O'Dea ( ; , formerly ), is an
Irish surname
A formal Irish name consists of a given name and a surname. In the Irish language, most surnames are patronymic surnames (distinct from patronymic, patronyms, which are seen in Icelandic names for example). The form of a surname varies according ...
derived from ', the name of a tenth-century
clan
A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship
and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, a clan may claim descent from a founding member or apical ancestor who serves as a symbol of the clan's unity. Many societie ...
chieftain. According to historian C. Thomas Cairney, the O'Deas were one of the chiefly families of the
Dal gCais or
Dalcassians
The Dalcassians ( ) are a Gaelic Irish clan, generally accepted by contemporary scholarship as being a branch of the Déisi Muman, that became very powerful in Ireland during the 10th century. Their genealogies claimed descent from Tál Cas. ...
who were a tribe of the
Erainn who were the second wave of Celts to settle in
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
between about 500 and 100
BC.
O'Dea clan origins
The O'Dea clan, also found as
O'Day or just Day, came originally from
County Clare
County Clare () is a Counties of Ireland, county in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster in the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern part of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Clare County Council ...
in Ireland where there is a fortified
tower house
A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation. Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountainous or limited access areas, to command and defend strategic points ...
over 500 years old known as
O'Dea Castle at the townland of Dysert O'Dea (). The ruins of the
Dysert O'Dea Monastery, round tower, and St. Tola's high cross are 265 metres to the south-southwest of the castle in the adjacent townland of Mollaneen (), near
Corofin. ()
Edward MacLysaght, the former
Chief Herald of Ireland, writing in his book, ''Irish Families'', began his discussion of the O'Dea family as follows:
In another book, ''The Surnames of Ireland'', MacLysaght describes the O'Deas as "one of the principal
Dalcassian septs", and about the name itself, he remarks, "The prefix O is now almost always used, but a century ago Dea was quite usual and the surname
Day
A day is the time rotation period, period of a full Earth's rotation, rotation of the Earth with respect to the Sun. On average, this is 24 hours (86,400 seconds). As a day passes at a given location it experiences morning, afternoon, evening, ...
was regarded as synonymous."
Ancestry
The O'Deas – together with the
O'Quinns () and the
O'Griffins () – belonged to the group, which was a branch of the
Dalcassian tribe.
See also
*
Day
A day is the time rotation period, period of a full Earth's rotation, rotation of the Earth with respect to the Sun. On average, this is 24 hours (86,400 seconds). As a day passes at a given location it experiences morning, afternoon, evening, ...
surname
*
O'Day surname
*
List of people with surname O'Dea
*
O'Dea Castle
*
Dysert O'Dea Monastery
*
Battle of Dysert O'Dea
*
Irish clans
Irish clans are traditional kinship groups sharing a common surname and heritage and existing in a lineage-based society, originating prior to the 17th century. A clan (or in Irish, plural ) included the chief and his Patrilineality, patrilineal ...
References
Further reading
* ''O'Dea: Ua Deághaidh: The Story of a Rebel Clan'', by Risteárd Ua Cróinín (Richard Cronin), Ballinakella Press, Whitegate, Co. Clare, Ireland, 1992. .
* ''Irish Battles – A Military History of Ireland'', by G.A. Hayes-McCoy, Appletree Press, 1990,
External links
O'Dea Clanwebsite
{{DEFAULTSORT:O'Dea
Irish families
Surnames
English-language surnames
Surnames of Irish origin
Septs of the Dál gCais
Anglicised Irish-language surnames