O'Donovan family facts for kids

The O'Donovans are an old Irish family. Their family name, called a patronymic surname (meaning it comes from a father or ancestor), comes from the Irish Ó Donnabháin. This means "the grandsons or descendants of Donnubán." It refers to Donnubán mac Cathail, a ruler from the 10th century who led the Uí Fidgenti people.

During the 1100s and 1200s, some O'Donovan family groups moved south from the Bruree/Croom area. They settled in the Kingdom of Desmond and Carbery. Here, they became an important ruling family for many centuries. They helped set up a system of land ownership and loyalty, known as a feudal society, under the MacCarthy family. Other O'Donovan groups stayed in the southeast part of the Uí Fidgenti lands, around the Doneraile area.

In the southwest, some O'Donovan groups were semi-independent local rulers, sometimes called petty kings. They were under the powerful MacCarthy Reagh family. The O'Donovans were considered among the most important Gaelic noble families in Ireland.

The O'Donovan Family Begins

The O'Donovans are an ancient Gaelic Irish family group, known as a sept. Their name, ÓDonnubán, was later changed to O'Donovan in English. The family can be traced back to Donnubán mac Cathail, who lived in the 10th century. He was the son of Cahall and ruled the Irish kingdom of Uí Fidgenti.

The Uí Fidgenti lands stretched across the plains of the River Shannon. They included areas like Adare, Askearton, Croom, and Bruree. Donnubán mac Cathail, the Lord of Uí Fidgenti, married the daughter of his Norse (Viking) ally, Ivar of Limerick. Donnubán's son, Cathal mac Donnubán, also ruled a smaller kingdom called Uí Chairbre Áebda.

From Donnubán mac Cathail becoming king in 962 until Amlaíb Ua Donnubáin's death in 1201, the O'Donovan family was a strong, sometimes fully independent, ruling family within the larger kingdom of Munster.

Moving to Carbery

The O'Donovans were an old family in Munster, a province in Ireland. A part of the O'Donovans lived in an area called Cairbre Eva, or Uí Chairpre. This was within the ancient kingdom of the Uí Fidgenti, which was roughly the same size as modern County Limerick. For many centuries, they were allies of the Eóganachta family.

Even though old writings say they were princely, the Uí Fidgenti were considered a middle-tier ruling group in Ireland. They never tried to become kings of the whole province of Munster. However, the Uí Fidgenti did not have to pay taxes to the Eóganachta kings of Cashel. A medieval poem called The Book of Rights describes the O'Donovans' rights:

Dual d O Donnabáin Dhúin Cuirc
an tír si, na tír longphuirt;
fa leis gan cíos fon Maigh moill,
is na cláir síos co Sionoinn.

Hereditary to O Donnabhain of Dun Cuirc
Is this land, as a land of encampment;
To him, without tribute, belonged [the land] along the sluggish Maigh.
And the plains down to the Sionainn.

Their lands followed Limerick's River Maigue. But in the late 1100s and mid-1200s, other powerful families like the Dál gCais and FitzGerald dynasty forced them out. Some O'Donovans found safety in County Kerry in 1169. However, they were still noted in their original lands near Bruree and Croom in the mid-1200s.

The move of some O'Donovans to Carbery in County Cork happened around the mid to late 1200s. This was mainly because of their connection with the MacCarthy Reagh family. Most O'Donovans were linked to the MacCarthy Reaghs. However, some O'Donovans also had ties with groups that were against the MacCarthy Reaghs, including other MacCarthy families and Anglo-Irish rulers.

Only the O'Donovan chiefs south of Kilmallock were officially recognized by the MacCarthy Reagh. The O'Donovan chiefs of Bruree and north of Kilmallock were recognized by their own Uí Fidgenti relatives.

The MacCarthy Reaghs later took the title "Prince of Carbery." It's not clear if this name came from the O'Donovans' old tribal name (Uí Chairpre of the Uí Fidgenti). The O'Donovan groups in Carbery were less powerful than the MacCarthy Reaghs. They received a special staff, called the White Wand, from them to show their authority. The main O'Donovan family in Carbery, Clann Cathail, paid very little rent to their overlords. The reason for this small payment is not known today.

