Ó Domhnalláin is the surname of a

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 from Máenmaige in

Uí Maine U, or u, is the twenty-first letter and the fifth vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet and the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''u'' (pronounced ), ...

, now west

County Galway County Galway ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Northern and Western Region, taking up the south of the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht. The county population was 276,451 at the 20 ...

Overview

They held the post of ''Cathmhaol'' or Battle Champion of Uí Maine, but by the early 14th century had become

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...

s and

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 ...

s. The family took their name from

Domnallan mac Maelbrigdi Domnallan mac Maelbrigdi was an Irish dynast (fl. c. 9th/10th century). Biography Domnallan was the son of Maelbrigdi, a member of the Ui Maine dynasty, located in south-east Connacht. His pedigree is given as ''Domnallan mac Maelbrigdi mic ...

, fl. c. 9th/10th century. Their principal home was at Ballydonnellan, County Galway. An unrelated family of the same name was located in east

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 ...

Annalistic references

The

Irish annals A number of Irish annals, of which the earliest was the Chronicle of Ireland, were compiled up to and shortly after the end of the 17th century. Annals were originally a means by which monks determined the yearly chronology of feast days. Over ti ...

record the following: *

Flann Óge Ó Domhnalláin Flann Óge Ó Domhnalláin (died 1342) was Chief Poet of Connacht. Ó Domhnalláin was a member of an Irish family of Bards, originally located in Ballydonnellan, County Galway. A sept of the Uí Maine called Clann Breasail, they held the posit ...

, died 1342 *

Mael Sechlainn Ó Domhnalláin Mael Sechlainn Ó Domhnalláin (died 1375) was an irish people, Irish poet. Ó Domhnalláin was a member of the Donnellan, Ó Domhnalláin bardic family of Ui Maine (now south-west It is unknown if any examples of his work survive. Referenc ...

, died 1375 *

Flann Óc mac Séoan Ó Domhnalláin Flann Óc mac Séoan Ó Domhnalláin was ''Ollamh Síol Muireadaigh'' for an unknown time in 1404. The annals record an unusual number of bardic deaths in 1404. Donnchad Baccach Ó Maolconaire died, leaving the office of vacant. His death was f ...

, died 1404 *

Cormac Ó Domhnalláin Cormac Ó Domhnalláin, Ollamh Síol Muireadaigh, died 1436. The Annals of Connacht state: ''1436:Cormac O Domnallain, ollav of the Sil Murray in Poetry, died.'' Sources *''The Encyclopaedia of Ireland'' 2003; . * ''Mac Dermot of Moylurg: The ...

, died 1436 *

Ainglioch Ó Dónalláin Ainglioch Ó Dónalláin, Irish poet, fl. mid-14th or mid-15th century. Origins Ó Dónalláin was a member of a minor family of bards based at Ballydonnellan, Loughrea, County Galway, in what was then the kingdom of Uí Maine. Their pedigree ...

, fl. mid-14th or mid-15th century

Later bearers of the name

Nehemiah Donnellan Nehemiah Donnellan (a.k.a. Fearganainm Ó Domhnalláin) (fl. c. 1560–1609) was Archbishop of Tuam. Background Donellan was born in the county of Galway, a son of Mael Sechlainn Ó Dónalláin, by his wife Sisly, daughter of William Ó Cell ...

, fl. c. 1560–1609. * Sir James Donnellan, Lord Chief Justice of the

Common Pleas A court of common pleas is a common kind of court structure found in various common law jurisdictions. The form originated with the Court of Common Pleas at Westminster, which was created to permit individuals to press civil grievances against one ...

, c. 1588-1665 * Nehemiah Donellan, 1649–1705, lawyer and Chief Baron of the

Exchequer In the Civil Service (United Kingdom), civil service of the United Kingdom, His Majesty's Exchequer, or just the Exchequer, is the accounting process of central government and the government's ''Transaction account, current account'' (i.e., mon ...

Pádhraic Ó Domhnalláin Pádhraic Ó Domhnalláin () was an Irish duellist. Outline Ó Domhnalláin was the eponymous subject of a poem by Antoine Ó Raifteiri, concerning a duel he fought, which is believed to have been one of the last, if not the last, ever fough ...

, fl. 1830,

duel A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people with matched weapons. During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the rapier and later the small sword), but beginning in ...

ist * Padraig Ó Domhnallain, born 1884, short-story writer * Michael Donnellan, 1900–1964,

Clann na Talmhan Clann na Talmhan (, "Family/Children of the land"; formally known as the ''National Agricultural Party'') was an Irish agrarian political party active between 1939 and 1965. Formation and growth Clann na Talmhan was founded on 29 June 1939 in ...

politician *

Pat Donnellan Pat Donnellan (born 1941 in Dunmore, County Galway) is an Irish former sportsperson. He played Gaelic football with his local club Dunmore McHales and was a member of the Galway senior inter-county team from 1960 until 1967. Donnellan is a ...

, born 1941, footballer *

Martin Donnellan Martin Donnellan, Garda Síochána Detective Sergeant 17179D and recipient of the Scott Medal, born 1948. Donnellan was born at Ballymoe, County Galway, on 7 June 1948. He had been a cabinet maker prior to joining the force. Stillorgan bank ra ...

, born 1948,

Garda Síochána (; meaning "the Guardian(s) of the Peace") is the national police and security service of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is more commonly referred to as the Gardaí (; "Guardians") or "the Guards". The service is headed by the Garda Commissio ...

recipient of the Scott Medal *

Michael Donnellan (Gaelic footballer) Michael Donnellan (born 28 February 1977) is an Irish former Gaelic footballer who played at senior level for the Galway county team. Family He is the son of a former politician and footballer, John Donnellan, and grandson of politician and ...

, sportsperson *

Declan Donnellan Declan Michael Martin Donnellan (born 4 August 1953) is an English film/stage director and author. He co-founded the Cheek by Jowl theatre company with Nick Ormerod in 1981. In addition to his Cheek by Jowl productions, Donnellan has made the ...

, English theatre director, co-founder of

Cheek by Jowl Cheek by Jowl is an international theatre company founded in the United Kingdom by director Declan Donnellan and designer Nick Ormerod in 1981. Donnellan and Ormerod are Cheek by Jowl's artistic directors and together direct and design all of ...

Theatre Company.

References

Surname info
irishtimes.com {{DEFAULTSORT:O Domhnallain Irish families Surnames of Irish origin Surnames Irish-language surnames Irish Brehon families Families of Irish ancestry