O'Dowd
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O'Dowd () is an Irish
Gaelic Gaelic (pronounced for Irish Gaelic and for Scots Gaelic) is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". It may refer to: Languages * Gaelic languages or Goidelic languages, a linguistic group that is one of the two branches of the Insul ...
clan based most prominently in what is today
County Mayo County Mayo (; ) 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 Connacht, it is named after the village of Mayo, County Mayo, Mayo, now ge ...
and
County Sligo County Sligo ( , ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Northern and Western Region and is part of the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht. Sligo is the administrative capital and largest town in ...
. The clan name originated in the 9th century as a derivative of its founder Dubda mac Connmhach. The O'Dowd clan can be traced to the Doonfeeney area of what is now the parish of Ballycastle in Co. Mayo. A large earthen ring fortificatiation still exists called 'Rath O'Dubhda". The nearby early ecclesiastical site at Doonfeeney was more than likely developed under the patronage of the O'Dowds. They descend in the paternal line from the
Connachta The Connachta are a group of medieval Irish dynasty, dynasties who claimed descent from the legendary High King of Ireland, High King Conn of the Hundred Battles, Conn Cétchathach (Conn of the Hundred Battles). The modern western Provinces of ...
's
Uí Fiachrach The Uí Fiachrach () were a royal dynasty who originated in, and whose descendants later ruled, the ''coicead'' or ''fifth'' of Connacht (a western province of Ireland) at different times from the mid-first millennium onwards. They claimed descen ...
. The immediate progenitors of the O'Dowd were
Kings of Connacht The Kings of Connacht were rulers of the ''cóiced'' (variously translated as portion, fifth, province) of Connacht, which lies west of the River Shannon, Ireland. However, the name only became applied to it in the early medieval era, being name ...
during the 7th and 8th centuries in the form of Dúnchad Muirisci, Indrechtach mac Dúnchado,
Ailill Medraige mac Indrechtaig Ailill Medraige mac Indrechtaig (died 764) was a King of Connacht from the Uí Fiachrach Muaidhe branch of the Connachta. He was the son of Indrechtach mac Dúnchado Muirisci (died 707), a previous king and grandson of Dúnchad Muirisci mac Tip ...
and Donn Cothaid mac Cathail, before losing ground to their rivals the
Uí Briúin The Uí Briúin were a royal dynasty of Connacht. Their eponymous apical ancestor was Brión, son of Eochaid Mugmedon and Mongfind, and an elder half brother of Niall of the Nine Hostages. They formed part of the Connachta, along with th ...
. Genealogically, they are closely related to the
O'Shaughnessy Ó Seachnasaigh, O'Shaughnessy, collectively Uí Sheachnasaigh, clan name Cinél nAedha na hEchtghe, is a family surname of Irish origin. The name is found primarily in County Galway and County Limerick. Their name derives from Seachnasach mac ...
, MacFirbis, O’Finnerty (Ó Fiannachta) all members of Clan Conway (i.e. Connmhach). Indeed, the O'Dowd were the main patrons of the MacFirbis clan who produced key works of Irish history such as the
Great Book of Lecan The ''Great Book of Lecan'' or simply ''Book of Lecan'' () ( RIA, 23 P 2) is a late-medieval Irish manuscript written between 1397 and 1418 in Castle Forbes, Lecan (Lackan, Leckan; Irish ), in the territory of Tír Fhíacrach, near moder ...
and the ''
Leabhar na nGenealach ''Leabhar na nGenealach'' ("Book of Genealogies") is a massive genealogical collection written mainly in the years 1649 to 1650, at the college-house of St. Nicholas' Collegiate Church, Galway, by Dubhaltach MacFhirbhisigh. He continued to add m ...
''. From the 8th to the 15th centuries, the O'Dowd were Kings of Ui Fiachrach Muaidhe, a sub-kingdom within the
Kingdom of Connacht The Kings of Connacht were rulers of the ''cóiced'' (variously translated as portion, fifth, province) of Connacht, which lies west of the River Shannon, Ireland. However, the name only became applied to it in the early medieval era, being named ...
. After their realm was incorporated into the
Kingdom of Ireland The Kingdom of Ireland (; , ) was a dependent territory of Kingdom of England, England and then of Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain from 1542 to the end of 1800. It was ruled by the monarchs of England and then List of British monarchs ...
, they were Lord of Tír Fhiacrach