The O'Donovans had strong connections with the Norse (Vikings) of Limerick. Reverend John Begley wrote about how the O'Donovans helped convert the Limerick Norse to Christianity. He also noted their long history of intermarriage. The longphorts were Viking ship fortresses and settlements. In the 10th century, there were at least two Norse longphuirt deep in Uí Chairpre territory.

Many Irish families married Scandinavians, but the O'Donovans did so more than most. Much of the history of the Danes in Munster is lost. The Norse living in Uí Chairpre were last mentioned with Donnubán in 978. The later Norman invasion of Ireland ended their power. Today, only the Cotter family in East Cork still thrives in Ireland from these Norse connections.

Important Old Events

The O'Donovans are first mentioned with the MacCarthys shortly after Amlaíb's death. The Annals of Inisfallen reported in 1205:

AI1205.3: Cellachán son of Mac Carthaig, i.e. the son of Cathal Odar, was slain by the mounted horse of Domnall, son of Mac Carthaig, i.e. by the followers of Donnocán and by Ua Donnubáin of Uí Chairpri.

The O'Donovans' political power in Uí Chairbre lessened as the MacCarthy family's power grew and then split. By 1232, some MacCarthy groups ruled from the south of the Uí Fidgenti lands and controlled Uí Chairbre. In 1260, Norman records show the O'Donovans raiding Norman lands with Fíngin Reanna Róin Mac Carthaig. This was one year before his famous victory at the Battle of Callann, where the O'Donovans of Uí Chairbre are thought to have fought alongside him. In 1259, he helped them in a fight against the O'Mahonys, who were blamed for killing Crom Ua Donnubáin.

Before this time, the O'Donovans and O'Mahonys were generally allies. Their ancestors, Máel Muad mac Brain and Donnubán, had joined forces against the Dál gCais in the 10th century. In 1283, after a power struggle within the MacCarthy family, some MacCarthys and O'Donovans moved to new lands next to the O'Sullivans. This started a long and sometimes difficult relationship between the O'Donovans and the O'Sullivans, including small wars and marriages over the next four centuries.

Later History of the O'Donovans

Carbery in Tudor times

After a busy 13th century and their move south, the O'Donovans of Uí Chairpre became less prominent for about two centuries. This is mainly because there are few records for Munster during that time. They split into several smaller lordships and became less powerful, reporting to their overlord, MacCarthy Reagh. The MacCarthy Reagh was often in conflict with other MacCarthy groups and with Norman settlers and old Irish families.

The O'Donovans of Uí Chairpre started appearing in records again around 1500. Domhnall Ó Donnabháin was the Bishop of Ross in the mid-to-late 1400s. Donal mac Melaghlin O'Donovan was killed for piracy in 1551 by the O'Driscoll lords, along with his O'Driscoll partners.

Despite their period of being less known, an O'Donovan group (the remaining Uí Donabhain of the Uí Fidgenti) was still listed among the 64 leading Gaelic families in all of Ireland in the mid-1500s Book of Howth. Their chief was noted as being the "Chief Irish of his countrie" (meaning region).

The Clancahill O'Donovans

After some O'Donovans of Uí Chairpre moved to Cork and Ancrom O'Donovan died in 1254, few records survived about the Uí Chairpre O'Donovans for the next three centuries. But when they reappeared in the mid-1500s, they were like other families in Ireland at that time: different branches fighting and even killing each other, each supported by other relatives.

It seems that a lucky marriage to an O'Leary and strong support from Clan Aneslis helped the branch of the famous Donal of the Hides defeat their rivals. These rivals included Diarmaid an Bhairc ("Dermot of the Bark," meaning born at sea) and the Sliocht Íomhair ("Seed of Ivor"), who were descendants of the legendary Ímar Ua Donnubáin.

