Tipperary barony
* Owneybeg, List of baronies of Ireland#Limerick, County Limerick baron ...
, County Limerick), but his son Cumeth mac Murchadh was invited by
Donnchadh Cairprech Ó Briain, King of Thomond to settle in
Uí Bhreacáin (what is known as
,
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 ...
). In fact the Mac Gormáin had built a good relationship with the Ó Briain prior to the Norman invasion, as early as 1168, as Scanlan mac Gormáin supported
Domhnall Mór Ó Briain, by witnessing for him a charter to the
Holy Cross Abbey, Thurles.
One of the most notable members of the family was a female, who became Queen of Thomond. Éadaoin Nic Ghormáin (1321–1367) married
Muirchertach Ó Briain (1289–1343), King of Thomond and they included among their children, two further kings;
Mathghamhain Maonmhaighe Ó Briain
Mathghamhain Maonmhaighe Ó Briain was King of Thomond during 1360–69.
Mathghamhain was the son of Muircheartach Ó Briain King of Thomond and was preceded by his uncle Dairmaid macToirdelbaig O'Brien.
His son Brian Sreamhach MacMathghamhna ...
(died 1369) and
Toirdelbach Maol Ó Briain (died 1398). Their descendants include the rest of the Kings of
Thomond
Thomond (Classical Irish: ; Modern Irish: ), also known as the kingdom of Limerick, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Clare and County Limerick, as well as parts of County Tipperary around Nenag ...
. The context in which this marriage came about, is to be taken from the famous 14th century literary work ''
Caithréim Thoirdhealbhaigh
''Cathreim Thoirdhealbhaigh'', or ''Triumphs of Torlough'' in English, is a historical account written in the 14th century in Irish by Seán mac Ruaidhrí Mac Craith, the chief historian to the Uí Bhriain dynasty.Moore, Norman. It depicts the w ...
'' ("The Triumphs of Turlough"), which mentions that the Mac Gormáin family had become Standard Bearers of the Clann Tadhg branch of the Ó Briain, stating that Cuebha Mac Gormáin was for Muirchertach's father
Toirdelbach mac Tadhg Ó Briain his "close door of protection while he slept and, on the battlefield, the shield that covered him."
![CoA Gilbert de Clare](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/CoA_Gilbert_de_Clare.svg)
The
Wars of Thomond, as the events of these times were called, were essentially a civil war between two rival branches of the Ó Briain; the conflicting branches were known as Clann Tadhg and Clann Brian Ruadh. There was also the added factor of Norman divide and rule intrigue. Briain Ruadh Ó Briain and his nephew Toirdelbach mac Tadhg Ó Briain came into conflict over the kingship of Thomond. As part of a plan to win back the kingdom, Briain Ruadh went to
Thomas de Clare (a Norman), close friend of king
Edward I of England
Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vassa ...
and attempted to enlist his support in return for land to colonise. A seven-year civil war ensued with Toirdelbach emerging victorious, with help from the
Mac Con Mara,
Ó Deághaidh and of course, the Mac Gormáin clans. Evidently, having been driven West by the Normans in the first place, the Mac Gormáin were not willing to be turned out again.
Throughout the rest of the period of Gaelic rule in Thomond, the Mac Gormáin continued to hold a significant position in society. Indeed,
Domhnall Mac Gormáin (died 1484) was described as the wealthiest man in all of Ireland in terms of the livestock in his possession. The king during this period would have been
Conchobhar na Srona Ó Briain. It must be remembered that, during Domhnall's life, cattle was the main element of the pastoral economy; the Gaelic kingdoms did not mint their own coinage. So to be wealthy in terms of livestock was the main measure of wealth in
Gaelic Ireland
Gaelic Ireland ( ga, Éire Ghaelach) was the Gaelic political and social order, and associated culture, that existed in Ireland from the late prehistoric era until the early 17th century. It comprised the whole island before Anglo-Normans co ...