Naming conventions

O'Dowd is the most common anglicisation of the
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 ...
Ó Dubhda. Other anglicised variants are Dowd, Dawdy, Dowdy, O'Dowda and Dowds, with Doody and Duddy, found around
Killarney Killarney ( ; , meaning 'church of sloes') is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The town is on the northeastern shore of Lough Leane, part of Killarney National Park, and is home to St Mary's Cathedral, Killar ...
, where a branch of the
Connacht Connacht or Connaught ( ; or ), is the smallest of the four provinces of Ireland, situated in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, C ...
family settled. All are Ó Dubhda (pronounced O Dooda) in Irish, the root word being "dubh" black. A quite distinct minor
sept A sept () is a division of a family, especially of a Scottish or Irish family. The term is used both in Scotland and in Ireland, where it may be translated as Irish , meaning "progeny" or "seed", and may indicate the descendants of a person ...
of Ó Dubhda was located in
County Londonderry County Londonderry (Ulster Scots dialects, Ulster-Scots: ''Coontie Lunnonderrie''), also known as County Derry (), is one of the six Counties of Northern Ireland, counties of Northern Ireland, one of the thirty-two Counties of Ireland, count ...
. Descendants of this sept in
Ulster Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...
today are usually anglicised as Duddy, Dowd or Dowds.


Annalistic references

* ''AI1126.12 Ua Dubda, king of Uí Amalgada, was drowned along with the crews of two coracles.'' * ''AI1127.11 Gilla Críst Ua Dubda of Cenél Eógain Aelaig died.''


