O'Friel ( ga, Ó Fearghial or ) is a surname of
Tyrconnell
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 ...
(modern-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 Tyrconn ...
).
The origin of the names comes from Firghil (Ó Fearghial or Fergal), a descendant of Eoghan, (son of
Niall Noígíallach
Niall ''Noígíallach'' (; Old Irish "having nine hostages"), or Niall of the Nine Hostages, was a legendary, semi-historical Irish king who was the ancestor of the Uí Néill dynasties that dominated Ireland from the 6th to the 10th centuries. ...
, the most prolific warrior in Irish history) brother of
St. Columcille, and are thus nearest in descent to Columcille. The name Fearghial is composed of "fear." meaning man and "gal," meaning valour.
The leading line of the family were hereditary ''
coarb
A coarb, from the Old Irish ''comarbae'' (Modern Irish ''comharba'', Latin: ''hērēs''), meaning "heir" or "successor", was a distinctive office of the medieval church among the Gaels of Ireland and Scotland. In this period coarb appears intercha ...
s ''of
Kilmacrennan
Kilmacrennan ( ga, Cill Mhic nÉanáin or ), also Kilmacrenan, is a village, townland and civil parish in County Donegal, Ireland. The village population was 753, as of the 2016 census. The village's population has increased steadily over the l ...
, County Donegal. Before the introduction of Christianity, the family was a hereditary line of
Druid priests/priestesses. The Chief of the Name possessed the hereditary right of inaugurating
O'Donnell
The O'Donnell dynasty ( ga, Ó Dónaill or ''Ó Domhnaill,'' ''Ó Doṁnaill'' ''or Ua Domaill;'' meaning "descendant of Dónal") were the dominant Irish clan of the kingdom of Tyrconnell, Ulster, in medieval Ireland. Naming conventions
Or ...
as lord of
Tirconnell
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, Co ...
.
Not being a powerful or numerous sept they do not appear very frequently in the national records. The records of the
Diocese of Raphoe have many references to distinguished ecclesiastics of the name, both as O'Friel and Friel, including one Bishop Florence or Feargal O'Friel (d. 1299).
Amhalgaid Ó Frighil was one of the many clergy from Raphoe and Derry who went to Iona - he was elected
Abbot of Iona in 1203.
Present day
Friel (Freel, Freels) is seen more common as a surname than the traditional O'Friel. Statistics relating to the modern distribution of the population indicate that the name is seldom met with outside County Donegal and contiguous areas. The name is very closely associated with the north Donegal, especially Fanad and surrounding areas. Notable descendants include the
playwright Brian Friel
Brian Patrick Friel (c. 9 January 1929 – 2 October 2015) was an Irish dramatist, short story writer and founder of the Field Day Theatre Company. He had been considered one of the greatest living English-language dramatists. (subscription req ...
(born 1929) and the actress
Anna Friel
Anna Louise Friel (born 12 July 1976) is an English actress. Born in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, she has been acting professionally since age 13. Friel achieved fame with her portrayal of Beth Jordache on the British soap opera '' Brookside'' ...
(born 1976).
Another spelling of the surname is Freel or Freels.
See also
*
Friel
*
Friels
*
Freel
*
Freels (disambiguation)
References
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:O'Friel
Irish families
Surnames of Irish origin