. The Mac Gormáin were known having open houses, nourishing the poor and being patrons of a bardic poet, especially the
Mac Bruaideadha family. Indeed,
Tadhg mac Dáire Mhic Bhruaideadha authored a poem about them.
Mac Gormáin in Tudor and Stuart Ireland
In the year 1543, Thomond joined the
Kingdom of Ireland
The Kingdom of Ireland ( ga, label=Classical Irish, an Ríoghacht Éireann; ga, label=Modern Irish, an Ríocht Éireann, ) was a monarchy on the island of Ireland that was a client state of England and then of Great Britain. It existed from ...
under the
Tudor dynasty
The House of Tudor was a royal house of largely Welsh and English origin that held the English throne from 1485 to 1603. They descended from the Tudors of Penmynydd and Catherine of France. Tudor monarchs ruled the Kingdom of England and it ...
of the king
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...
. The formerly sovereign King of Thomond,
Murchadh Carrach Ó Briain became the
Earl of Thomond
Earl of Thomond was an hereditary title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created twice for the O'Brien dynasty which is an ancient Irish sept native to north Munster.
History and background
First creation
Under the Crown of Ireland Act 1542, Ki ...
in the
peerage of Ireland
The Peerage of Ireland consists of those titles of nobility created by the English monarchs in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland, or later by monarchs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It is one of the five divisi ...
. His nephew,
Donnchadh Ó Briain
Donnchadh Ó Briain (17 November 1897 – 22 September 1981) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and Conradh na Gaeilge activist.
He was elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1933 general election.
He was born 17 November 1897 in Knockaderry, Co ...
, who had long since joined the English service, became
Baron Ibrackan
Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knigh ...
(named for the territory associated with the Mac Gormáin).
During the reign of the
Stuart dynasty
The House of Stuart, originally spelt Stewart, was a royal house of Scotland, England, Ireland and later Great Britain. The family name comes from the office of High Steward of Scotland, which had been held by the family progenitor Walter fi ...
king
James I of England
James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and King of Ireland, Ireland as James I from the Union of the Crowns, union of the Scottish and Eng ...
, the Mac Gormáin held lands from Tadhg Caech Mac Mathghamha, Lord of West
Corcavaskin, specifically named lands in their hands include;
Clooncullin,
Kilmacduane
Kilmacduane is a civil parish in County Clare, Ireland.
It contains the village of Cooraclare.
Location
The civil parish of Kilmacduane is in the barony of Moyarta.
It is northeast of Kilrush on the road to Miltown-Malbay.
In 1837 the paris ...
,
Ballynagur,
Moyarta
Moyarta ( ga, Maigh Fhearta) is a civil parish in County Clare, Ireland.
It lies on the Loop Head peninsula between the Atlantic Ocean and the Shannon Estuary. The parish contains the villages of Carrigaholt and Doonaha.
Location
The parish of ...
,
Knockerra,
Clohanbeg,
Clohamore and Cahermurphy.
During the reign of
Charles I of England
Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until Execution of Charles I, his execution in 1649. He was born into the House of Stuart as the second son of King James VI of ...
, Máel Sechlainn Mac Gormáin (died 1 May 1605) held lands at ''Drom Oilche'' (
Dromelihy) and passed them onto his son Diarmuid Mac Gormáin. At ''Drom Díogais'' (
Drumdigus) we find lands held by Tadhg Mac Gormáin (died 1630) also the owner of ''Tulach an Chrainn'' (
Tullycrine) and known for his wife's association with a certain "holy well” at
Kilmihil
Kilmihil () is a village in the Barony of Clonderlaw, west County Clare, Ireland. It is also a civil parish and an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe. The area was officially classified as part of the West Clare Gaelt ...
. There was also a Scannláin Mac Gormáin who owned the castle at Cathair Murchadha (
Cahermurphy) in the early 1620s.
