Irish O'Morgans and their Gaelic Origins bernardmorgan @hotmail.com
(the O'Muireagain and O'Murchadhain of Ireland)
Map of Nineteen century Morgan locations within Ireland
Stumped with my own pedigree I looked into the Irish origins of surname Morgan. I would like to share what I found with the hope this will provide usefully for further studies into the surnames O’Morgan (O’Merrigan, O’Murrigan, O'Murrican, O’Morrin, O’Moraghan, O’Morahan and O’Moran).
O'Morgan Pedigrees from the Gaelic Medival Manuscripts:
Ua Muireagain of Ui Tuirtre of Sil Colla hUais of Airgialla
Ui Muireagain of Muinter Duibh Rois of Ui Chremtainn of the Airgialla
Ua Murchadhain of Clann Daithghil of Cenél Echach Bindigh of Ui Neill
Ua Muireacain (Ua Muirneachain) of Cenel Coelbad of Cenel Fergus of Ui Neill
Ua Muireagain of Munitr Tadgain of Cenel Maine of Ui Neill, Kings of Teffia
Muiniter Meic Muireagain of Clan Colman Mor of Ui Neill
Ua Murchadhain of Clann Aenghusa of Cenel Fiachach mac Neill of Ui Neill
Ui Muireagain of Cenel Cairbre of Ui Neill
Ui Muireagain of Clan Chainnich of Clan Colgan of Ui Failge
Ui Murchadhain of Clan Mael Finn of ‘Clan Colgan of Liffey’ of Ui Failge
Ua Marcain of Ui Garrchon of Dál Messin Corb
Ua Murchadhain of Ui Felmada of Ui Cheinnselaig
Ua Murchadhain of Sil Faelchan of Ui Cheinnselaig
Ua Murchadhain of the Fothairt
Ua Murchadhain (Ua Morain) of Conmaicne Rein
Ua Murchadhain of Clan Cremthain of Ui Maine
Ua Murchadhain of Clan Uadach of Siol Muireadaigh of Ui Briuin
Ui Murchadain of Clan Murchadha of Siol Muireadhaigh of Ui Briuin
Ua Murchadain & Ui Muireagain family located in County Clare
Ui Mhearagain of Cinel Laoghaire of Ui Eachach Mumhan of the Eoghanachta Raithleann
Review of what has been written about Irish Surname Morgan
What I believe to be the history of the families
Poem addressed to Peadar Ua Muireagain (translations welcome)
Are the Majority of Morgan in Ireland of Welsh Origin? I say no.
Two Irish family names that are source for O’Morgans; they are the: Ua Murchadhain and Ua Muireagain.
The O Murchadhain from the diminutive of Murchadh (or Muirchadh), the first element of Mur is from Muir (for sea)..
Woufle's ‘Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall’ gives the following variations of O'Murchadhain: O'Murcain and O'Murain (where Mura is a pet name of Murcad).
Woufle also gives the following anglizations of O'Murcain: Moroghon, Morroghin, Morin, Murchan, Murkin, Morkin, Murchan, Morghane, Moraghan, Morahan, Morohan, Morkan, Murkin, Morgan, Morran, Morrin, Moran.)
Murchadh itself
gives rise to the surnames: MacMurchaidh,
O'Murchadha and O'Murchu; in English: Murdoch, Murphy, Morrow, Morrough and Morochoe.
The O Muireagain (Muirecain) from the diminutive of Muireach (contraction of Muireadhach) and hence occasionally replaced in the Annals/Genealogies with O Muireadhaigh and O Muireachaidh.
Woufle's ‘Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall’ gives the following variations of O'Muireagain are: O'Muirean and O'Muirin.
Woufle also gives the following anglizations of O'Muireagain: Murrigane, Moregane, Morgan, Murrigan, Murricane, Merrigan, Maragan, Morgan; and from O'Muireain: Murrane, Murran, Murrin, Murren, Morrin, Moran.
Muireadhach (plural: Muireadhaigh) gives rise to the surnames: O Muireadhaigh and O Muireachaidh; in English Murdoch, Murray and Maurice.]
