The

surname In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community. Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...

McKiernan McKiernan is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Andrew J. McKiernan (born 1970, Sydney, Australia), Australian speculative fiction writer and Illustrator * Brian Mág Tighearnán (anglicised Brian McKiernan) was chief of the McKi ...

( ga, Mág Tighearnán), is of

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 ...

origin and is found predominantly in the county of

Cavan Cavan ( ; ) is the county town of County Cavan in Ireland. The town lies in Ulster, near the border with County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland. The town is bypassed by the main N3 road that links Dublin (to the south) with Enniskillen, Bally ...

where it originated. The

Irish name A formal Irish name consists of a given name and a surname. In the Irish language, surnames are generally patronymic in etymology but are no longer literal patronyms as, for example, most Icelandic names still are. The form of a surname varies ac ...

is Mág Tighearnán meaning ''the Son of Tighearnán'' and the clan or

sept A sept is a division of a family, especially of a Scottish or Irish family. The term is used in both Scotland and Ireland, where it may be translated as ''sliocht'', meaning "progeny" or "seed", which may indicate the descendants of a person ( ...

takes its name from one Tighearnán who lived c. 1100 AD. He was descended from the 8th-century Dúnchadh, a descendant of

Brión mac Echach Muigmedóin Brión (or Brían), son of Eochaid Mugmedón, was a legendary and possibly historical Irish king, fl. 4th/5th century. Biography The older half-brother of Niall Noígíallach ( Niall of the Nine Hostages) and one of the three brothers whose des ...

. Dúnchadh gave his name to Teallach Dúnchadha (Irish meaning the Hearth of Dúnchadh), the modern day barony of

Tullyhunco Tullyhunco () is a barony in County Cavan, Ireland. It comprises the civil parishes of Kildallan, Killeshandra and Scrabby. Location Tullyhunco is located in western County Cavan. It borders County Leitrim to the west and County Longford to t ...

in County Cavan. Dúnchadh’s brother was Eochaidh from whom the neighbouring McGovern clan of

Tullyhaw Tullyhaw ( ga, Teallach Eathach) (which means 'The Territory of Eochaidh', an ancestor of the McGoverns, who lived ) is a Barony in County Cavan in the Republic of Ireland. The area has been in constant occupation since pre-4000 BC. Locate ...

barony descend. There are many variations found in the spelling of the name, all of which are attempts at a phonetic spelling of the Gaelic ''Mág Tighearnán''. The Mág part can be found as Mag, Meg, Mac, Mec, Mc, Ma or M'. The Tighearnán part (which may be attached to or detached from the ''Mág'' part and all its variations) can be found as Tighearnán, Thighearnán, Cighearnán,

, McKernan, McKernon, McKernin, McKiernen, McKyernan,

McTiernan McTiernan is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Edward McTiernan (1892–1990), Australian jurist, lawyer and politician *John McTiernan (born 1951), American film director and producer See also * McKiernan Clan * McKernan (sur ...

McTernan McTernan is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *John McTernan (actor), Australian actor *John McTernan (born 1959), English politician and political consultant *Sarah McTernan (born 1994), Irish singer-songwriter See also * McKie ...

, MacKiernan, MacKernan, MacTiernan, MacTernan, Kiernan, Kernan, Tiernan etc. ''A study of eight townlands in the parish of Killeshandra'', by Maura Nallen in Breifne Journal, Vol. IX, No. 35 (1999), pp. 5-85

Chiefs of the Clan

The following is a provisional list of the chiefs of the McKiernan Clan, Barons or Lords of Tullyhunco. *c.1080-1120 Tighearnán mac Maenuigh, after whom the clan is named and who lived in the townland of

Listiernan Listiernan (Irish derived place name, Lios Tighearnán meaning 'The Fort of Tighearnán mac Maenuigh', after whom the McKiernan Clan is named and who lived in the fort, c. 1080-1120.) is a townland in the civil parish of Kildallan, barony of Tully ...

(meaning the Fort of Tighearnán), parish of

Kildallan Kildallan civil parish is situated in the Barony of Tullyhunco, County Cavan, Ireland. Etymology The name of the parish derives from Kildallan townland which is an Anglicisation of the Gaelic ''Cill Dalláin'' meaning the 'Church of Dallán Forga ...

, barony of Tullyhunco,

County Cavan County Cavan ( ; gle, Contae an Chabháin) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and is part of the Border Region. It is named after the town of Cavan and is base ...

*c.1120-1160 Amhlaoibh Mág Tighearnán, (i.e. the first chief to bear the name Mág Tighearnán or McKiernan), son of Tighearnán *c.1160-1200 Gíolla Chríost Mág Tighearnán, son of Amhlaoibh *c.1200-1231 Íomhaor Mág Tighearnán, the First, son of Gíolla Chríost *1231-c.1240 Duarcán Mág Tighearnán, the First, son of Íomhaor the First *c.1240-1258

Macraith Mág Tighearnán Macraith Mág Tighearnán (anglicised Magrath McKiernan) was chief of the McKiernan Clan and Baron or Lord of Tullyhunco barony, County Cavan from c.1240 until his death in 1258. Ancestry Macraith was the son of Tighearnán who was son of Conb ...