1641 Rebellion and Civil War in Clare
The 1640s were a particularly troublesome period, with the Rising of 1641 and all of the events which followed it, including the
Irish Confederate Wars
The Irish Confederate Wars, also called the Eleven Years' War (from ga, Cogadh na hAon-déag mBliana), took place in Ireland between 1641 and 1653. It was the Irish theatre of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, a series of civil wars in the kin ...
and finally the landing of
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...
in 1649;
The Mac Gormáin of Cahermurphy actually took part in one of the most significant and controversial events in Thomond of the
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 plantation ...
and that was the Siege of
Tromra Castle. The castle had been taken over by English Protestant settlers, the family of Peter Ward, protected by Sir
Domhnall Ó Briain. An ambitious raid on the castle, looking to take livestock, was led by
Edmond O'Flaherty from the
Aran Islands
The Aran Islands ( ; gle, Oileáin Árann, ) or The Arans (''na hÁrainneacha'' ) are a group of three islands at the mouth of Galway Bay, off the west coast of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, with a total area around . They constitute the histo ...
, joined by men from
Connemara
Connemara (; )( ga, Conamara ) is a region on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of western County Galway, in the west of Ireland. The area has a strong association with traditional Irish culture and contains much of the Connacht Irish-speak ...
(what used to be
Iar Connacht
West Connacht ( ga, Iarthar Chonnachta; Modern Irish: ''Iar Connacht'') was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Galway, particularly the area known more commonly today as Connemara. The kingdom represent ...
). Some of the local clans of Thomond also joined in. Three members of the Ward family died but the rest made it out to safety, fleeing to Dublin.
In 1641, Dromelihy was under the ownership of Domhnall Mac Gormáin, Cathair Mac Gormáin and Sir Domhnall Ó Briain. After the victory of the Cromwellian side during the conflict, certain Catholics in other parts of Ireland were “transplanted” to
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 ...
(which then included County Thomond), to make way for the Protestant English incomers on better lands. This included the Norman-descended Catholics, Annie and Martha Eustace who were; according to the ''
Act of Settlement 1662
The Act of Settlement 1662 was passed by the Parliament of Ireland, Irish Parliament in Dublin. It was a partial reversal of the Oliver Cromwell, Cromwellian Act for the Settlement of Ireland 1652, which punished Irish Catholics and Royalists f ...
''; transplanted into the lands of what was Mac Gormáin territory in Dromelihy. Ó Briain himself still remained a land owner in the area and was raised to
Viscount Clare
Viscount Clare was a title in the Peerage of Ireland, created twice.
First creation
The titles of Viscount Clare and Baron Moyarta were conferred on Daniel O'Brien, a younger son of Connor O'Brien, 3rd Earl of Thomond, on 11 July 1662. These tit ...
in 1662. After the overthrow of
James II of England
James VII and II (14 October 1633 16 September 1701) was King of England and King of Ireland as James II, and King of Scotland as James VII from the death of his elder brother, Charles II, on 6 February 1685. He was deposed in the Gloriou ...
in the
Revolution of 1688 and the failure of the
Jacobites
Jacobite means follower of Jacob or James. Jacobite may refer to:
Religion
* Jacobites, followers of Saint Jacob Baradaeus (died 578). Churches in the Jacobite tradition and sometimes called Jacobite include:
** Syriac Orthodox Church, sometime ...
during the
Williamite War in Ireland
The Williamite War in Ireland (1688–1691; ga, Cogadh an Dá Rí, "war of the two kings"), was a conflict between Jacobite supporters of deposed monarch James II and Williamite supporters of his successor, William III. It is also called th ...
, these lands were going to be "given" to the Dutchman,
Arnold van Keppel, Earl of Albemarle but as he had no interest in them they were instead “given” over to
Francis Burton,
Nicholas Westby
Nicholas is a male given name and a surname.
The Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Anglican Churches celebrate Saint Nicholas every year on December 6, which is the name day for "Nicholas". In Greece, the name and its ...
and
James MacDonnell in 1698.
