72-446: Heffernan is an Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó hIfearnáin , which comes from the byname Ifearnán literally meaning 'little demon' or more metaphorically 'daredevil'. Heffernan gives rise to alternatives such as Heffernon and Hefferan. The name sometimes contains the O' prefix. According to historian C. Thomas Cairney, the O'Heffermans were
144-498: A taoiseach or chief who had the status of royalty and the smaller and more dependent clans were led by chieftains. Under brehon law , the leaders of Irish clans were appointed by their kinsmen as custodians of the clan and were responsible for maintaining and protecting their clan and its property. The clan system formed the basis of society up to the 17th century. According to T. F. O'Rahilly , in his works Goides and Their Predecessors and later Early Irish History , there were
216-526: A dialect continuum stretching from Ireland through the Isle of Man to Scotland . There are three modern Goidelic languages: Irish ( Gaeilge ), Scottish Gaelic ( Gàidhlig ), and Manx ( Gaelg ). Manx died out as a first language in the 20th century but has since been revived to some degree. Gaelic , by itself, is sometimes used to refer to Scottish Gaelic, especially in Scotland, and therefore
288-682: A centralised royal administration in which the county and the sheriff replaced the "country" and the clan chief. When the Kingdom of Ireland was created in 1541, the Dublin administration wanted to involve the Gaelic chiefs into the new entity, creating new titles for them such as the Baron Upper Ossory , Earl of Tyrone , and Baron Inchiquin . In the process, they were granted new coats of arms from 1552. The associated policy of surrender and regrant involved
360-650: A change to succession to a title by the European system of primogeniture , and not by the Irish tanistry , where a group of male cousins of a chief were eligible to succeed by election. The early 17th century was a watershed in Ireland. It marked the destruction of Ireland's ancient Gaelic aristocracy following the Tudor re-conquest and cleared the way for the Plantation of Ulster . In 1607
432-456: A four generation group in early medieval Ireland but in late medieval Ireland it was almost always the son, brother or nephew of the king. As per O'Rahilly's doctrine, the Cruthin were the first Celts to settle in Ireland between about 800 and 500 BC. In line with this, according to Cairney, from them descended the following Irish tribes. Although it is not possible to prove O'Rahilly's history of
504-699: A group known as the Feni who came to Ireland directly from the Continent and according to tradition landed in south Kerry and the Boyne estuary. The earlier inhabitants of the country fiercely resisted the newcomers who were referred to as the Gaeil because they spoke the Gaelic language . The power and influence of the Gaeils gradually spread over the next three centuries, northwards, from Kerry into Tipperary and Limerick , as well as to
576-589: A historic manuscript written in the 11th century, also known as the Book of the Invasions of Ireland , and not historic facts based on contemporary evidence. J. P. Mallory stated that O'Rahilly has argued that this manuscript showed that the medieval people of Ireland had seen a series of invasions from whom various dynasties and families might have traced their origins to. According to Mallory, Ireland may have been inhabited by Paleolithic (Old Stone Age) hunters, but that
648-448: A legal case See also [ edit ] Irish clans References [ edit ] ^ Cairney, C. Thomas (1989). Clans and Families of Ireland and Scotland . Jefferson, North Carolina , United States, and London: McFarland & Company . pp. 61, 70. ISBN 0899503624 . Sources [ edit ] Heffernan at behindthename.com [REDACTED] Surname list This page lists people with
720-570: A patrilineal grandfather or great-grandfather. However, according to Eoin MacNeill , the system known as Tanistry which also took place before the position of king or chief had become vacant is not found in records until the time of feudalism in Ireland which was not until the time of the Normans, and it was preceded by the similar system known as Rigdomna but which took place only after the position of king or chief had become vacant. This theory however,
792-730: A period of time and the leaders of some were accorded the status of royalty in Gaelic Ireland. Some of the more important septs to achieve this power were O'Connor in Connacht, MacCarthy of Desmond and O'Brien of Thomond in Munster, Ó Neill of Clandeboy in Ulster, and MacMorrough Kavanagh in Leinster. The largely symbolic role of High king of Ireland tended to rotate among the leaders of these royal clans. The larger or more important clans were led by
