Ó Meadhra is a Gaelic-Irish surname. According to historian C. Thomas Cairney, the O'Mearas were one of the chiefly families of the
Dal gCais or
Dalcassians
The Dalcassians ( ) are a Gaelic Irish clan, generally accepted by contemporary scholarship as being a branch of the Déisi Muman, that became very powerful in Ireland during the 10th century. Their genealogies claimed descent from Tál Cas. ...
who were a tribe of the
Erainn who were the second wave of Celts to settle in
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
between about 500 and 100
BC.
Overview
The Ó Meadhra clan were a
sept of the
Dal gCais, and the name is most common in the
dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family, usually in the context of a monarchy, monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A dynasty may also be referred to as a "house", "family" or "clan", among others.
H ...
's homeland of north-east
Thomond (presently
County Tipperary
County Tipperary () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary (tow ...
and the adjoining parts of
County Clare
County Clare () is a Counties of Ireland, county in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster in the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern part of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Clare County Council ...
). The family seat was
Toomevara (''O'Meara's
tumulus
A tumulus (: tumuli) is a mound of Soil, earth and Rock (geology), stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, mounds, howes, or in Siberia and Central Asia as ''kurgans'', and may be found through ...
'').
Members of the family were physicians and poets to the
Earl of Ormond. The last Gaelic-era
Chief of the Name
The Chief of the Name, or in older English usage Captain of his Nation, is the recognised head of a family or clan ( Irish and Scottish Gaelic: ''fine'') in Ireland and Scotland.
Ireland
There are instances where Norman lords of the time like ...
was
Domhnall Ó Meadhra.
Ó Meadhra was Anglicized as ''O'Meara'' and ''O'Mara'', both of which may not necessarily have an "O'" prefix.
People
See also
*
Irish clans
Irish clans are traditional kinship groups sharing a common surname and heritage and existing in a lineage-based society, originating prior to the 17th century. A clan (or in Irish, plural ) included the chief and his Patrilineality, patrilineal ...
References
* ''O'Meara : the descendants of three sons of Ireland, John, Patrick and Michael, who came to New Zealand and settled in Southland and Masterton'', John F. Tourelle, Annabelle O'Meara Ltd., Arrowtown,
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 ...
, 1998 (National Library of New Zealand P q929.2 OME TOU 1998)
* ''A historical profile of the O'Meara, O'Mara family: the Dalcassians of Ireland'', Irish Families Historical Society,
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
, 1993 (Library of Congress CS499 .O62 1993)
{{DEFAULTSORT:O Meadhra
Irish-language surnames
Septs of the Dál gCais
Irish clans
Irish families