(d.1258), son of Tighearnán son of Conbuidhe *1258-c.1269 Íomhaor Mág Tighearnán, the Second, son of Tighearnán *c.1269-1279 Gíolla Íosa Mór Mág Tighearnán *1279-1290 Duarcán Mág Tighearnán, the Second, son of Íomhaor the Second *1290-1290 Sithric ‘Carrach-in-Cairn’ Mág Tighearnán, son of Duarcán the Second *1290-1311

Matha Mág Tighearnán Matha Mág Tighearnán (anglicised Matthew McKiernan) was chief of the McKiernan Clan and Baron or Lord of Tullyhunco barony, County Cavan from 1290 until 1311. Ancestry Matha was the son of Gíolla Íosa 'Leith' Mág Tighearnán, son of Si ...

, grandson of Sithric *1311-1312 Domhnall ’An Saithnech’ Mág Tighearnán, brother of Matha and Conchobar *1312-1314 Conchobar ‘Buidhe’ Mág Tighearnán, brother of Matha and Domhnall *1314-1358

Tomás Mág Tighearnán Tomás Mág Tighearnán (anglicised Thomas McKiernan) was chief of the McKiernan Clan and Baron or Lord of Tullyhunco barony, County Cavan from 1314 until his death in 1358. Ancestry Tomás was the son of Gíolla Íosa 'Leith' Mág Tighearnán, ...

, brother of Matha and Domhnall *1358-1362

Brian Mág Tighearnán Brian Mág Tighearnán (anglicised Brian McKiernan) was chief of the McKiernan Clan of Tullyhunco, County Cavan from 1358 until 1362. Ancestry Brian was the son of Matha Mág Tighearnán (d.1311), son of Gíolla Íosa 'Leith' Mág Tighearnán, s ...

, son of Matha *1362-1383

Fergal Mág Tighearnán Fergal or Feargal are Irish, male given names. They are anglicized forms of the name Fearghal.Mairéad Byrne, Irish Baby Names – 25 Apr 2005 The arts *Fergal Keane, OBE (born 1961), Irish writer and broadcaster *Feargal Sharkey (born 1958), for ...

the First, son of Tomás *1383-1412

Cú Connacht Mág Tighearnán Cú Connacht Mág Tighearnán (anglicised Constantine McKiernan) was chief of the McKiernan Clan of Tullyhunco, County Cavan from 1383 until his death in 1412. Ancestry Cú Connacht was the son of Tomás Mág Tighearnán, son of Gíolla Íosa ' ...

, son of Tomás *14??-1474

Tadhg Mág Tighearnán Tadhg Mág Tighearnán (anglicised Teigue McKiernan) was chief of the McKiernan Clan of Tullyhunco, County Cavan until his death in 1474.C. Parker, "Two minor septs of late medieval Breifne", in Breifne Journal, Vol. VIII, No. 31 (1995), pp. 566� ...

*14??-1499

John Mág Tighearnán John Mág Tighearnán, the First, (anglicised John McKiernan) was chief of the McKiernan Clan of Tullyhunco, County Cavan until his death in 1499.C. Parker, "Two minor septs of late medieval Breifne", in Breifne Journal, Vol. VIII, No. 31 (1995), ...

, the First *1499-1512

William Mág Tighearnán William is a masculine given name of Norman French origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conques ...

*1512-1523

Fergal Mág Tighearnán, the Second Fergal or Feargal are Irish, male given names. They are anglicized forms of the name Fearghal.Mairéad Byrne, Irish Baby Names – 25 Apr 2005 The arts *Fergal Keane, OBE (born 1961), Irish writer and broadcaster *Feargal Sharkey (born 1958), for ...

, great-grandson of Brian *15??-1588

Fergal Mág Tighearnán, the Third Fergal Mág Tighearnán, the Third (anglicised Fergal McKiernan) was chief of the McKiernan Clan of Tullyhunco, County Cavan until his death in 1588. Chieftainship The Annals do not mention Tullyhunco between 1523 and 1582 apart from a fight th ...

*1588-1622

Brian 'Bán' Mág Tighearnán Brian (sometimes spelled Bryan (given name), Bryan in English) is a male given name of Irish language, Irish and Breton language, Breton origin, as well as a surname of Occitan language, Occitan origin. It is common in the English-speaking world. ...

*1641-1657 John Mág Tighearnán, the Second

References

#C. Parker, “Two minor septs of late medieval Breifne”, in Breifne Journal, Vol. VIII, No. 31 (1995), pp. 566–586 #M. McShane, 'Land "parcells" of Tullyhunco from the Ulster inquisitions of 1629', in Breifne Journal, Vol. XIII, No. 51 (2016), pp. 756–781. #M.V. Duignan (1934), "The Uí Briúin Bréifni genealogies", pp. 90–137, in JRSAI Vol. 4, No. 1, Jun. 30, 1934.

External links

{{Connachta Irish families Surnames