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#1732855652585864-505: A remote ancestor called Dalach. Clann was used in the later Middle Ages to provide a plural for surnames beginning with Mac meaning 'son of'. For example, "Clann Cárthaigh" meant the men of the MacCarthy family and " Clann Suibhne " meant the men of the MacSweeny family. Clann was also used to denote a subgroup within a wider surname, the descendants of a recent common ancestor, such as
936-598: A total of four waves of Celtic invasions of the British Isles and that the first three of these were pre-Gaelic. According to O'Rahilly, these were people who had largely remained unconquered by the Romans whose territory was mostly restricted to the broad plains of England . A larger part of England remained out of the control of the West Germanic people who invaded after the imperial collapse of Roman Britain and who founded
1008-557: Is also possible to identify from Ptolemy's map the Dál Riata of Antrim who later founded a powerful kingdom in Argyll , Scotland. The 11th century Lebor Gabála Érenn or Book of the Invasions of Ireland , describes a series of failed invasions of Ireland before settlement in the 8th century. However, by the 8th century battles in Ireland were not between the natives and invaders but between tribes and dynasties for control of different parts of
1080-483: Is ambiguous. Irish and Manx are sometimes referred to as Irish Gaelic and Manx Gaelic (as they are Goidelic or Gaelic languages), but the use of the word "Gaelic" is unnecessary because the terms Irish and Manx, when used to denote languages, always refer to those languages. This is in contrast to Scottish Gaelic , for which "Gaelic" distinguishes the language from the Germanic language known as Scots . In English, it
1152-580: Is common to have distinct pronunciations of the word, with Scottish Gaelic pronounced / ˈ ɡ æ l ɪ k / compared to Irish and Manx Gaelic pronounced / ˈ ɡ eɪ l ɪ k / . The endonyms ( Gaeilge , Gaelic and Gaolainn in Irish, Gaelg in Manx and Gàidhlig in Scottish Gaelic) are derived from Old Irish Goídelc , which in turn is derived from Old Welsh Guoidel meaning "wild men, savages". The medieval mythology of
1224-483: Is different from Wikidata All set index articles Gaelic language The Goidelic ( / ɡ ɔɪ ˈ d ɛ l ɪ k / goy- DEL -ik ) or Gaelic languages ( Irish : teangacha Gaelacha ; Scottish Gaelic : cànanan Goidhealach ; Manx : çhengaghyn Gaelgagh ) form one of the two groups of Insular Celtic languages , the other being the Brittonic languages . Goidelic languages historically formed
1296-671: The Lebor Gabála Érenn places its origin in an eponymous ancestor of the Gaels and the inventor of the language, Goídel Glas . The family tree of the Goidelic languages, within the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, is as follows During the historical era, Goidelic was restricted to Ireland and, possibly, the west coast of Scotland . Medieval Gaelic literature tells us that
1368-669: The Canadian Gaelic dialect in Nova Scotia . Its historical range was much larger. For example, it was the everyday language of most of the rest of the Scottish Highlands until little more than a century ago. Galloway was once also a Gaelic-speaking region, but the Galwegian dialect has been extinct there for approximately three centuries. It is believed to have been home to dialects that were transitional between Scottish Gaelic and
1440-725: The Clan Fearghaill whose chiefs were the O'Hallorans , the MacCotters , and the O'Doyles . The following surnames found in Ireland are believed to be of Norman origin and to have arrived following the Norman invasion of Ireland: Barry , Branne, Burke , Butler , Condon , Cusak , Dalton , Darcy , de Covcy, Dillon , Fagun, Fitzgerald , MacGibbon, French , Hackett , Jordan , Keating , Lacy , Lynch , MacCostello , Martin, Nugent, Power, Purcell , Rothes, Sarsfield , Wall. The following surnames are believed to have come to Ireland with
1512-986: The Clann Aodha Buidhe or the O'Neills of Clandeboy, whose ancestor was Aodh Buidhe who died in 1298. Such a "clan", if sufficiently closely related, could have common interests in landownership, but any political power wielded by their chief was territorially based. From ancient times, Irish society was organised around traditional kinship groups or clans. These clans traced their origins to larger pre-surname population groupings or clans such as Uí Briúin in Connacht , Eóganachta and Dál gCais in Munster , Uí Néill in Ulster , and Fir Domnann in Leinster . Within these larger groupings there tended to be one sept (division) who through war and politics became more powerful than others for