According to John Robert O'Gorman, a Catholic priest from
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
; he found information at the Records Office in Dublin about the fate of the Tullycrine estate and found that Máel Sechlainn Mac Gormáin's property was confirmed by Charles II in 1679 to have passed to one Captain William Hamilton. Family tradition; especially among the diaspora in North America where some descendants ended up; states the land was confiscated during Cromwellian times and this may have simply been a confirmation of an earlier fact. They are later found around their former estates as simply tenant farmers at
Tarmon
Tarmon () is an electoral division south of Tarbert in County Kerry, Ireland. It is in the municipal district of Listowel, barony of Iraghticonnor and civil parish of Kilnaughtin, and the former rural district of Listowel and dispensary dist ...
. A significant number of Gormans moved out of County Clare into
County Tipperary
County Tipperary ( ga, Contae Thiobraid Árann) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary, and was established in the early 13th century, shortly after th ...
.
Ascendancy Ireland, Penal Laws and decline
During the
Penal Laws, Catholics were persecuted and blocks put in their way to stop them from owning significant tracts of land and generally building themselves up in society. It is this social situation which would eventually lead to the
Great Hunger
The Great Famine ( ga, an Gorta Mór ), also known within Ireland as the Great Hunger or simply the Famine and outside Ireland as the Irish Potato Famine, was a period of starvation and disease in Ireland from 1845 to 1852 that constituted a h ...
in the 1840s. Although the majority of the Gormans remained Catholic, a number converted to the Anglican
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland ( ga, Eaglais na hÉireann, ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Kirk o Airlann, ) is a Christian church in Ireland and an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the second ...
for pragmatic reasons. These are listed by
James Frost
James Martin Frost (born 22 August 1986) is the guitarist, keyboardist and backing vocalist of Welsh band The Automatic, and guitarist and backing vocalist for Cardiff-based band Effort. As well as his musical duties for The Automatic, Frost ha ...
as Sylvester Gorman of Drumellihy in 1750, James Gorman of
Killilahane in 1758 and finally Thady Gorman of
Sheeaun in 1766. The last two are described as gentlemen.
Chevalier Thomas O’Gorman also lived during this time period. He was a Jacobite from near Tullycrine and served with the
Irish Brigade of the
French Army
The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed For ...
. He married into the French aristocracy but lost out during the
French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...
. He was a noted genealogist, owning for some time the ''
Book of Ballymote
The ''Book of Ballymote'' (, RIA MS 23 P 12, 275 foll.), was written in 1390 or 1391 in or near the town of Ballymote, now in County Sligo, but then in the tuath of Corann.
Production and history
This book was compiled towards the end of the ...
''.
Emancipation and Irish nationalism
A number of members of the family, under the name O'Gorman, played a prominent role in Irish national politics.
Nicholas Purcell O'Gorman (1778–1857) was a barrister who worked with
Daniel O'Connell
Daniel O'Connell (I) ( ga, Dónall Ó Conaill; 6 August 1775 – 15 May 1847), hailed in his time as The Liberator, was the acknowledged political leader of Ireland's Roman Catholic majority in the first half of the 19th century. His mobilizat ...
, "the Liberator" towards the goal of
Catholic Emancipation
Catholic emancipation or Catholic relief was a process in the kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland, and later the combined United Kingdom in the late 18th century and early 19th century, that involved reducing and removing many of the restricti ...
in Ireland; indeed O'Gorman was the Secretary of the
Catholic Association
The Catholic Association was an Irish Roman Catholic political organisation set up by Daniel O'Connell in the early nineteenth century to campaign for Catholic emancipation within Great Britain. It was one of the first mass-membership politica ...
. One of his sons, Major
Purcell O'Gorman
Purcell O'Gorman (1820 – 24 November 1888) was an Irish nationalist politician and Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, elected as a member of the Home Rule League to represent Waterford City. He was elected only ...