History

The O'Dowd clan or sept traces its descent from
Fiachrae Fiachrae was an Irish prince, the son of the high king Eochaid Mugmedón (d.362) by his wife Mongfind, sister of Crimthann mac Fidaig (d.367).Francis J.Byrne, ''Irish Kings and High-Kings'', Table 1 He was ancestor of the Uí Fiachrach dynasti ...
, an older half-brother of Niall of the Nine Hostages, through
Nath Í mac Fiachrach Nath Í, also known as Dathí, son of Fiachrae, son of Eochaid Mugmedon, was a semi-historical Irish king of the 5th century, the father of the likely-historical king Ailill Molt and the ancestor of the Uí Fiachrach dynasties of early medieval ...
(aka Dathí), the last pagan
High King of Ireland High King of Ireland ( ) 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 was later sometimes assigned anachronously or to leg ...
. Irish legend and early texts claim Dathí was killed by a bolt of lightning as he led an army to the foot of the Alps in 455 AD. His grandson Aillil succeeded as
King of Connacht The Kings of Connacht were rulers of the ''cóiced'' (variously translated as portion, fifth, province) of Connacht, which lies west of the River Shannon, Ireland. However, the name only became applied to it in the early medieval era, being named ...
and later
King 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 ...
until 482. For centuries they were the leading sept of the northern
Uí Fiachrach The Uí Fiachrach () were a royal dynasty who originated in, and whose descendants later ruled, the ''coicead'' or ''fifth'' of Connacht (a western province of Ireland) at different times from the mid-first millennium onwards. They claimed descen ...
, a tribal group that occupied the modern counties of Mayo and
Sligo Sligo ( ; , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of 20,608 in 2022, it is the county's largest urban centre (constituting 2 ...
. The Uí Fiachrach provided successive kings of Connacht for a long period, but their sphere of influence became confined to North Connacht. In the late 10th century, their king was named Aedh Ua Dubhda (Hugh O'Dooda). He is recorded as having 'died an untroubled death' in the year 982, making this surname one of the oldest in Europe. His grandson, Mulrony, who died in 1005 had the title of Lord of Hyfiachrach. The O'Dowds were a maritime power of considerable ability in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. On land they managed to hold their territory intact against the superior forces of the Burkes and Birminghams. Their territory at its widest embraced the túatha of
Erris Erris is a barony in northwestern County Mayo in Ireland consisting of over , much of which is mountainous blanket bog. It has extensive sea coasts along its west and north boundaries. The main towns are Belmullet and Bangor Erris. The name E ...
and Tír Amhlaidh in Mayo and Tir Fhiacrach Múaidhe in Sligo. They forged a kingdom in
Uí Fiachrach Muaidhe The Uí Fiachrach Muaidhe were a branch of the Uí Fiachrach dynasty of the Connachta in medieval Ireland. They were centred on the Moy River valley of modern-day County Mayo, Ireland. At its largest extent, their territory, Tír Fhíacrach Múai ...
(Northwest Connacht) which they ringed with 20
castles A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble. This i ...
, often referred to as "10-Pound Castles," and held off all comers for centuries until the incursion of the
Anglo-Normans The Anglo-Normans (, ) were the medieval ruling class in the Kingdom of England following the Norman Conquest. They were primarily a combination of Normans, Bretons, Flemings, French people, Frenchmen, Anglo-Saxons and Celtic Britons. Afte ...
. The style and design of these small Irish castles is said to have originated from a subsidy of 10-Pounds which was granted by Henry IV in 1429. However, many of the O'Dowd castles have a far more ancient history of being built directly over the site of Stone Age and Bronze Age fortifications. They were traditionally inaugurated as princes of Ui Fiachrach at Carn Amhalghaigh near
Killala Killala () is a village in County Mayo in Ireland, north of Ballina. The railway line from Dublin to Ballina once extended to Killala. To the west of Killala is the townland of Townsplots West (known locally as Enagh Beg), which contains a num ...
, on the east shore of Killala Bay near the border of Sligo and Mayo. They were considerably reduced by the Anglo-Norman incursion into Connacht in the thirteenth century but were still powerful and in 1354 Sen-Bhrian O'Dowd succeeded in driving all the Anglo-Norman settlers out of Tireragh for a time. The O'Dowds are unique in having left a detailed account of the inauguration ceremony of their
