O'Hagan is an Irish surname originally from the pre 10th century Old Gaelic Ó hAodhagáin, meaning perhaps "Little Fire from the Sun", being derived from Aodh the pagan sun god and Og meaning young, they are the "male descendant of Aodh" the pagan sun god, a personal name meaning "fire".
[http://www.surnamedb.com/surname.aspx?name=O'Hagan Internet Surname Database entry for O'Hagan] Aodh was a pagan god worshipped by the early natives. The first recorded O'Hagan was a district justice of the peace
Family history
Until the destruction of Gaelic order in the 17th century the O'Hagans were the chief
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 to the
Cinel Eoghain, and holding the title Lord of
Tulach Óg in
County Tyrone
County Tyrone (; ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the thirty-two traditional counties of Ireland. Its county town is Omagh.
Adjoined to the south-west shore of Lough Neagh, the cou ...
,
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
. The chief exercised the hereditary right of inaugurating O'Neill as king or overlord of Ulster. In medieval times, members of the
sept were territorial magnates in Counties Monaghan and Armagh, and two places called Ballyagan, (from "baile", a settlement), one in
County Londonderry
County Londonderry (Ulster Scots dialects, Ulster-Scots: ''Coontie Lunnonderrie''), also known as County Derry (), is one of the six Counties of Northern Ireland, counties of Northern Ireland, one of the thirty-two Counties of Ireland, count ...
and the other in
County Antrim
County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, County Antrim, Antrim, ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, located within the historic Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the c ...
, further locate the O'Hagans.
Chiefs of the Clan Feargusa, they descended from
Fergus Cerrbél mac Conaill Cremthainne (Fergus Crooked Mouth) grandson of
Niall of the Nine Hostages
Niall NoÃgÃallach (; Old Irish "having nine hostages"), or Niall of the Nine Hostages, was a legendary, semi-historical Irish king who was the ancestor of the Uà Néill dynasties that dominated Ireland from the 6th to the 10th centuries. ...
said to be
High King of Ireland
High King of Ireland ( ) was a royal title in Gaelic Ireland held by those who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over all of Ireland. The title was held by historical kings and was later sometimes assigned anachronously or to leg ...
from 370 to 406 who in turn descends from
Conn of the Hundred Battles
Conn Cétchathach (), or Conn of the Hundred Battles, son of Fedlimid Rechtmar, was a legendary High King of Ireland who is claimed to be the ancestor of the Connachta, and through his descendant Niall NoÃgiallach, the Uà Néill dynasties, w ...
the Milesian Gaelic King of Tara / Ireland in the 2nd century. For over six hundred years the O'Hagans were hereditary brehons and inaugurators of
O'Neill (surname) who were descended from the
Uà Néill
The Uà Néill (; meaning "descendants of Niall") are Irish dynasties that claim descent from Niall NoÃgÃallach (Niall of the Nine Hostages), a historical King of Tara who is believed to have died around c. 405. They are generally divided ...
.
Before the 13th century branches of the sept were established in
County Monaghan
County Monaghan ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and is part of Border Region, Border strategic planning area of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town ...
and
County Armagh
County Armagh ( ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. It is located in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and adjoins the southern shore of Lough Neagh. It borders t ...
and soon spread into the neighbouring counties of
Antrim,
Londonderry and
Down. Two places called Ballyagan, one in County Londonderry and the other in County Antrim attest to the O'Hagans' predominance in the region.
The high chair at Tullyhogue
According to tradition, O'Hagan inaugurated O'Neill by putting on his slipper hence the shoe always appears in the coat of arms. O'Hagan Gaelic meaning on coat of arms. "Vincere aut mori" meaning Victory or death. Quoted from family coat of arms crest/shield. The inauguration took place at the coronation chair on the O'Hagan lands at
Tullyhogue Fort. In the 16th century the 'Leac na RÃ', or Stone of the Kings, inauguration stone, which is said to be blessed by
Saint Patrick
Saint Patrick (; or ; ) was a fifth-century Romano-British culture, Romano-British Christian missionary and Archbishop of Armagh, bishop in Gaelic Ireland, Ireland. Known as the "Apostle of Ireland", he is the primary patron saint of Irelan ...
, was embedded in the coronation chair. The chair was destroyed around 1602 at the orders of
Lord Mountjoy before the surrender of Hugh O'Neill to Mountjoy. O'Hagans are one of the oldest families in Omeath Co.Louth, arrived when O'Neill attacked Mountjoy at narrowwater on his journey to Carlingford.