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#17328556525851584-652: The European Union . Ireland's national language was the twenty-third to be given such recognition by the EU and previously had the status of a treaty language. Some people in the north and west of mainland Scotland and most people in the Hebrides still speak Scottish Gaelic, but the language has been in decline. There are now believed to be approximately 60,000 native speakers of Scottish Gaelic in Scotland , plus around 1,000 speakers of
1656-527: The Gaels or Gaeils were the fourth and final wave of Celtic settlement in Ireland which took place during the first century BC. In line with this, according to Cairney, from them descended the following Irish tribes. Although it is not possible to prove O'Rahilly's history of the four Celtic invasions of Ireland or that the Gaels or Gaeils were the fourth of these invasions, or that the following Irish tribes descended from them, according to historian Sean Duffy, with
1728-651: The Iron Age . During this time, the Irish people came into contact with Roman traders. According to the writers of Ulster: An Illustrated History , there is evidence for the Ulaid who are referred to as the Erainn by some genealogists which is also the name given on Ptolemy's map of Ireland which dates from the second century AD for the Iverni who lived in County Cork , as well as being
1800-643: The Leabhar na nGenealach (the Great Book of Irish Genealogies), the Book of Ballymote , the Great Book of Lecan and Ó Cléirigh Book of Genealogies (the O Clery Book of Genealogies). The Irish word clann is a borrowing from the Latin planta , meaning 'a plant, an offshoot, offspring, a single child or children, by extension race or descendants'. For instance, the O'Daly family were poetically known as Clann Dalaigh , from
1872-549: The Oirialla in the north-east where they controlled what is now the counties of Tyrone , Armagh , Fermanagh and Monaghan . There was also the Ulaidh who inhabited what is now the counties of Down and Antrim . Within these large areas there were up to 150 small divisions known as Túath and the names of many of these are reflected today in the names of the Irish baronies that make up
1944-625: The Viking invasions and from the previous British inhabitants. The oldest written Goidelic language is Primitive Irish , which is attested in Ogham inscriptions from about the 4th century. The forms of this speech are very close, and often identical, to the forms of Gaulish recorded before and during the time of the Roman Empire . The next stage, Old Irish , is found in glosses (i.e. annotations) to Latin manuscripts —mainly religious and grammatical—from
2016-639: The parliament ( Oireachtas ), its upper house ( Seanad ) and lower house ( Dáil ), and the prime minister ( Taoiseach ) have official names in this language, and some are only officially referred to by their Irish names even in English. At present, the Gaeltachtaí are primarily found in Counties Cork , Donegal , Mayo , Galway , Kerry , and, to a lesser extent, in Waterford and Meath . In
2088-677: The surname Heffernan . If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name (s) to the link. Authority control databases : National [REDACTED] United States Israel Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Heffernan&oldid=1248412916 " Categories : Surnames Anglicised Irish-language surnames Surnames of Irish origin Hidden categories: Use dmy dates from April 2022 Articles with short description Short description
2160-499: The 15th century, Scottis in Scottish English (or Scots Inglis ) was used to refer only to Gaelic, and the speakers of this language who were identified as Scots . As the ruling elite became Scots Inglis/English-speaking, Scottis was gradually associated with the land rather than the people, and the word Erse ('Irish') was gradually used more and more as an act of culturo-political disassociation, with an overt implication that
2232-468: The 17th century. A clan (or fine in Irish, plural finte ) included the chief and his patrilineal relatives; however, Irish clans also included unrelated clients of the chief. Before the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland which took place during the late 12th century, the Irish people were Celts who lived in kinship groups as found recorded in historic manuscripts such as the Irish annals ,
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2304-480: The 19th and early 20th centuries. The Scottish Parliament has afforded the language a secure statutory status and "equal respect" (but not full equality in legal status under Scots law ) with English, sparking hopes that Scottish Gaelic can be saved from extinction and perhaps even revitalised. Long the everyday language of most of the Isle of Man , Manx began to decline sharply in the 19th century. The last monolingual Manx speakers are believed to have died around