Taoiseach The Taoiseach (, ) is the head of government or prime minister of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The office is appointed by the President of Ireland upon nomination by Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legisl ...
(clan leader). This was written in an ancient manuscript known as the Great Book of Lecan, written near Enniscrone in Tireragh between 1397 and 1418 and now carefully preserved in Dublin. The inaugural ceremony of each succeeding O'Dowd was presided over by a MacFirbis, the hereditary chroniclers of the clan. One of the most generous sponsors of the MacFirbis scholars was Tadhg Riabhach Ó Dubhda ('Dark Teige'), who became Taoiseach of Tireragh in 1417. He is particularly remembered in this manuscript where his death is recorded at Enniscrone Castle. The last election of an O'Dowd Taoiseach took place in 1595. By this time they were simply a client clan of the O'Connor clan of Sligo. This coincided with the
Nine Years War The Nine Years' War was a European great power conflict from 1688 to 1697 between France and the Grand Alliance. Although largely concentrated in Europe, fighting spread to colonial possessions in the Americas, India, and West Africa. Relat ...
, when the last independent Irish clans rose to resist English occupation of
Ulster Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...
. The clan played an honourable role in the war, assisting
Hugh Roe O'Donnell Hugh Roe O'Donnell II (; 20 October 1572 – 30 August 1602), also known as Red Hugh O'Donnell, was an Irish Chief of the Name, clan chief and senior leader of the Irish confederacy during the Nine Years' War (Ireland), Nine Years' War. He was ...
, in defending the western border of Ulster from incursions by the
Earl of Essex Earl of Essex is a title in the Peerage of England which was first created in the 12th century by King Stephen of England. The title has been recreated eight times from its original inception, beginning with a new first Earl upon each new cre ...
in 1599 (most probably at the Battle of Curlew Pass). With the Irish defeat in 1603, their power rapidly dwindled and they were deprived of most of their patrimonial possessions. Daithi Óg O'Dowd, who married in 1636, was the last generation of O'Dowds given by MacFirbis in his pedigree of the clan. This also coincides with historical events – namely the Cromwellian reconquest (1642) following Ulster's 1641 revolt. From the rarity of the surname today, one must conclude that these successive wars, particularly those in the 17th century against the English, and the subsequent savage repression, greatly diminished O'Dowd numbers along with their power and influence. Several O'Dowds were bishops of the see of Killala. Father John Ó Duada, who was tortured and hanged in 1579, was one of the many Irish Franciscan martyrs. Many of the name appear in the ranks of the Confederate Catholics and, later in the seventeenth century, in Catholic King
James II of England James II and VII (14 October 1633 – 16 September 1701) was King of England and Monarchy of Ireland, Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII from the death of his elder brother, Charles II of England, Charles II, on 6 February 1 ...
's army during the
Williamite war in Ireland The Williamite War in Ireland took place from March 1689 to October 1691. Fought between Jacobitism, Jacobite supporters of James II of England, James II and those of his successor, William III of England, William III, it resulted in a Williamit ...
(1688–1691). The head of the sept at that time, who was killed at the
Battle of the Boyne The Battle of the Boyne ( ) took place in 1690 between the forces of the deposed King James II, and those of King William III who, with his wife Queen Mary II (his cousin and James's daughter), had acceded to the Crowns of England and Sc ...
(1690), is said to have been seven feet tall. The O'Dowd castle was built in Carn Amhalghaigh in 1477. The O'Dowds occupied the castle until the Cromwellian re-conquest. The castle was used as a Williamite military base during the later war and ceased to be inhabited shortly thereafter. A smaller keep was built at Castleconner near Ballina in 1520 by Conor O'Dowd, the Taoiseach of the time. Both castles are now in ruins. The noted Irish genealogiest,
Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh (), also known as Dubhaltach Óg mac Giolla Íosa Mór mac Dubhaltach Mór Mac Fhirbhisigh, Duald Mac Firbis, Dudly Ferbisie, and Dualdus Firbissius ( fl. 1643 – January 1671) was an Irish scribe, translator, histo ...
, was the last of the 'senchai' or hereditary historicans to the family. He was murdered in 1671.


