Ó Breisleáin was the

surname In many societies, a surname, family name, or last name is the mostly hereditary portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family. It is typically combined with a given name to form the full name of a person, although several give ...

of an Irish

brehon Brehon (, ) is a term for a historical arbitration, mediative, and judicial role in Gaelic culture. Brehons were part of the system of Early Irish law, which was also simply called " Brehon law". Brehons were judges, close in importance to the ...

family. The Ó Breisleáin were natives of

Fanad Fanad (official name: Fánaid) is a peninsula that lies between Lough Swilly and Mulroy Bay on the north coast of County Donegal, Ireland. The origin of the name Fanad derives from the Irish language word Fána for "sloping ground". It is als ...

County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county of the Republic of Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and is the northernmost county of Ireland. The county mostly borders Northern Ireland, sharing only a small b ...

, and a branch of the family later became brehons to the

Maguire The Maguire ( ) family is an Irish clans, Irish clan based in County Fermanagh. The name derives from the Goidelic languages, Gaelic , which is "son of Odhar" meaning 'Wikt:sallow, sallow' or 'pale-faced'. According to legend, this relates to the ...

County Fermanagh County Fermanagh ( ; ) is one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of six counties of Northern Ireland. The county covers an area of and had a population of 63,585 as of 2021. Enniskillen is the ...

The

is now anglicised as Breslin. * ''M1495.18 ... O'Breslen, i.e. Owen, the son of Owen, son of Petrus, Chief Brehon to Maguire ..., died.'' * ''M1524.23 O'Breslen (Owen Oge, the son of Owen), Ollav to Maguire in judicature, died.''

External links

* http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/surname/index.cfm?fuseaction=Go.&UserID= {{DEFAULTSORT:O Breisleain Surnames Irish families Irish Brehon families Surnames of Irish origin Irish-language masculine surnames Families of Irish ancestry