[I have also found a couple of substitution of Murchadh for Muirecan and Muiredhach…]
Murchadh v Muireadhach; one and the same?
Murchadh and Muireadhach (Muireach) are said to be difference Gaelic first names; yet this is troubling me for the co-location of Ua Murchadhain and Ua Muireagain families. If they where the same name sand hence Murchadhain/Muireacain were the same name just different spellings the conflict would go away. So to this end:
Murchadh (from Muir-cadh) can be spelled under gaelic grammar as Muireachadh, similar Muireadhach.
While at least one manuscript (Ms. 1467) uses Muireachach for Muireadhach, hence though Murchadh and Muireadhach are said to be difference Gaelic first names they seem confusingly close.
Here is example which I believes poses the problem of the separation of the two names for in Scotland they are translated as Murdoch.
"Up in the Gaelic highlands two brothers Murchadh and Muireadhach Mac Domhnaill are driving their cattle down to the English speaking Lowland village, to sell them to Murdoch MacPherson." So what does MacPherson call the MacDonald brothers? Murdoch and Murdoch? I would expect those now speaking English to differentiate between between different first names in there former language? am I wrong?
This introduction of vowel would also means that: Murrigan is Murgan, Merrigan is Merrgin, Moraghan is Morghan, Moroghan is Morghan (this last one is an actual example from Transaction of the Gaelic Society of Inverness explaining this feature of Gaelic grammar).
Thoughts
Bord na Gadhlig tells me that Murdaigean in Scots Gaelic is a diminutive of
Murchad.
Meanwhile in South Antrim, Ballymurphy a suburb of Belfast is per Queens
University's Placename research 'Baile Ui Murchain'.
In the same parish are:
1669 Edward Morgan Belfast city Parish of Shankill
1669 William Morgin Belfast city Parish of Shankill
10 miles or less away are:
1669 Daniel O'Murrigan, Ballyviamry (Camlin), Parish of Killead, Barony of Upper Massereene
1669 Collo Morgan, Ardmore, Parish of Killead, Barony of Lower Massereene
1669 Donnell O’Morgan, Ardmore, Parish of Killead, Barony of Lower Massereene
The problem is are those in the Shankill parish O Murchadhain as per Fearann Ui Murchain in Offaly. (O'Donovan in his notes, notes that they the O Murchadhain are now called 'Morachain'.
Or is it possible for the local Ulster O Muireagain (O Muirecain) can also be called O Murchain?
[Also I believe I found why the Historian's matched Fearann Ui Murchain with Ua Muireagain in Rawlinson B.502 as opposed to what I believe you rightly match with Ua Murchadhain pedigree in Rawlinson B.502. Due to the O Murchadhain being direct relatives to O Connor Failge who come from the same lands.
I believe the error is in the transcription of the Rawlinson B.502 manuscript; for Muirican mac Tadgain (line 272 of UCC copy) is when you read the manuscript actually 'Muircan'; with no 'i' between the 'r' and 'c' and hence similar to Murchain. (Online manuscript page 68R at the Bodleian library).
Murchadhain is spelt ' murċádī ' (line 293, online manuscript page 65R)
Mureacain is spelt ' muricáī ' (line 279, online manuscript page 65R)
While the other spelling of Mureacain (line 288, 65R) are 'mac Murecain' and 'mac Muirecain', taking into account the shorthand for ' aī ' for ' ain '. (ī represents the over-scoring of the actual text.)]
In Book of Leinster, Muireacan and Muireacain appears as: Murican, Muricain and Murícan; no version starts with Muir-.
Laud 610
A 15th-century miscellany of prose and verse texts in Irish and Latin, assembled mostly in 1453 and 1454 in Carrick, Pottlerath and elsewhere for Edmund Butler (d. 1464). The two main scribes copied out earlier materials including genealogies and legends, partly from the Saltair of Cashel (now lost), and also incorporated (fols. 59r-72r, 123r-146v) 'The Book of the White Earl', which had been made with finely decorated initials between 1410 and 1452 for Edmund's uncle James Butler, 4th earl of Ormond (d. 1452).
78r column B Muricaín
106v column A Muireacan
106v column B Murecain