Chief of the Name

* Brian Ó Dubhda; ''U1446.4: Brian Ua Dubda was slain by the Tir-Amhalghaidh.'' * Maol Ruanaidh mac Ruaidhrí Ó Dubhda, d. 1450 (18) * Domhnall Baile Ui Choitil Ó Dubhda, 1447–1454 (7) * Tadhg Buidhe mac Tadhg Riabhach Ó Dubhda, c. 1454-c.1457 (3) * Seaán Glas mac Tadhg Riabhach Ó Dubhda, c.1457–71?(14) *
Éamonn mac An Cosnamhach Ó Dubhda Éamonn mac An Cosnamhach Ó Dubhda was an Irish people, Irish Chief of the Name and Lord of Tireragh who died c. 1471. Almost the only document dealing with the succession of the Ó Dubhda Chief of the Name is ', which presents many chronologic ...
(5 and a half weeks) c. 1466? * Domhnall Ballach Ó Dubhda, (1), c. 1472? * Brian Cam mac An Cosnmhach Ó Dubhda, (2) c.1472-c.1474? * Eóghan Caoch mac Ruaidhrí Ó Dubhda (14), c. 1474-c.1488? *
Uilliam mac Domhnall Ballach Ó Dubhda William is a masculine given name of Germanic origin. It became popular in England after the Norman conquest in 1066,All Things William"Meaning & Origin of the Name"/ref> and remained so throughout the Middle Ages and into the modern era. It is ...
, (half a year) c. 1488? * Brian Óg Ó Dubhda, (half a year) c. 1488? *
Donnchadh Ultach Ó Dubhda Donnchadh () is a masculine given name common to the Irish and Scottish Gaelic languages. It is composed of the elements ''donn'', meaning "brown" or "dark" from Donn a Gaelic God; and ''chadh'', meaning "chief" or "noble". The name is also writt ...
(1), c. 1489? * Maghnus mac Tadhg Buidhe Ó Dubhda, (1), c. 1490? * Owen Caech Ó Dubhda, died 1495. * Uilliam Dubh Ó Dubhda, died 1496 (LCe;''1496. Ó Dubhda, Dubh, i.e. William, the son of Domhnall Ballach, died.'') * Féilim mac Tadhg Buidhe Ó Dubhda, (19), c. 1490?-c. 1509? * Conchabhar mac Diarmaid mac Maol Ruanaidh Ó Dubhda (30), c. 1509?-c.1549? * Éoghan mac Conchabhar Ó Dubhda, (7), c. 1549?–1556? * Cathal Dubh mac Conchabhar Ó Dubhda, c.1556?-? * Cathal Dubh mac Conchabhar Ó Dubhda, d. 1582. * Dathí Ruadh Ó Dubhda, d. 1594. * Dathí mac Dathí Ruadh Ó Dubhda, 1591-c.1660 * Dathí Óge Ó Dubhda, fl. 1656–1705. * Dominick O'Dowda, d. 1737. * Thady fitz Dominick O'Dowda, d. 1767. * James Vippler O'Dowda, Baron O'Dowda, ex. 1798. * Thady O'Dowd, fl. 1854. * Braeden Dowd, ex. 1802 * John Taaffe O'Dowd, d. 1895. * John Charles Haughton O'Dowd, d. 1916. * Albert Frederick O'Dowd, d. 1941. * Robert Francis O'Dowd, d. 1998. * Robert Frederick O'Dowd, d. 2017. * Sean R O'Dowd * Hannah Michelle O'Dowd See also Kings of Ui Fiachrach Muaidhe


