Donlevy is a firstname and surname of Irish origin. Also spelt as MacDonlevy, Donleavy, Dunleavy, MacAleavey, and McAlevey, it derives from the Irish ''Mac Duinnshléibhe'', meaning "son of Donn of the mountain". ''Ó Duinnshléibhe'' is a variant Irish spelling. Their
eponymous
An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''.
Usage of the word
The term ''epon ...
ancestor is Donn Sléibe mac Echdacha, who ruled as king of the Irish petty-kingdom of Dál Fiatach, as well as its over-kingdom,
Ulaid
Ulaid (Old Irish, ) or Ulaidh ( Modern Irish, ) was a Gaelic over-kingdom in north-eastern Ireland during the Middle Ages made up of a confederation of dynastic groups. Alternative names include Ulidia, which is the Latin form of Ulaid, and in ...
, in the late 10th century. In the aftermath of John de Courcy's conquest of Ulaid in 1177, some of the dynasty migrated to present-day
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 Tyrcon ...
in the
Republic of Ireland
Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. ...
, whilst others went to Scotland. In Donegal they became the hereditary physicians (
Old Irish
Old Irish, also called Old Gaelic ( sga, Goídelc, Ogham script: ᚌᚑᚔᚇᚓᚂᚉ; ga, Sean-Ghaeilge; gd, Seann-Ghàidhlig; gv, Shenn Yernish or ), is the oldest form of the Goidelic/Gaelic language for which there are extensive writte ...
Tír Conaill
Tyrconnell (), also spelled Tirconnell, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Donegal, which has sometimes been called ''County Tyrconnell''. At times it also included parts of County Fermanagh, Cou ...
.
After the Battle of Kinsale in 1602, the sept migrated to 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 ...
, where their name is now most common. Some MacDonlevys in Donegal adopted the surname ''Mac an Ultaigh'', meaning "son of the Ulsterman", which was anglicised as MacAnulty and MacNulty.
Notable people
Donlevys
* Andrew Donlevy (born 1694), Irish Roman Catholic priest.
*
Brian Donlevy
Waldo Brian Donlevy (February 9, 1901 – April 6, 1972) was an American actor, noted for playing dangerous tough guys from the 1930s to the 1960s. He usually appeared in supporting roles. Among his best-known films are ''Beau Geste'' (193 ...
(1889–1972), Irish born American actor.
* Cormac MacDonlevy (fl. c. 1460), influential medieval Irish physician and medical scholar
* Frank Donlevy (born 1932), Scottish footballer
Jack Dunleavy
John Francis Dunleavy (September 14, 1879 – April 11, 1944) was an outfielder and pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1903 to 1905. He played college baseball at Amherst College
Amherst College ( ...
(1879–1944), American baseball player
*
John Dunleavy
John Francis Dunleavy (born 3 July 1991) is an Irish footballer who plays as a defender. He currently plays for Finn Harps in the League of Ireland.
Career
Dunleavy joined Wolverhampton Wanderers academy in October 2006, rejecting the chance ...
(born 1991), Irish footballer
*Keith R. Dunleavy, M.D., American medical doctor and founder of Inovalon
*
Mary Dunleavy
Mary Dunleavy (born 1966) is an American soprano who has performed with major opera companies and orchestras around the world.
Life and career
Dunleavy grew up in Montvale, New JerseyShengold, David"Focused on Her Game; OCP favorite Mary Dunleavy ...
, American opera singer
* A family of American basketball people:
**
Mike Dunleavy Sr.
Michael Joseph Dunleavy Sr. (born March 21, 1954) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and general manager of the National Basketball Association's Los Angeles Clippers. He was most recently the head coach of the Tulane U ...
(born 1954), player and coach
**
Mike Dunleavy Jr.
Michael Joseph Dunleavy Jr. (born September 15, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player who is the vice president of basketball operations for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previou ...
(born 1980), older son, player
** Baker Dunleavy (born 1982), younger son, coach
* Mike J. Dunleavy (born 1961), American politician, Governor of Alaska since 2018
* Patrick Dunleavy (born 1952), British political scientist
*
Philip Dunleavy
Philip Dunleavy CBE (5 October 1915 - 13 January 1996) was a Labour Party councillor in Cardiff, Wales. He was Lord Mayor of Cardiff 1982-83 and leader of Cardiff City Council for five years.Tony Heat"OBITUARY: Philip Dunleavy" '' The Independe ...