(1818–1888) was a Member of Parliament for Waterford City as a member of the
Home Rule League
The Home Rule League (1873–1882), sometimes called the Home Rule Party, was an Irish political party which campaigned for home rule for Ireland within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, until it was replaced by the Irish Parliam ...
and a supporter of
Parnell. His older brother,
Nicholas Smith O'Gorman
Nicholas is a male given name and a surname.
The Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Anglican Churches celebrate Saint Nicholas every year on December 6, which is the name day for "Nicholas". In Greece, the name and its ...
, was a
High Sheriff of Clare
The High Sheriff of Clare was a High Sheriff title. Records show that the title was in existence from at least the late 16th century, though it is not used today in the modern Republic of Ireland. The title existed within County Clare in the west ...
.
A nationalist figure, the
O'Gorman Mahon, also carried the family name, but this was from his mother Barbara O'Gorman. On the more radical republican end of the political spectrum,
Richard O'Gorman
Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'stron ...
(1820–1895) was a member of the
Young Ireland
Young Ireland ( ga, Éire Óg, ) was a political movement, political and cultural movement, cultural movement in the 1840s committed to an all-Ireland struggle for independence and democratic reform. Grouped around the Dublin weekly ''The Nati ...
movement which rose in the
Young Irelander Rebellion of 1848
The Young Irelander Rebellion was a failed Irish nationalist uprising led by the Young Ireland movement, part of the wider Revolutions of 1848 that affected most of Europe. It took place on 29 July 1848 at Farranrory, a small settlement about 4 ...
. Indeed, along with
William Smith O'Brien
William Smith O'Brien ( ga, Liam Mac Gabhann Ó Briain; 17 October 1803 – 18 June 1864) was an Irish nationalist Member of Parliament (MP) and a leader of the Young Ireland movement. He also encouraged the use of the Irish language. He ...
and
Thomas Francis Meagher
Thomas Francis Meagher (; 3 August 18231 July 1867) was an Irish nationalist and leader of the Young Irelanders in the Rebellion of 1848. After being convicted of sedition, he was first sentenced to death, but received transportation for life ...
, he visited the newly formed
Second French Republic
The French Second Republic (french: Deuxième République Française or ), officially the French Republic (), was the republican government of France that existed between 1848 and 1852. It was established in February 1848, with the February Revo ...
in 1840 and returned with the
Irish Tricolour
The national flag of Ireland ( ga, bratach na hÉireann), frequently referred to in Ireland as 'the tricolour' () and elsewhere as the Irish tricolour is a vertical tricolour of green (at the hoist), white and orange. The proportions of the ...
which later became the national flag after 1922.
Symbols
The
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...
of O'Gorman (''pictured'') are
blazoned
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The vis ...
''
azure
Azure may refer to:
Colour
* Azure (color), a hue of blue
** Azure (heraldry)
** Shades of azure, shades and variations
Arts and media
* ''Azure'' (Art Farmer and Fritz Pauer album), 1987
* Azure (Gary Peacock and Marilyn Crispell album), 2013
...
a lion passant between three swords erect
argent
In heraldry, argent () is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it. In engravings and line drawings, regions to b ...
''; the
crest
Crest or CREST may refer to:
Buildings
*The Crest (Huntington, New York), a historic house in Suffolk County, New York
*"The Crest", an alternate name for 63 Wall Street, in Manhattan, New York
*Crest Castle (Château Du Crest), Jussy, Switzerla ...
''an arm embowed in armour, grasping in the hard a sword, blade wavy, all proper.''; and the
mottoes
A motto (derived from the Latin language, Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian language, Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a Sentence (linguistics), sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of a ...
''"TUS AGUS DEIREADH AN CATHA"'' (Irish) and ''"INITIUM FINEMQUE BELLO"'' (
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
).