O'Dowd Castles

The kingdom of the O'Dowds was ringed by 20 castles, most of which are now in ruins. The location of these castles are as follows: No:1 Lough Conn; No:2 Mount Balcon, River Moy; No:3 Beaufield; No:4 Belleek Castle, Ballina; No:5 Castleconor, River Moy; No:6 Castleton Manor; No:7 Enniscrone; No:8 Carahduff; No:9 Rathlee; No:10 Rosslee, Easkey; No:11 Dromore; No:12 Doonecoy; No:13 Cartron; No:14 Dromard; No:15 Lomford; No:16 Flooneen; No:17 Ballymote; No:18 Markcree; No:19 Lough Gill; No:20 Drumcliff Bay. These castles and ruins were researched and located over many years by the Clan O'Dowd historian, Conor Mac Hale. The O'Dowdas (O'Dowds) were chieftains of west Sligo in Anglo-Norman times and they built the Castle in Ballina, Co Mayo in 1447. The O'Dowds occupied the castle until the Cromwellian era (17th century). The castle is of three stories. Two of the main features are the subsidiary turrets that are situated on diagonally opposed corners. The outside measurements are approx. 20m in length and 10m wide. The thickness of the walls varies between 1.65m and 2.13m. The castle has been renovated over the years and two chimneys were added in the seventeenth century. Many of the original archer slits remain intact. After the eviction of the O'Dowds during the Cromwellian Plantation of the 1650s the castle and lands were given to Robert Morgan. It was used as a military site for the Williamite army during the war between the Catholic King James and the Protestant William of Orange. At the close of the 17th century the castle ceased to be inhabited.


Nottingham O'Dowds

Formed Pre WWI the Nottingham O'Dowds are a large Family. Edward O'Dowd's grandfather moved from Ireland at an unknown date. Edward then went on to marry Lucy and between them had 9 children. Two girls and seven boys, the eldest also named Edward. The eldest daughter is Joyce followed by Patrick O'Dowd. The names of the rest of the Nottingham O'Dowd children are Terry, Peter, Barry, Diane, Anthony and Trevor. There are estimated to be around 20 families of O'Dowd in and around Nottingham to this day.


Argentine O'Dowds

There are at least three families named Dowd (or O'Dowd), whose descendants are currently living in
Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
. One family descends from James Dowd who was born in Dublin in 1828, and who is recorded as marrying Mary Ann Heery. Another family descends from Michael Dowd who was born in Westmeath in 1824, and he is recorded as marrying Eileen Burke. The third family descends from another Michael Dowd who is said to have been born in Ireland in 1804. There is yet another Dowd branch in Argentina, that of Edward O'Dowd, married to Kathleen Lynch in Ireland (date unknown) parents of Edward Michael O'Dowd (born 1856 or 1857 in Westmeath). Edward emigrated to Argentina and settled in Navarro, Provincia de Buenos Aires, working in a farm. He married Mary Kelly Moran (whose parents were William Kelly and Anne Moran, both born in Ireland, emigrated to Argentina) and had 4 children: Anne "Annie" Dowd, Kathleen "Kitty" Dowd, Edward Dowd and John Dowd. Annie, Kitty and John died childless. Edward married Winifred Lucy Reynolds (born in New Zealand 16 April 1898), and died only 53 days later. Fortunately, Winifred was pregnant and gave birth to Eduardo José Dowd on 31 March 1931, who, in turn married Mercedes García (born in Asturias, Spain on 19 December 1931). They had 5 children, who live in Argentina.


New Zealand O'Dowds

The New Zealand branch of the O'Dowds (and Dowds), are descended from Patrick O'Dowd and Anna (née: Kenny). Patrick O'Dowd was born in Easky, Sligo in Ireland in 1805. He enlisted into the 97th Regiment of Foot (The Earl of Ulster's – also known as the "Celestials" due to the colour of their flashes on their uniforms) in 1824, aged 16. He was a Private and served 16 years in the British Army, including 11 years with the Regiment in
Ceylon Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
. Upon his retirement from the
British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
he was living in Manchester with his wife Anna and 4 children. He enlisted into The Royal New Zealand Fencibles (from the word defencible) and sailed for
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
from
Gravesend Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, situated 21 miles (35 km) east-southeast of Charing Cross (central London) on the Bank (geography), south bank of the River Thames, opposite Tilbury in Essex. Located in the diocese of Roche ...
on 1 July 1847, with his family aboard the "SS Minerva," arriving in the Port of Auckland 8 October 1847. This was the 2nd Detachment of Fencibles and included 80 Fencibles, 67 wives and 145 children. There are about 180 families living in New Zealand, mainly in the
Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...
region who bear the surname O'Dowd or Dowd. Craig Dowd the well known
All Black The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks, is the representative men's national team in the sport of rugby union for the nation of New Zealand, which is considered the country's national sport. Famed for th ...
is one of these descendants.