(1915–1996), Welsh politician
*
Richard Dunleavy
Admiral Richard Michael Dunleavy (born April 25, 1933) is a retired US naval officer. He retired as a two-star rear admiral in 1992 after being demoted from the rank of three-star vice admiral as a result of the Tailhook scandal.Rosemary Dunleavy, American ballerina
*
Steve Dunleavy
Stephen Francis Patrick Aloysius Dunleavy (21 January 1938 – 24 June 2019) was an Australian journalist based in the United States, best known as a columnist for the ''New York Post'' from 1976 to 2008. He was a lead reporter on the US tabloid ...
(1938–2019), Australian journalist
Joe Dunleavy (1998) Rugby player
*Donn Sléibe mac Eochada 1081–1091, the eponymous ancestor of the Mac Duinn Sléibe dynasty.
*Donnchad mac Duinn Sléibe 1091–1095
*Eochaid mac Duinn Sléibe 1095–1099
*Donnchad mac Duinn Sléibe 1099–1099
*Eochaid mac Duinn Sléibe 1099–1108
*Donnchad mac Duinn Sléibe 1108–1113
*Áed mac Duinn Sléibe 1113–1127
*Cú Ulad mac Conchobair Chisenaig Mac Duinn Sléibe 1131–1157
*Áed mac Con Ulad Mac Duinn Sléibe 1157–1158
*Eochaid mac Con Ulad Mac Duinn Sléibe 1158–1166
*Magnus mac Con Ulad Mac Duinn Sléibe 1166–1171
*Donn Sléibe mac Con Ulad Mac Duinn Sléibe 1171–1172
*Ruaidrí mac Con Ulad Mac Duinn Sléibe 1172–1201
*Cu-Ulahd Mac Duinn Sléibe (fl. c. 1178)
List of physicians
This is a partial list, based on the Irish annals of members of the MacDonlevy and McNulty physicians of the Cenél Conaill of Tír Conaill.
*Muiris MacDonlevy (died 1395) is the first member actually entered in the Irish Annals where they are listed as ''ollahm lieghis chenel Conaill'', the physician to the Cenel Conaill, the ruling dynasty of Tír Conaill.
*By his agnomens Paul Ultach or Paul the Ulidian, Muiris's father is also mentioned at this 1395 A.D. entry to be physician who flourished both before and after Muiris.
*Murtough Ultaigh Donlevy is recorded as being a physician under an entry for 1497.
*Donnell Ultaigh Donlevy the son of an unnamed Ultaigh “ollav” to the O’Donnell in Tir Chonaill, is recorded as having been slain in the year 1567.
* Donnchadh mac Eoghan Ó Duinnshléibhe (Donnchadh MacDonlevy), M.D. is recorded as a physician. Donnchadh was educated on the continent at Paris.
*Eoghan MacDonlevy, M.D. or Owen Ultach (died 1586) was the son of Donnchadh and also educated at Paris. Considered throughout Ireland and much of Europe as the finest physician of his time, with his skills are not only recounted by the Irish Annals and at the Dictionary of National Biography but also by Stanihurst.
* Cormac MacDonlevy (fl. c. 1460) was an influential medieval Irish physician and medical scholar, who advanced Irish medieval medical practice by, for the first time, translating seminal continental European medical texts from Latin to vernacular. His translations provided the then exclusively Gaelic language speaking majority of Irish physicians with their first reference access to these texts.
The Annals note further that the branch of the MacDonlevy, who had been the physicians, still existed near Kilmacrenan, County Donegal in the early 17th century.
Tradition is that the MacDonlevy physicians educated in the medical arts Tír Conaill native Niall Ó Glacáin (Latinised as Nellanus Glacanus). Glacanus became a famed physician, professor of medicine and medical researcher at the
University of Bologna
The University of Bologna ( it, Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, UNIBO) is a public research university in Bologna, Italy. Founded in 1088 by an organised guild of students (''studiorum''), it is the oldest university in contin ...
Ulaid
Ulaid (Old Irish, ) or Ulaidh ( Modern Irish, ) was a Gaelic over-kingdom in north-eastern Ireland during the Middle Ages made up of a confederation of dynastic groups. Alternative names include Ulidia, which is the Latin form of Ulaid, and in ...