Flight of the Earls
During the 17th century O'Hagans staunchly opposed English aggression and a number were at the
Battle of Kinsale
The siege of Kinsale (), also known as the battle of Kinsale, was the ultimate battle in England's conquest of Gaelic Ireland, commencing in October 1601, near the end of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, and at the climax of the Nine Years' Warâ ...
in 1603, suffering great losses with the dispossessions that followed. Some were hanged at Carrickfergus County Antrim.
There were several O'Hagans among the 98 who fled the north of Ireland in 1607 with
Hugh O'Neill, 2nd Earl of Tyrone
Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone (; – 20 July 1616) was an Irish lord and key figure of the Nine Years' War (Ireland), Nine Years' War. Known as the "Great Earl", he led the confederacy of Irish lords against the Crown, the English Crown in r ...
and
Rory O'Donnell, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell
Rory O'Donnell, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell (Irish language, Irish: ''Rudhraighe'' ''Ó Domhnaill''; 1575 – 28 July 1608), was an Gaelic Ireland, Irish Gaelic lord and the last lord of Tyrconnell prior to the Plantation of Ulster. He succeeded his ...
in an event commonly referred to as the
which marked the end of the Gaelic order in Ireland.
Premodern O'Hagans
* Turlough O'Hagan Chief of the Name who journeyed to Wicklow in 1590 to escort Hugh O'Donnell and two children of
Shane O'Neill to Ulster following the latter's dramatic escape from imprisonment in Dublin Castle. Turlough is also the fictional narrator in the Hibernian Nights stories published by the Dublin College Press from 1863 to 1865
* Ivor O'Hagan tutor of
St Malachy, first recorded spelling of family name which was dated circa 1100, Medieval Records of County Armagh, during the reign of High Kings of Ireland, "with opposition", 1022 - 1166.
Notable people named O'Hagan
Bernard Anthony O'Hagan
onyLecturer Sinn Féin counciller Mid Ulster (b 12/9/1953 -16/9/1991) Murdered.
*
Bill O'Hagan (1944–2013), journalist and butcher
*
Charles O'Hagan
Charles O'Hagan (28 July 1881 – 1 July 1931) was an Irish professional football player (an inside left) and manager.
He was the first Aberdeen player to be capped at international level for any team, making an appearance for Ireland in April ...
(1881–1931), Irish football player and manager
*
Damien O'Hagan, football player
*
Dan O'Hagan, football commentator and TV presenter
*
Dara O'Hagan (b.1964), nationalist politician in Northern Ireland
*
Des O'Hagan (1934–2015), member of the Workers' Party of Ireland
*
Hal O'Hagan (1869–1913), US baseball player
*
Jack O'Hagan (1898–1987), Australian musician
*
Joseph O'Hagan (1900–1978), British trade union leader
*
Joe B. O'Hagan, Provisional IRA member, died 23 April 2001.
*
Joseph B. O'Hagan (1826–1878), Irish-American Jesuit
*
John O'Hagan (b.1993), International male model
*
John O'Hagan (1822–1890) patriot poet and judge
*
John T. O'Hagan (1925–1991), Fire Commissioner of the City of New York
*
Martin O'Hagan (1950–2001), Irish investigative journalist, assassinated
*
Maurice Towneley-O'Hagan, 3rd Baron O'Hagan (1882–1961), British politician
*
Patrick O'Hagan
Charles Alphonsus Sherrard (1924-1993) was an Irish-Australian tenor singer better known by the stage name Patrick O'Hagan. Born in Derry, Northern Ireland, he immigrated to Australia where he found success singing traditional Irish and Celtic s ...
(1924–1993), Irish-Australian tenor singer father of singer
Johnny Logan
*
Peter O'Hagan (d.2009), Northern Irish politician
*
Sean O'Hagan, Irish musician who has been a member of Microdisney, the High Llamas and Stereolab
*
Sean O'Hagan (journalist), Northern Irish journalist, particularly about music and photography
*
Sheila O'Hagan, Irish poet
*
Thomas O'Hagan, 1st Baron O'Hagan (1812–1885) first Catholic Lord Chancellor of Ireland since James II with peerage title of
Baron O'Hagan
*
Thomas O'Hagan (Australian judge) (d.1958), Australian judge
*
Thomas Towneley O'Hagan, 2nd Baron O'Hagan (1878–1900), landowner
*
Timothy O'Hagan (born 1945), British philosopher
*
Úna O'Hagan (b.1962), Irish journalist and newsreader
*
Colo Tavernier O'Hagan 1942–2020), British-French screenwriter
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ohagan
English-language surnames
Irish families
Surnames of Irish origin