2376-409: The 20th century, recording their speech and learning from them. In the 2011 United Kingdom census , there were 1,823 Manx speakers on the island, representing 2.27% of the population of 80,398, and a steady increase in the number of speakers. Today Manx is the sole medium for teaching at five of the island's pre-schools by a company named Mooinjer veggey ("little people"), which also operates
2448-455: The 6th to the 10th century, as well as in archaic texts copied or recorded in Middle Irish texts. Middle Irish, the immediate predecessor of the modern Goidelic languages, is the term for the language as recorded from the 10th to the 12th century; a great deal of literature survives in it, including the early Irish law texts. Classical Gaelic , otherwise known as Early Modern Irish , covers
2520-449: The Cruthin as invaders, including by Ian Adamson . O'Rahilly's history has been entirely unaccepted by some historians including Francis John Byrne . According to Myles Dillon and Nora K. Chadwick , while O'Rahilly's version of history has been accepted by some scholars and dismissed by others, it is an entirely traditional history that he had sourced from Lebor Gabála Érenn which was
2592-581: The Dumnonii or Laigin were the third of these invasions, or that the following Irish tribes descended from them, according to historian Sean Duffy, with the exception of the Ciarraighe Loch na nAirne and the Feara Cualann, the existence of all of the following Irish tribes in around the 7th century is supported by the literature of the time that came to Ireland with Christianity. As per O'Rahilly's doctrine,
2664-465: The English nation. O'Rahilly's version of the origins of the Irish, as supported by C. Thomas Cairney and John Grenham is as follows: The first of the Celtic invaders of Ireland were known as the Cruthin who arrived between 800 and 500 BC . The second wave of Celts to come to Ireland were known as the Erainn and this is supposedly where the Gaelic name for Ireland, Erin , originated from. These people arrived between 500 and 100 BC. They came from
2736-498: The Gaelic nobility), Irish was spoken by the majority of the population until the later 18th century, with a huge impact from the Great Famine of the 1840s. Disproportionately affecting the classes among whom Irish was the primary spoken language, famine and emigration precipitated a steep decline in native speakers, which only recently has begun to reverse. The Irish language has been recognised as an official and working language of
2808-407: The Norman invasion but are believed to have been of Flemish origin: Tobin , Flemming , Prendergast . The following surnames are believed to have come to Ireland with the Norman invasion but are believed to have been of Welsh origin: Roche , Blake , Joyce , MacQuillan , Rice , Taffe, Walsh , Savage. In the 16th century, English common law was introduced throughout Ireland, along with
2880-524: The Republic of Ireland 1,774,437 (41.4% of the population aged three years and over) regard themselves as able to speak Irish to some degree. Of these, 77,185 (1.8%) speak Irish on a daily basis outside school. Irish is also undergoing a revival in Northern Ireland and has been accorded some legal status there under the 1998 Good Friday Agreement but its official usage remains divisive to certain parts of
2952-657: The area which is today known as Belgium and had superior iron weaponry, and thus eventually reduced the Irish Cruthin to tributary status. The third wave of Celtic settlement in Ireland came from Continental Europe during the first century BC and this was probably because of pressure from the Romans on the south of Gaul . These people were known as the Dumnonii and gave their name to Devon in England. Their most powerful branch in Ireland
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3024-2281: The chiefly family of the Uaithni who were a tribe of the Erainn who were the second wave of Celts to settle in Ireland between about 500 and 100 BC . List of people surnamed Heffernan [ edit ] Angie Heffernan , Fijian activist Bill Heffernan (born 1943), Australian senator Bob Heffernan , Australian footballer Chris Heffernan , Australian footballer Christian Heffernan , Canadian football player Christy Heffernan , Irish sportsman Daniel Heffernan , English footballer Dean Heffernan , Australian soccer player Frank Heffernan (1892–1938), Canadian hockey player Gavin Heffernan , Canadian filmmaker Gerald Heffernan , Canadian ice hockey player Helen Heffernan , New Zealand microbiologist James Heffernan (Irish politician) , Irish politician James