The Irish motto translates as "The beginning and end of battle", a reference to their role as hereditary marshals of the O'Briens of Thomond, the standard bearers and lifeguards who would accompany the (O'Brien) king as the first ones on and last ones off the field of battle. The Latin motto translates as "first and last in war". In 1763, the arms were allowed by the
Ulster King of Arms
Norroy and Ulster King of Arms is the Provincial King of Arms at the College of Heralds with jurisdiction over England north of the Trent and Northern Ireland. The two offices of Norroy and Ulster were formerly separate. Norroy King of Arms is th ...
to Thomas O'Gorman (fourth in descent from Mahon O'Gorman) and to Thomas O'Gorman (fourth in descent from Denis O'Gorman, brother of Cahir O'Gorman).
Related surnames
Surnames that are variants of, or that share a similar etymology to ''Gorman'' are:
*English origin: ''Garman'', ''Garment'', ''Garmons'',
''Gore'', ''Gorer''.
*German origin: ''Gehrmann'', ''Görmann''.
*Irish origin: ''
O'Gorman O'Gorman is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Áine O'Gorman (born 1989), Irish footballer
* Camila O'Gorman (1828-1848), wealthy socialite and figure of scandal in 19th century Argentina
* Chevalier O'Gorman (1732–1809), Iris ...
'', ''MacGorman'', ''
McGorman''.
People with the surname Gorman
*
Amanda Gorman
Amanda S. C. Gorman (born March 7, 1998) is an American poet and Civil rights activist, activist. Her work focuses on issues of oppression, feminism, Race and ethnicity in the United States, race, and Social exclusion, marginalization, as well a ...
(born 1998), American poet and activist
*
Andy Gorman (born 1974), Welsh footballer
*
Archie Gorman (born 1909), footballer
*
Arthur Pue Gorman
Arthur Pue Gorman (March 11, 1839June 4, 1906) was an American politician. He was leader of the Gorman-Rasin organization with Isaac Freeman Rasin that controlled the Maryland Democratic Party from the late 1870s until his death in 1906. Gorman ...
(1839–1906), United States Senator from Maryland
*
Arthur Pue Gorman Jr.
Arthur Pue Gorman Jr. (March 27, 1873 – September 3, 1919) was an American politician. He served in the Maryland Senate from 1904 to 1912. He was an unsuccessful candidate in the 1911 Maryland gubernatorial election.
Early life
Arthue Pue Gor ...
(1873–1919), Maryland state senator
*
Bartley Gorman
Bartley Gorman V (1 March 1944 – 18 January 2002) was a bare-knuckle boxer. A Welsh Irish Traveller, Gorman called himself "the King of the Gypsies". Between 1972 and 1992, he reigned supreme in the world of illegal gypsy boxing. During these ...
(1944–2002), bare-knuckle boxer
*
Brian Gorman
Brian Scott Gorman (born June 11, 1959) is an American former umpire in Major League Baseball. After working in the National League from 1991 to 1999, he umpired in both leagues from 2000-2021. Gorman was promoted to crew chief in 2010. He is the ...
(born 1959), Major League Baseball umpire
*
Burn Gorman
Burn Hugh Winchester Gorman (born 1 September 1974) is an English actor and musician. He is known for his roles as Owen Harper in the BBC series ''Torchwood'' (2006–2008), Phillip Stryver in ''The Dark Knight Rises'' (2012), Karl Tanner in the ...
(born 1974), British actor
*
Carl Nelson Gorman
Dr. Carl Nelson Gorman, also known as Kin-Ya-Onny-Beyeh (1907–1998) was a Navajo code talker, visual artist, painter, illustrator, and professor. He was faculty at the University of California, Davis, from 1950 until 1973. During World War II, G ...
(1907–1998), Navajo code talker, painter, printmaker, professor
*
Dave Gorman
David James Gorman (born 2 March 1971) is an English comedian, presenter, and writer.
Gorman began his career writing for comedy series such as ''The Mrs Merton Show'' (1993–1998) and ''The Fast Show'' (1994–1997), and later garnered ac ...
(born 1971), English documentary-comedian and humorist
*
Edward Gorman
Edward Joseph Gorman Jr. (November 2, 1941 – October 14, 2016) was an American writer and short fiction anthologist. He published in almost every genre, but is best known for his work in the crime, mystery, western, and horror fields. His no ...
