Mac Siúrtáin, aka Mac Jordan and ''Jordan'', is the name of a

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 ...

family of

Norman-Irish From the 12th century onwards, a group of Normans invaded and settled in Gaelic Ireland. These settlers later became known as Norman Irish or Hiberno-Normans. They originated mainly among Cambro-Norman families in Wales and Anglo-Normans from ...

origins.

Ancestry

The family take their name from the Norman knight,

Jordan de Exeter Jordan de Exeter (floruit, fl. 1239–58), also known as Jordan d'Exeter, was an Anglo-Normans, Anglo-Norman knight, Sheriff of Connacht, and ancestor of the Clan Siurtain Gaileng/Mac Siurtain/Mac Jordan of Connacht. Life and family De Exeter t ...

, whose descendants became known as Mac Siúrtáin - 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 ...

form of

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...

- and were based in

County Mayo County Mayo (; ga, Contae Mhaigh Eo, meaning "Plain of the Taxus baccata, yew trees") is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Conn ...

. The de Exeter's were originally from the town of

Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

, and are recorded 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 Meath from the 1230s onwards. They included Henry de Exeter, Mayor of Dublin c.1240-41; Michael d'Exeter, Bishop of Ossory 1289-1302; Richard de Exeter, killed 1287;

Sir Richard de Exeter Sir Richard de Exeter (died 1327) was an Anglo-Normans, Anglo-Norman knight and baron who served as a judge in Ireland.Ball p.23 Biography The son of Richard de Exeter (his father married three times, and his mother's identity is uncertain), Sir ...

, died 1327; and Sir Stephen de Exeter, fl. 1280-1316.

Mac Jordan of Gallen

The descendants of

settled in

, mainly in what is now

. The territory they conquered,

Gailenga Gailenga was the name of two related peoples and kingdoms found in medieval Ireland in Brega and Connacht. Origins Along with the Luighne, Delbhna, Saitne and Ciannachta, the Gailenga claimed descent from Tadc mac Cein mac Ailill Aulom. Franci ...

(later known as the

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 Gallen), was the southern part of

Luighne Muimne, Luigne and Laigne, sons of Érimón by his wife Odba, were, according to medieval Irish legends and historical traditions, joint High Kings of Ireland following the death of their father. They ruled for three years, until Muimne died of pl ...

(also known as

Sliabh Lugha The Kings of Sliabh Lugha were rulers of the district of Sliabh Lugha located in what is now the barony of Costello, County Mayo, Ireland. The Sliabh Lugha area was originally part of Gailenga but by the 12th-century was separately called Slia ...

), whose lords were the

clan A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clans may claim descent from founding member or apical ancestor. Clans, in indigenous societies, tend to be endogamous, meaning ...

Ó Gadhra Ó Gadhra or O'Gara is an Ireland, Irish surname which originated in the kingdom of Luighne Connacht. Variants include Garry (surname), Garry, Geary (surname), Geary, Gerry, and Guiry (disambiguation), Guiry. Irish Names and Surnames', pp. 100. Pa ...

. The de Exeters expelled the Ó Gadhras into Coolavin,

County Sligo County Sligo ( , gle, Contae Shligigh) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the Border Region and is part of the province of Connacht. Sligo is the administrative capital and largest town in the county. Sligo County Council is the local ...

, while the clan Ó hEaghra retained the name Luighne for their territory to the north. Becoming steadily

Gaelicised Gaelicisation, or Gaelicization, is the act or process of making something Gaelic, or gaining characteristics of the ''Gaels'', a sub-branch of celticisation. The Gaels are an ethno-linguistic group, traditionally viewed as having spread from Irel ...

over a number of generations, the family as a whole were known as the Mac Siúrtáin (or Mac Jordan, i.e., the sons of Jordan). Only the chief of the clan was entitled to be called de Exeter. John de Exeter/John na Conairte Mac Jordan is commonly believed to be the common ancestor of all Jordans of Connacht, except for a family called Mac Jordan Duff, descended from

Jocelyn de Angulo Jocelyn de Angulo, 1st Baron of Navan (''fl.'' 1172), was an Anglo-Norman knight. Biography De Angulo was one of fifty knights serving under Hugh de Lacy upon the latter's grant of the Lordship of Meath by King Henry II of England in 1172. Joce ...

Chiefs of the Name

John Mac Siúrtáin John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

, died 1394. *

Thomas Mac Siúrtáin Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the Ap ...

, fl. 1497. *

Thomas Dubh Mac Siúrtáin Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the Ap ...

, died 1584.

De Exeter family tree

Stephen, dead by 1280. Jordan, fl. 1239-58. John de Exeter, died 1261. =Johanna, alive 1280. =Basilia, fl. 1253 , , , , , , ___________________ Richard de Exeter, d. 1287. Sir Stephen, d. 1316 , , , =Matilda, fl. 1318. , , , _________________ , Meiler, k. 1289. Jordan Óge , , , , , , , Sir Stephen, fl. 1302. , ____, Sir Richard John, b.1270 Meiler, k. 1317. , , , , , , __________________ John na Conairte Jordan Bacach , , , , , , Simon Richard of Derver Clan Jordan of Mayo fl.1335 fl. 1347.

References

* ''The History of the County of Mayo to the Close of the Sixteenth Century. With illustrations and three maps'',

Hubert T. Knox Hubert Thomas Knox (1845–1921) was an Irish historian. He was the third son of Charles Knox of Ballinrobe, who would later be High Sheriff of Mayo in 1860 and was a colonel in the North Mayo Militia. His great-grandfather was James Cuffe, 1 ...

. Originally published 1908, Hogges Figgies and Co. Dublin. Reprinted by De Burca rare books, 1982. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Mac Siurtain Normans in Ireland Irish families Surnames of Irish origin Surnames Irish-language surnames