J. Heffernan (1888–1967), U.S. Representative from New York John Heffernan (disambiguation) , several people Josephine Heffernan (1876 - 1962), Irish-American nurse Kate Heffernan (born 1999), New Zealand cricketer Kevin Heffernan (disambiguation) , several people Killian Heffernan (born 2002), Irish darts player Margaret Heffernan , international businesswoman and writer Michael Heffernan (disambiguation) , several people Nathan Heffernan (1920–2007), American judge Neil Heffernan (1970–present), American professor of computer science Paul Heffernan , Irish footballer Ray Heffernan (disambiguation) , several people Robert Heffernan , Irish walker Roy Heffernan (1926–1993), Australian wrestler Seamie Heffernan , Irish jockey Virginia Heffernan , American journalist William Heffernan , American author William J. Heffernan (1872–1955), New York politician William Heffernan III , Connecticut politician Fictional characters [ edit ] Carrie Heffernan , fictional character in The King of Queens Doug Heffernan , fictional character in The King of Queens Other uses [ edit ] Heffernan v. City of Paterson ,
3096-519: The evidence for this is only a few pieces of flint . The first actual evidence of human residence in Ireland dates to around 8000 BC. Evidence of the first Neolithic farmers in Ireland dates to around 4000 BC. There is little evidence of a warrior elite in Ireland before 1500 BC and evidence for this appears during the Bronze Age where everyone of a wealthy class had weaponry. The Irish language first appeared from between 700/600 BC and 400 AD during
3168-672: The exception of the Clann Cholmáin , Cineal Laoghaire and the Muintear Tadhagain, the existence of all of the following Irish tribes in around the 7th century is supported by the literature of the time that came to Ireland with Christianity. Vikings and Normans are Ethnically linked in ancestry from the 9th to 11th centuries and who raided and settled in Britain and Ireland. In Ireland the Vikings became completely Gaelicized and established
3240-429: The first towns. The Normans invaded and conquered England in 1066 and later had similar success invading Ireland in the late 12th century. The Normans were the first people to introduce the mounted knight . In Ireland they were influenced just as much as they themselves influenced and have been described as having become "more Irish than the Irish". The following three Irish families are believed to be of Viking descent:
3312-409: The following Irish tribes. Although it is not possible to prove O'Rahilly's history of the four Celtic invasions of Ireland or that the Erainn were the second of these invasions, or that the following Irish tribes descended from them, according to historian Sean Duffy, with the exception of the Clann Choinleagain, the existence of all of the following Irish tribes in around the 7th century is supported by
3384-536: The four Celtic invasions of Ireland or that the Cruthin were the first of these invasions, or that the following Irish tribes descended from them, according to historian Sean Duffy, the existence of all three of the following Irish tribes in around the 7th century is supported by the literature of the time that came to Ireland with Christianity. As per O'Rahilly's doctrine, the Erainn were the second wave of Celts to settle in Ireland between about 500 and 100 BC. In line with this, according to Cairney, from them descended
3456-433: The island. Donnchadh Ó Corráin put the evidence for the Irish naitional identity back to the 7th century emphasising the impact that Christianity had on the people there. In 1002, the Uí Néill lost the high kingship of Ireland to the leader of the Dal gCais or Dalcassians , Brian Boru. It was during the century of declining Uí Néill dominance that surnames first started being used in Ireland. This meant that Ireland
3528-472: The kingdom of Dál Riata emerged in western Scotland during the 6th century. The mainstream view is that Dál Riata was founded by Irish migrants, but this is not universally accepted. Archaeologist Ewan Campbell says there is no archaeological evidence for a migration or invasion, and suggests strong sea links helped maintain a pre-existing Gaelic culture on both sides of the North Channel . Dál Riata grew in size and influence, and Gaelic language and culture
3600-410: The language was not really Scottish, and therefore foreign. This was something of a propaganda label, as Gaelic has been in Scotland for at least as long as English, if not longer. In the early 16th century the dialects of northern Middle English , also known as Early Scots , which had developed in Lothian and had come to be spoken elsewhere in the Kingdom of Scotland , themselves later appropriated