(born 1941), novelist
*
Edwin Gorman
Edwin Frederick "Ed" Gorman (September 25, 1892 – March 10, 1963) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Ottawa Senators and the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was a member of the 1927 Sta ...
(1892–1963), hockey player
*
Eugene Gorman
Brigadier Sir Eugene "Pat" Gorman, (10 April 1891 – 19 July 1973) was an Australian barrister and military officer.
Early life
Gorman was born in Goornong, Victoria, on 10 April 1891 to Patrick Gorman and his Irish wife, Mary Mulcair. He was ...
(1891–1973), Australian lawyer
*
Francis J. Gorman
Francis J. Gorman (November 19, 1924 — July 8, 1987) was an American Democratic Party politician who served seven terms in the New Jersey General Assembly.
Born on November 19, 1924, in Gloucester City, New Jersey, Gorman graduated from Glouces ...
(1924–1987), American politician
*
H. Candace Gorman, Chicago civil rights attorney
*
Herb Gorman
Herbert Allen Gorman (December 19, 1924 – April 5, 1953) was an American professional baseball player. He had only one Major League at bat in a single game played for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1952; then, the following season, he died at age ...
(1924–1953), baseball player
*
James Gorman (VC)
James Gorman VC (21 August 1834 – 18 October 1882) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
Gorman ...
(1834–1882), English recipient of the Victoria Cross
*
James S. Gorman, U.S. Representative from Michigan
*
John Gorman (entertainer)
John Gorman (born 4 January 1936), is an English comedian, vocalist and comedy musician.
The Scaffold
After grammar school, Gorman worked as a Telecommunications Engineer. He was the founder of the comedy music group The Scaffold, best known fo ...
, British comedian, comic musician, member of the Grimms and The Scaffold
*
John Gorman (politician)
Sir John Reginald Gorman CVO, CBE, MC, DL (1 February 1923 – 26 May 2014) was an Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) politician who served as a Deputy Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly from 2000 to 2002, and was a Member of the Northern Irela ...
, Northern Ireland politician
*
Johnny Gorman
Rory John McCaughan Gorman (born 26 October 1992) is a footballer who plays as a winger.
He started his career with Manchester City, but was soon signed by Manchester United. After six years there, he was released and allowed to join Wolverha ...
, (born 1992) (professional footballer), Northern Ireland international footballer
*
Lawrence C. Gorman (1898–1953), American Roman Catholic priest and educator
*
Lisa Gorman
Lisa Gorman is an Australian fashion designer. She established the women’s fashion label Gorman, developed the brand for 22 years, retiring as its creative director in 2021.
Early life
Eldest of four daughters, Gorman grew up at the coastal ...
, Australian fashion designer
*
Lou Gorman
James Gerald "Lou" Gorman (February 18, 1929 – April 1, 2011) was an American baseball executive, and the former general manager of the Seattle Mariners and Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. He spent more than three decades in baseball op ...
(James G. "Lou" Gorman), general manager of the Boston Red Sox 1984–1993
*
Margaret Gorman
Margaret Gorman (August 18, 1905 – October 1, 1995) was an American model and beauty queen who was the winner of the first Miss America beauty pageant after being crowned Miss District of Columbia in 1921.
Pageantry
Gorman was a junior at W ...
, first Miss America
*
Melissa Gorman
Melissa Anne Gorman (born 11 December 1985) is an Australian long-distance swimmer who specialises in long-distance freestyle and open-water events.
Career
At the 2006 Commonwealth Games, Gorman won a silver medal in the 800 m freestyle.
At ...
, Australian long-distance swimmer
*
Michael Gorman (librarian)
Michael Gorman (born 6 March 1941 in Witney, Oxfordshire) is a British-born librarian, library scholar and editor/writer on library issues noted for his traditional views. During his tenure as president of the American Library Association (ALA ...