Modern Clan O'Dowd Chieftains

Thomas J Dowds Clan O'Dowd Chieftain 1997–2003 Tom Dowds was elected as the Clan Chieftain at the Clan Rally in 1997, and served the Clan in that appointment until 2003. Descended from the O'Dowds of Kilglass, Thomas's grandfather, Patrick left Easkey for Scotland and his father, also Thomas, was born in Glasgow, but the family returned to Ireland and he was brought up in Easkey. The family again moved to Scotland in the 1920s and settled in Govan. Thomas (the Clan Chieftain), was born in England in 1937, but educated in Scotland at St Anthony's Primary and St Gerard's Secondary schools in Govan, before choosing a career in education. In 1968, Thomas graduated BA (Hons) in Economic History from the University of Strathclyde and gained the Teachers Secondary Certificate from Jordanhill College and the Diploma in Education from the University of Glasgow in 1969. Thomas married to Cathie (née Harvey) and had two sons and a daughter and three grandchildren. His interest in Irish, and particularly Ó Dubhda history resulted in his being one of the first members of the Ó Dubhda Clan Association in 1990, and he has attended every rally since. In 1997, he was chosen as the Taoiseach-elect when the Chieftainship was restored, and in September 2000 was inaugurated with Brehon rites at Cahir Mor as The Ó Dubhda – the first chief in over 400 years. At the same meeting, Richard F Dowd of New Jersey was chosen as the Tánaiste. During his period in office he has represented the clan at the 1798 Bicentennial celebrations and at the unveiling of the memorial to Baron James O'Dowda, while at the same time making efforts to contact Ó Dubhda clansmen worldwide. In September 2003, he handed the white staff of office, the Ó Dubhda standard and the Chief's personal pennant to his successor, Richard F. Dowd. Richard F Dowd Clan O'Dowd Chieftain 2003–2006 Richard Dowd is descended from Thomas Dowd, one of a family of brothers who left Ireland to escape the aftermath of the Great Famine. It is believed that the Dowds were originally from Mayo. The family settled in the United States and Richard was born in Brooklyn, New York City of 24 November 1928. He was educated at St Johns University, New York City and graduated with the degree of BA in 1957. During his career, he undertook further studies at the New York University Graduate School of Business Administration, gaining the degree of MBA in 1964, and PhD in 1976, for a Doctoral Dissertation entitled, "Efficiency in Government Spending." After serving as an Engineer with the US Merchant Marine (1946–48), Richard moved to United Airlines, where he was a Radio Electric Mechanic from 1951 to 1957. After graduating from university he became a Security Analyst with Merrill Lynch (1957–60) before setting up his own business, R F Dowd & Company Inc, becoming President of the Investment Banking firm. In 1963 he moved to Value Line Investments as a Security Analyst and remained with them until 1965. In 1963, he was appointed Professor of Economics at the City University of New York, which post he held until his retirement in 1992. Richard spent many holidays in Ireland and was keen to trace his family's roots, which he discovered lay in the West of Ireland. The founding of the Ó Dubhda Clan Association in 1990 was of great interest to him and he was a member right from the start and has not missed one Rally since. At the 1997 Rally, he was elected Tánaiste (Heir) to the Chieftain and was formally installed in that post at Cahir Mor in September 2000. In September 2003, he received the white staff as he was inaugurated as the Taoiseach of the Ó Dubhda Clan, and Edward O'Dowd of Chicago was elected Tánaiste. Edward P. O'Dowd Clan Ó Dubhda Chieftain 2006–2009 - Chicago, Il. US Michael F Dowd Clan Ó Dubhda Chieftain 2009–2012 Brisbane Qld, Australia In late 1601 Tadhg Buí, Taoiseach (Chieftain) of the Ó Dubhda Clan, rode with his 50 horsemen to Kinsale accompanied by his brother-in-law Red Hugh O'Donnell and his troops to fight the English and expel them from Ireland forever. His cousin O’Neill proceeded to Kinsale with his army separately. The battle lost, Dubhda fled to Kerry where he settled securely with Mt. Brandon at his back, Brandon Bay to the North and East, and impenetrable bogs to the South. His descendants are still there today. Mike Dowd, Irish national, Australian citizen and resident, and descendant of Tadhg Buí was Inaugurated as Taoiseach in 2009. The area where Tadhg Buí settled in Kerry was well known to the Clan for thousands of years and is where King Daithi's Memorial Stone was sourced. Brendan O'Dowd Clan Ó Dubhda Chieftain 2012–2015 Castlebar, County Mayo, Ireland Brendan Joseph O'Dowd was born in 1965 and lived at "Greenwood" Culleens, Kilglass. Co. Sligo. Previous to 1798 the family lived in Rathlee, Co. Sligo. (Following the rising in 1798 all Catholic families within one mile of the sea were moved further away in order to prevent another French invasion.) The O'Dowd family moved to Naas, Co Kildare in 1974 where Brendan went to the Christian Brothers School. Later he studied at The University of Liverpool obtaining a BSc. Hons. in diagnostic radiography. He currently works as a radiographer at Mayo University Hospital, Castlebar Co Mayo about forty minutes from his native Kilglass. Brendan has lived and worked in many different countries including London UK, Boston, MA USA, Vancouver BC. Canada. Brendan was elected Taniste of the Ó Dubhda Clan at the 2009 Gathering in Enniscrone, Co. Sligo. He was Inaugurated as Taoiseach of the Ó Dubhda Clan at the 2012 Gathering. While in office as Tánaiste and Taoiseach he organized both the 2012 and 2015 Clan Gatherings and rejoined the Clans of Ireland, representing the Ó Dubhda Clan at Áras an Uachtaráin meeting with President Michael D. Higgins in June 2015. Brendan O'Dowd was succeeded in October 2015 by Andrew Dowds from Glasgow as the current Taoiseach. Andrew Dowds Clan Ó Dubhda Chieftain 2015–2018 Glasgow, Scotland, UK Born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1966, Thomas Andrew Dowds is the son of Thomas Dowds, The first Taoiseach of the modern era. His grandfather grew up in Easky and from him he learned stories of the Ó Dubhda Clan. As the son of a history teacher, he was able to research the history of the Ó Dubhda Clan from a very early age. His journeys to Ireland in the 1970s and 80's were punctuated by journeys to graveyards and ruined castles. His passion for history and early Irish history in particular, is second only to his passion for classic cars and motorbikes. As a confirmed 'petrolhead', he has built and restored a number of classic vehicles. He currently lives in Scotland with his wife and son. Kieran O’Dowd Clan Ó Dubhda Chieftain 2018–Present San Francisco, CA. USA Kieran was elected as the first woman Tanaiste' at the 2015 Gathering in Enniscrone, Co. Sligo. and was inaugurated as the clan Taoiseach on 6 October 2018. She holds the distinction of being the first female chieftain of the Ó Dubhda Clan. As the Tanaiste', she was the planner for the 2018 clan Gathering – promoting the Gathering and was instrumental in bringing the clan into the 21st century with online registration. The daughter of Paul and Judy O'Dowd of San Francisco (great-granddaughter of Thomas Paul O'Dowd former Supervisor of the City of San Francisco), Kieran grew up living around the world with her parents and three brothers as her father was a career Army officer. After graduating from university, Kieran worked as a civil servant for many years and currently works for a major US airline. Her passion is spreading the word about the Ó Dubhda Clan – inspiring clan members to participate in the history of the Ó Dubhda Clan no matter where they reside and the history and culture of the Emerald Isle. Kieran currently makes Fort Wayne, Indiana (USA) her home.