3672-399: The literature of the time that came to Ireland with Christianity. As per O'Rahilly's doctrine, the Dumnonii or Laigin were the third wave of Celts to settle in Ireland during the first century BC. In line with this, according to Cairney, from them descended the following Irish tribes. Although it is not possible to prove O'Rahilly's history of the four Celtic invasions of Ireland or that
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#17328556525853744-422: The middle of the 19th century; in 1874 around 30% of the population were estimated to speak Manx, decreasing to 9.1% in 1901 and 1.1% in 1921. The last native speaker of Manx, Ned Maddrell , died in 1974. At the end of the 19th century a revival of Manx began, headed by the Manx Language Society ( Yn Çheshaght Ghailckagh ). Both linguists and language enthusiasts searched out the last native speakers during
3816-445: The modern counties. Each Túath had a ruler or petty king who owed allegiance to a more powerful king who was over-king of three or more Túath. This over-king would in turn be subordinate to the king of a province, usually either the Eoghanacht or Uí Néill. The succession of kings or chiefs was governed by a system known as Tanistry whereby after a chief had died, the new chief would be elected from all paternal cousins descended from
3888-447: The modern province of Connacht . The most important of the Connacta tribes was the Uí Néill who claimed descent from Niall of the Nine Hostages. Niall's brothers included Ailill , Brion and Fiachra who were founders of the important Connachta tribes of Ui Ailella, Uí Briúin and Uí Fiachrach . Although the Eoghanacht and Uí Néill were the most powerful tribal groups in Ireland, there were others who were locally powerful including
3960-433: The name Scots . By the 17th century Gaelic speakers were restricted largely to the Highlands and the Hebrides. Furthermore, the culturally repressive measures taken against the rebellious Highland communities by The Crown following the second Jacobite Rebellion of 1746 caused still further decline in the language's use – to a large extent by enforced emigration (e.g. the Highland Clearances ). Even more decline followed in
4032-434: The native clans and their lordships. A number of modern Irish clan societies were former or reformed in the latter half of the 20th century. Today, such groups are organised in Ireland and in many other parts of the world. Several independent Irish clans have sprung up with international affiliation and membership from across the global Irish diaspora for the purposes of helping others with preserving history, culture, and
4104-399: The origin of the name for Ireland. The centre of the Ulaid's land was in the Diocese of Down . The main population group of the Ulaid was the Cruthin whose territory was in the Diocese of Connor and Dromore . There is also evidence for the Loígis in Leinster and the Cíarraige in Munster who also belong to this group and it is possible that their ancestors in Ireland were pre-Celtic. It
4176-506: The period from the 13th to the 18th century, during which time it was used as a literary standard in Ireland and Scotland. This is often called Classical Irish , while Ethnologue gives the name " Hiberno-Scottish Gaelic " to this standardised written language. As long as this written language was the norm, Ireland was considered the Gaelic homeland to the Scottish literati . Later orthographic divergence has resulted in standardised pluricentristic orthographies. Manx orthography, which
4248-416: The population. The 2001 census in Northern Ireland showed that 167,487 (10.4%) people "had some knowledge of Irish". Combined, this means that around one in three people ( c. 1.85 million ) on the island of Ireland can understand Irish at some level. Despite the ascent in Ireland of the English and Anglicised ruling classes following the 1607 Flight of the Earls (and the disappearance of much of
4320-407: The senior Gaelic chiefs of Ulster left Ireland to recruit support in Spain but failed, and instead eventually arrived in Rome where they remained for the rest of their lives (see Flight of the Earls ) . After this point, the English authorities in Dublin established real control over all of Ireland for the first time, bringing a centralised government to the entire island, and successfully disarmed
4392-414: The separate languages of Irish , Manx , and Scottish Gaelic . Irish is one of the Republic of Ireland 's two official languages along with English . Historically the predominant language of the island, it is now mostly spoken in parts of the south, west, and northwest. The legally defined Irish-speaking areas are called the Gaeltacht ; all government institutions of the Republic, in particular