, librarian in California
*
Michael A. Gorman, politician in North Carolina
*
Mike Gorman
Michael Gorman (born November 24, 1945) is an American television play-by-play commentator for the Boston Celtics on NBC Sports Boston. Gorman also did play-by-play, alongside Fran Fraschilla, for NBC for basketball games during the 2016 Summer ...
, basketball commentator
*
Nathan Gorman
Nathan Gorman (born 25 June 1996) is a British professional boxer. He held the WBC International Silver heavyweight title from 2017 to 2019 and challenged twice for the British heavyweight title in 2019 and 2022.
Early life
Gorman was born on ...
(born 1996), British boxer
*
Nolan Gorman
Nolan Brian Gorman (born May 10, 2000) is an American professional baseball second baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, Gorman was drafted by the Cardinals out of high school i ...
(born 2000), American baseball player
*
Owen Gorman
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. ...
, British Army officer and commandant of the Moreton Bay penal colony
*
Paul Gorman (disambiguation), multiple people
**
Paul Gorman
Paul Gorman is a writer whose journalism has appeared in many of the world's leading publications. He has also published several books on art, design, fashion, media and music and curated exhibitions in Europe and the US.
Journalism
From 1978, ...
, London-based journalist, writer and pop culture historian
**
Paul F. Gorman, retired United States Army four-star general
*
Pierre Gorman
Pierre Patrick Gorman, (1 October 1924 – 1 October 2006) was an Australian librarian and academic who specialised in education for children with disabilities. Gorman, born profoundly deaf, was the first deaf person to receive a doctorate at C ...
, Australian librarian and educator
*
R. C. Gorman
Rudolph Carl Gorman (July 26, 1931 – November 3, 2005) was a Native American artist of the Navajo Nation. Referred to as "the Picasso of American Indian artists" by ''The New York Times'', his paintings are primarily of Native American wo ...
, Native American artist – painter
*
Robert A. Gorman
Robert A. Gorman (born April 22, 1937) is the Kenneth W. Gemmill Professor Emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Biography
Gorman was born in New York City.
Gorman obtained an A.B. ''summa cum laude'' from Harvard College in 195 ...
(born 1937), law professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School
*
Robert J. Gorman, (1915–2007), Chicago civil rights attorney
*
Ross Gorman
John Ross Smeed Gorman (November 18, 1890 – February 27, 1953) was an American jazz clarinetist
This article lists notable musicians who have played the clarinet.
Classical clarinetists
* Laver Bariu
* Ernest Ačkun
* Luís Afonso
* Cr ...
(c. 1890–1953), American jazz musician
*
Russ Gorman
Russell Neville Joseph Gorman (20 July 1926 – 3 January 2017) was an Australian politician. He was an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1983 to 1996, representing the electorate of Chifley. Gorman ...
(born 1927), Australian politician
*
Suzy Gorman
Suzanne Gorman (born June 8, 1962) is an American photographer based in St. Louis. Her client list includes former President Bill Clinton, former First Ladies Barbara Bush and Hillary Clinton, and sports and entertainment personalities such as ...
(born 1962), American photographer
*
Teresa Gorman
Teresa Ellen Gorman (''née'' Moore; 30 September 1931 – 28 August 2015) was a British politician. She was Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Billericay (UK Parliament c ...
, British politician, former Conservative Member of Parliament
*
Thomas Gorman (disambiguation), multiple people
*
W. M. Gorman, Irish economist
*
Willis A. Gorman
Willis Arnold Gorman (January 12, 1816 – May 20, 1876) was an American lawyer, soldier, politician, and a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
Biography
Gorman was born near Flemingsburg, Kentucky. He was the only child of D ...
, U.S. Representative from Indiana; second Territorial Governor of Minnesota
References
External links
O'Gorman family pedigreeat Library Ireland
by Peter Biggins
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gorman (Surname)
English-language surnames
Anglicised Irish-language surnames
Surnames of Irish origin