The O'Cahan ( Irish: ''Ó Catháin'' 'descendants of Cahan') were a powerful sept of the

Northern Uí Néill The Northern Uí Néill is any of several dynasties in north-western medieval Ireland that claimed descent from a common ancestor, Niall of the Nine Hostages. Other dynasties in central and eastern Ireland who also claimed descent from Niall wer ...

’s Cenél nEógain in

medieval Ireland Ireland in the Middle Ages may refer to: * History of Ireland (400–800), Ireland in the early Middle Ages *History of Ireland (800–1169), Ireland in the high Middle Ages *History of Ireland (1169–1536), Ireland in the late Middle Ages See a ...

. The name is presently anglicized as Keane,

O'Kane O'Kane is an Irish surname, anglicised from the Irish Ó Catháin, and was the name of a significant clann in Ulster, a province of Ireland. The surname has also been anglicised as O'Cahan, Kane, O'Keane, O'Kean, O'Keen, O'Keene, Keen, Keene, Kain, ...

and Kane. The O'Cahan's originated in Laggan in the east of

County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ga, Contae Dhún na nGall) is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrconne ...

and from there moved eastwards in the twelfth century, ousting the O'Connor from Keenaght in

County Londonderry County Londonderry ( Ulster-Scots: ''Coontie Lunnonderrie''), also known as County Derry ( ga, Contae Dhoire), is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the thirty two counties of Ireland and one of the nine counties of Ulster. B ...

. They held the lordship of Keenaght and Coleraine until the seventeenth century, to which it was commonly referred to as "O'Cahan's country". Under the sub-ordination of their kin, the

O'Neill The O'Neill dynasty (Irish: ''Ó Néill'') are a lineage of Irish Gaelic origin, that held prominent positions and titles in Ireland and elsewhere. As kings of Cenél nEógain, they were historically the most prominent family of the Northern ...

s, they held the privilege of inaugurating the chief of the O'Neill by tossing a shoe over the new chief's head in acceptance of his rule. There is also an unrelated sept of O'Cahan in the province of

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 ...

, the O'Cahan Ui Fiachra (''Ó Catháin Uí Fiachrach''). At first O'Cahan held the title chief of Cenel Ianna. After expelling O'Drennan (''Ó Draighneán''), chief of Cenel Sedna, O'Cahan was henceforth known as chief of Cenel Sedna. Eoghan O'Cahan (''Eogháin Ua Catháin''), abbot of Clonfert (''Cluan-fearta-Brennainn''),

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

, Republic of Ireland, died 980 A.D. He was the earliest recorded O'Cahan and most likely belonged to the O'Cahan's of Galway.

Name

The surname has been anglicised O'Cahan, Cahan, McCaughan, O'Kane, Kane, O'Keane, Keane, O'Kean, O'Keene, Keen, Keene, Kain, O'Kaine, Kathan, and similar variations thereof.

History

The O'Cahan sept of Keenaght Glengiven first appear on record in 1138. A thirteenth-century chief of the family was

Cumee na Gall O'Cahan Cumee na Gall O'Cahan (Irish: ''Cú Maighe na nGall Ó Catháin'') was a chief of the O'Cahan of Keenaght, Fir-na-Creeve and Fir Lee in modern-day County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The family first appears on record in 1138. Cumee was a son of ...

. A heavily restored effigy at Dungiven Priory is sometimes associated with Cumee, although it appears to date to the last quarter of the fifteenth century, and seems to be that of a later member of the sept. Dunseverick Castle also formed part of the O'Cahan possessions until their destruction by the English. The clan suffered a blow during the battle of Drumderg, where fifteen O'Cahan chieftains were slain in battle against the Normans and their gaelic allies.

Rory Dall O'Cahan Ruaidrí Dáll Ó Catháin (anglicized: Rory Dall O'Cahan) may have been an Irish harper and composer. Recent research, however, raises the question whether he ever really existed. He is said to have been born circa 1580 in County Antrim and to hav ...

, an Irish harpist of the 17th century most famous as the composer of

Give Me Your Hand "Give Me Your Hand" (Irish: ''Tabhair dom do Lámh'') is a tune from early 17th century Ireland by Rory Dall O'Cahan. It is one of the most widely recorded pieces of Irish traditional music. Composer According to Edward Bunting, in The Ancient M ...

, may have penned the popular Irish tune the " Londonderry Air", in order to lament the destruction of O'Cahan power. Consequently, it may have been originally called " O'Cahan's Lament". The music is best known as the tune of the song "

Danny Boy "Danny Boy" is a ballad, written by English songwriter Frederic Weatherly in 1913, and set to the traditional Irish melody of "Londonderry Air". History In 1910, in Bath, Somerset, the English lawyer and lyricist Frederic Weatherly initial ...

".Explore Limavady
/ref> By the late 16th-century, "O'Cahan's Country" became the county of Coleraine. The majority of Ó Catháin chiefs fled Ulster in the Flight of the Earls in 1607, and under the terms of Surrender and regrant they forfeited their lands to the English crown. During the subsequent

Plantation of Ulster The Plantation of Ulster ( gle, Plandáil Uladh; Ulster-Scots: ''Plantin o Ulstèr'') was the organised colonisation (''plantation'') of Ulstera province of Irelandby people from Great Britain during the reign of King James I. Most of the sett ...

, County Coleraine along with parts of counties Antrim, Donegal, and Tyrone, were merged to form County Londonderry. After the Flight of the Earls in 1607,

Donnell Ballagh O'Cahan Donnell Ballagh O'Cahan (died 1627) was an Irish landowner in Ulster. A vassal of Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, O'Cahan was frequently in rebellion alongside his lord in the closing years of the 16th century. Although he did not go into exile wit ...

, Chief of the Ó Catháin (and at one time knighted by the English Crown), was captured and sent to the Tower of London, where he died in 1626. There has been no Chief since.

External links

Ó Catháin in Ireland

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ocahan History of Northern Ireland Irish families Surnames of Irish origin O Cathain

Name

History

See also

External links

References