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#17328556525854464-450: The sole Manx-medium primary school, the Bunscoill Ghaelgagh . Manx is taught as a second language at all of the island's primary and secondary schools and also at the University College Isle of Man and Centre for Manx Studies . Comparison of Goidelic numbers, including Old Irish. Welsh numbers have been included for a comparison between Goidelic and Brythonic branches. * un and daa are no longer used in counting. Instead
4536-437: The suppletive forms nane and jees are normally used for counting but for comparative purposes, the historic forms are listed in the table above There are several languages that show Goidelic influence, although they are not Goidelic languages themselves: Irish clans Irish clans are traditional kinship groups sharing a common surname and heritage and existing in a lineage-based society, originating prior to
4608-449: The two other Goidelic languages. While Gaelic was spoken across the Scottish Borders and Lothian during the early High Middle Ages it does not seem to have been spoken by the majority and was likely the language of the ruling elite, land-owners and religious clerics. Some other parts of the Scottish Lowlands spoke Cumbric , and others Scots Inglis , the only exceptions being the Northern Isles of Orkney and Shetland where Norse
4680-407: The west into Galway and Roscommon . By the 5th century they were dominant in most of Ireland and had established dynasties and tribal groups. These groups determined the Irish politics and culture until the Norman invasion of Ireland which took place during the late 12th century. O'Rahilly's version of history has been questioned by archaeologists and historians who have played down the role of
4752-426: The west. The tribes in the south called themselves the Eoghanacht and in about the year 400 AD they established at Cashel a dynasty which held power throughout most of southern Ireland from the 5th to 12th centuries. The Munster families of O'Sullivan , MacCarthy and O'Connell claim descent from the Eoghanacht. In the midlands of Ireland, the Gaeil tribes were known as Connachta and their name continues in
4824-409: Was disputed by Gearóid Mac Niocaill who stated that there is no good evidence to support that the usage of the term Rigdomna in early medieval Ireland was any different to that of tanaise (Tanistry) in late medieval Ireland and that the two terms were synonymous with each other. Although Mac Niocaill did state that MacNeill was correct in identifying a number of cases where Rigdomna was limited to
4896-417: Was eventually adopted by the neighbouring Picts (a group of peoples who may have spoken a Brittonic language ) who lived throughout Scotland . Manx, the language of the Isle of Man , is closely akin to the Gaelic spoken in the Hebrides , the Irish spoken in northeast and eastern Ireland, and the now-extinct Galwegian Gaelic of Galloway (in southwest Scotland), with some influence from Old Norse through
4968-403: Was introduced in the 16th and 17th centuries, was based loosely on English and Welsh orthography, and so never formed part of this literary standard. Proto-Goidelic, or Proto-Gaelic, is the proposed proto-language for all branches of Goidelic. It is proposed as the predecessor of Goidelic, which then began to separate into different dialects before splitting during the Middle Irish period into
5040-429: Was one of the first countries in Europe to start using surnames. Descendants of Niall of the Nine Hostages , who was the ancestor of the Uí Néill dynasty, include people with the surnames O'Boyle , O'Connor and O'Donnell . From the Dal gCais or Dalcassians came the surnames O'Brien and Kennedy . Within the Gaeil there was distinction between the tribes of the south from those of the north, and also from those of
5112-479: Was spoken. Scottish Gaelic was introduced across North America with Gaelic settlers. Their numbers necessitated North American Gaelic publications and print media from Cape Breton Island to California. Scotland takes its name from the Latin word for 'Gael', Scotus , plural Scoti (of uncertain etymology). Scotland originally meant Land of the Gaels in a cultural and social sense. (In early Old English texts, Scotland referred to Ireland.) Until late in
5184-563: Was the Laigin who gave their name to Leinster . A branch of the Irish group of the Dumnonii settled just to the south of Dumbarton in Scotland and were the ancestors of the Strathclyde-Britons . The fourth and last major Celtic settlements in Ireland took place around 50 BC. This was directly because of Roman attempts to dominate the Gauls of Continental Europe. This included, among others,
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