Arms

O'Hart records two arms for members of the family. One in what is today County Mayo (the senior branch) and the other in Sligo. Princes of Hy-Fiachra (Mayo) * ARMS – Vert a saltire or, in chief two swords in saltire, points upwards, the dexter surmounted of the sinister argent, pommels and hilts gold. * CREST – over a coronet, a dexter hand in armour, holding a dart, proper. * SUPPORTERS – two lions rampant * MOTTO – "Virtus Ipsa Suis Firmissima Nititur Armis" (Bravery is Best Sustained by Arms). Irish: ''Bíonn crógacht is seasmhaí faoi chothú arm'' Princes of Hy-Fiachra (Sligo) * ARMS – or a saltier sable, in chief two swords in saltier, points upwards, the dexter surmounted of the sinister argent, pommels and hilts gold, in base and oak leaf, the stalk upwards, vert. * CREST – over a coronet, a dexter hand in armour, holding a dart, proper. * SUPPORTERS – two lions rampant * MOTTO – "Virtus Ipsa Suis Firmissima Nititur Armis" (Bravery is Best Sustained by Arms). Irish: ''Bíonn crógacht is seasmhaí faoi chothú arm''


People

''For people named Dowd please see Dowd'' * Alex O'Dowd (1967), professional first-class rugby coach and former New Zealand first-class cricketer * Anna Mae O'Dowd, former professional baseball player *
Bernard O'Dowd Bernard Patrick O'Dowd (11 April 1866 – 1 September 1953) was an Australian poet, activist, lawyer, and journalist. He worked for the Victorian colonial and state governments for almost 50 years, first as an assistant librarian at the Supreme ...
(1866–1953) Australian activist, educator, poet, journalist and author *
Boy George George Alan O'Dowd (born 14 June 1961), known professionally as Boy George, is an English singer-songwriter and DJ who rose to fame as the lead singer of the pop band Culture Club. He began his solo career in 1987. Boy George grew up in Eltham a ...
(born George Alan O'Dowd, 1961), British singer-songwriter *
Cathy O'Dowd Cathy O'Dowd (born 1968) is a South African rock climber, mountaineer, author and motivational speaker. She was the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest from both the south and north sides on 25 May 1996 and 29 May 1999, respecti ...
, South African rock climber, mountaineer, author and motivational speaker *
Chris O'Dowd Christopher O'Dowd (born 9 October 1979) is an Irish actor and comedian. He received wide attention as Roy Trenneman, one of the lead characters in the Channel 4 comedy ''The IT Crowd'', which ran for four seasons from 2006 to 2010. He has star ...
(1979), Irish actor and comedian * Christopher O'Dowd (1920–1943), founding member of the British SAS. * Colin O'Dowd (1966), Irish physicist and atmospheric scientist * Dan O'Dowd (1959), former
general manager A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...
of the
Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...
* David O'Dowd (1942), former chief inspector of constabulary for England and Wales * Donald O'Dowd (1927), American academic * Fergus O'Dowd (1948), Irish
Fine Gael Fine Gael ( ; ; ) is a centre-right, liberal-conservative, Christian democratic political party in Ireland. Fine Gael is currently the third-largest party in the Republic of Ireland in terms of members of Dáil Éireann. The party had a member ...
politician * James Cornelius O'Dowd (1829–1903), Anglo-Irish barrister and deputy judge advocate general * James Thomas O'Dowd (1907–1950), a bishop of the Catholic Church in the United States * John Dowd (born John Leo O'Dowd (1891–1981)), Major League Baseball shortstop *
John O'Dowd John Fitzgerald O'Dowd (born 10 May 1967) is an Irish Sinn Féin politician. He has been a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Upper Bann since 2003, and has served as Minister for Finance since February 2025. He served as Minister ...
(1856–1937), Irish Nationalist Member of Parliament for North Sligo *
John O'Dowd John Fitzgerald O'Dowd (born 10 May 1967) is an Irish Sinn Féin politician. He has been a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Upper Bann since 2003, and has served as Minister for Finance since February 2025. He served as Minister ...
(1967), Irish
Sinn Féin Sinn Féin ( ; ; ) is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The History of Sinn Féin, original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffit ...
politician * Ken O'Dowd (1950), Australian politician * Kevin O'Dowd, New Jersey public servant and political figure * Kris O'Dowd (1988), former American football center * Max O'Dowd (1994), international cricketer playing for the Netherlands * Mick O'Dowd, former
Gaelic football Gaelic football (; short name '')'', commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA, or football, is an Irish team sport. A form of football, it is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score ...
er and former senior manager for
Meath County Meath ( ; or simply , ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. It is bordered by County Dublin to the southeast, County ...
* Mike O'Dowd (1895–1957), American middleweight boxer *
Nace O'Dowd Ignatius "Nace" O'Dowd (1 August 1931 – 16 May 1987) was an Irish Gaelic footballer who played for the Sligo county team in the 1950s and was a member of a number of successful Railway Cup teams. In 1949 he captained a Sligo team to a Conn ...
(1931–1987), Gaelic footballer who played for the County Sligo team in the 1950s *
Niall O'Dowd Niall O'Dowd (born 18 May 1953) is an Irish-born American journalist and author. He was involved in the negotiations leading to the Northern Irish Good Friday Peace Agreement. He is the founder of ''Irish Voice'' newspaper and ''Irish Ameri ...
(1953), Irish journalist and author living in the United States * Patrick O'Dowd (1968), Irish politician and medical practitioner * Peter O'Dowd (1908–1964), English professional footballer * Robert Dowd (1936–1996) (aka Robert O'Dowd), American artist * Seamie O'Dowd, Irish folk musician, Cty Sligo * Timmy O'Dowd(1963), Irish Gaelic footballer who played for the County Kerry team *Thomas Paul O'Dowd (1886–1930), superintendent, City of San Francisco, California, US * Tony O'Dowd (1970), Irish soccer player who played for Leeds Utd and Rep. of Ireland U 21's * Sally O'Dowd (artist) (1980), Visual artist & curator * Matthew D. Dowd (2002), Hobby Council Coordinator


References

* "The Ó Dubhda Family History" By Conor MacHale, Clan O'Dowd Historian, Inniscrone, 1990. * "The Royal New Zealand Fencibles 1847–1852," , Ruth Alexander, Alan la Roche, Gail Gibson. The New Zealand Fencible Society (Inc), 1997. O'Dowd family papers.


External links


O'Dowd family pedigree
at Library Ireland
Genelach hI Dubda

A website of the O'Dowd, Ó Dubhda etc.. containing information and resource and where the Clan gatherings in Ireland are organised. Previous Clan gatherings documented

A good genealogy of the O'Dowds

More details of the O'Dowds and many more Dowd stories


*https://odubhdaclan.com/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Odowd Anglicised Irish-language surnames Irish families Ancient Irish dynasties Ui Fiachrach