In a fierce local battle in Rosscarbery in 1560, Diarmaid was being officially recognized as chief by the MacCarthy Reagh. Donal, with Clan Aneslis and O'Learys, attacked the town. They killed Diarmaid and many of his followers. The MacCarthy Reagh, who was Cormac na Haoine MacCarthy Reagh, 10th Prince of Carbery, then officially recognized Donal na g crocieann as "O'Donovan." This story is believed to be true by some historians.

Ellen O'Leary and Donal na g crocieann (of the Hides) married at Dromale. One of their sons was Donal II O'Donovan.

Recent leaders of the Clancahill family include Morgan William II O'Donovan and his son Morgan John Winthrop. Morgan Gerald Daniel O'Donovan (Murchadh Gearóid Dónal Ó Donnabháin) was born in France in 1931 and passed away in 2016. He was the son of Morgan John Winthrop O'Donovan. He lived near Skibbereen in West Cork. He was the Chairman of the Standing Council of Irish Chiefs and Chieftains. He was married to Frances Jane, and they had a son, Morgan Teige Gerald (born 1961), and two daughters, Katharine Jane (born 1962) and Cecilia Mary Cornelia (born 1966).

The Clanloughlin and Ballymore O'Donovans

These O'Donovans are known for many achievements. An important junior branch, the Donovans of Ballymore, settled in County Wexford. Many of them have been important in politics and the military.

• Jeremiah O'Donovan (MP Baltimore) was a Member of Parliament.
• Juliana Donovan, Countess of Anglesey was a well-known figure.
• Edward Westby Donovan fought in the Crimean War and later commanded British troops in Hong Kong. He received a high honor from France, the Légion d'honneur.

The current leader of the Clan Loughlin and Ballymore branch is Brian Donovan, a scholar at Trinity College, Dublin. He is a descendant of Donal Oge na Cartan O'Donovan, Lord of Clan Loughlin (who died in 1629). He is also the CEO and co-founder of a history research company called Eneclann.

O'Donovan Lands in Carbery

Between them, the Clancahill and Clan Loughlin O'Donovans controlled the entire harbor of Glandore. Clancahill was on the west side, and Clan Loughlin was on the east. Clan Loughlin was based at Cloghatradbally, now called Glandore Castle. This castle was built by the Barretts in the 13th century, and the O'Donovans took it from them.

Clancahill also came to control half of Castlehaven harbor. The ancient O'Driscolls controlled the other half. From the ocean, the O'Donovan lands stretched north and northwest into the Drimoleague area. The famous Castle Donovan is found in a valley near that village. This castle, located in a remote mountain area, was the main home of the Clancahill family until the early 1600s.

At their peak in Carbery, between the late 1500s and the mid-1600s, the O'Donovans controlled about 100,000 acres of land in the center of the region. This included lands in both West and East Carbery. However, only about 15,000 acres could be used for farming. On the rest of the land, they still collected rents and had rights to hold courts and fairs. Their main income came from the harbors and bays they controlled, which was common for lords along the South Munster coast.

After the Irish Confederate Wars and the Irish rebellion of 1641, much of their land was taken. Charles II of England had promised to give them back their lands, but instead, he gave most of it to soldiers of Cromwell's army. The O'Donovans got back less than one-twentieth of their former lands, only a few thousand acres. However, this was still better than many other Gaelic families. The powerful MacCarthys Reagh lost almost everything and eventually left Ireland.

The Clanloughlin family lost their estates twice. First, they lost most of the large Manor of Glandore in the 1650s to Cromwell's soldiers. Then, they lost the Manor of the Leap in 1737 when one of their leaders, Jeremiah II O'Donovan, sold it.

By 1878, various O'Donovan family branches were successful landowners. They held 17,213 acres of estates in several counties in southern Ireland, not counting smaller properties. By this time, Donovans were also well established in England, Australia, Canada, Argentina, and the United States.

See also

• Chiefs of the Name
• Clonakilty
• Donovan (disambiguation)
• Donovan (name)
• Irish nobility
• O'Donovan (surname)