O'Gara by Traynor
The name is derived from the Irish word for "mastif";
gadhar , meaning
that in battle he was as fierce as a mastif. The O'Gadhras were Lords of
Sligo and are a branch off the O'Hara pedigree which in turn are a branch
off the O'Carroll (of Ely) pedigree where I see a Cian, King of Munster.
The O'GARAs are descendants of Heber, one of the sons of Milesius who
conquered Ireland back around 1700 B.C.
=====================
The O'Haras were of the Clan Cian. Cian was a son of Olioll Olum, King of
Muster in the 3rd century, and a descendant of Heber, son of Milesius. They
were of the same stock as the O'Garas, O'Meaghers, O'Carrolls of Ely, and
O'Briens of Thomond. Headhra, or O'Hara was chief of Lughne, now the barony of
Lieney, Sligo. It previously included parts of Costello and Gallen in Mayo.
=========================
North Connacht Families
On Saturday, September 16, 1995, following a re-enactment of a 17th
century Siege of Sligo organised by the O'Rourke clan, a commemorative
dinner was held in Sligo for representatives of the clans of North
Connacht. Members of the following clans participated: Mac Donagh,
Burke, O'Gara, Mac Dermott, O'Hara, O'Hart, O'Connor, O'Dubhda,
O'Rourke, O'Meehan, Mac Clancy, Mac Sweeney, and others. The event was
organised as part of the year-long celebration of SLIGO 750, in
commemoration of the foundation of Sligo Castle and town.
====================
TheMacDermotts became princes of Coolavin, as successors to the O'Garas,
lords of Coolavin, and to the present day, (1892) were the only family of
the Milesian Clans that still preserved their ancient title as "Prince of
Coolavin".
=====================
The DeExeters made settlements in ancient Meath, where they built the Castle
of Castlejordan in the territory of Galenga, which gave its name to the
present barony of Gallen in co. Mayo. (The family of Dexter took the name
of MacJordan. There have been many variations in the Dexter name.)
The Galenga territory comprised the entire of the Diocese of Ardagh and
included the patrimonies of the families of O'Hara and O'Gara, whose tribe
name was Gallenga. Galenga was called in 1537, "MacJordan's Country"
and derived from Cormac Gaileang who was given the lands by King Cormac MacArt,
in the 3rd century.
Cormac Gaileang was son of Teige, son of Cian, son of Olioll Olum, was a
relative of MacArt and the ancestor of O'Hara and O'Gara
===========
An Oliver O'Gara was a member of the House of Commons, for Sligo, in 1689.
===========
O'Garas - Chiefs of
Coolavin and Sliabh Lugha.
Arms: Three lions ramp. az. on a chief gu. a demi lion ramp. or.
Crest: A demi lion ramp. erm. holding betw. the paws a wreath of oak
vert. acorned or. Motto: Fortiter et fideliter.
BEICE, who is No. 101 on the "O'Hara" pedigree, had two sons;
1. Eadhradh, and 2. Saorgus: this Saorgus was the ancestor of O'Gadhra;
anglicised O'Gara, Geary, and Gerry.
102. Saorgus: son of Beice.
103. Claonachan (" claon": Irish, prejudiced): his son; a quo Mac-
Claonachain, anglicised Mac Clanaghan and MacClenaghan.
104.Gadhar ("gadhar:" Irish, a mastiff, which means that in battle he
was fierce as a mastif): his son; a quo O'Gadhra.
105. Rorc O'Gara: his son; first assumed this sirname.
106. Conor: his son.
107. Dunsleibhe: his son.
108. Dunsleibe Oge: his son.
109. Roger: his son.
llO. Dunsleibhe (3): his son.
111. Congal: his son.
112. Ragnach: his son.
113. Dermod (3): his son.
114. Tumaltach (or Timothy): his son.
115. Timothy Oge: his son.
116. Eoghan: his son.
117. Dermod (2): his son.
118. Olioll: his son.
119. Teige: his son.
120. Fargal O'Gara: his son. This is the Fargal O'Gara, lord of Moy-
O'Gara and Coolavin, to whom Michael O'Clery, their chief author,
dedicated the Annala Rioghacta Eirionn,* and who was one of the
two knights elected to represent the county Sligo in the
Parliament held in Dublin, A.D. 1634. The family was, in 1648,
dispossessed, consequent on the war of 1641-1652.
The O'Garas were lords of the territory of Luighne, now forming and
giving name to the barony of Leyney or Lieny, in the county of Sligo,
whence they were expelled by the MacSurtains (or Jordans,-known in the
co. Cork as Lordans) and MacCostelloes, families of Anglo-Norman
descent; and they were obliged to remove into Cuil-Ui-Fionn, now the
barony of Coolavin, in the same county. They are sometimes styled lords
of Sliabh Lugha, a district on the confines of the counties of Sligo
and Mayo, comprising, besides lands in the former, a large portion of
the barony of Costello in. the latter county. Sliabh Lugha, as well as
the country of Luighne, derives its name from Luigh, son of Cormac
Galeng, son of Teige, son of Cian, the third son of Olioll Olum, King
of Munster, who is No. 84 on the "Line of Heber." From Cormac Galeng,
here mentioned, the Gailenga derive their descent and tribe-name.
O'Dugan says:
"Let us proceed into the Lienys,
Let us leave the country of Carbury,
tet us treat of the race of Cian,
In the warlike Lienys of trenchant blades.
The princes of Lieny of wide spread fame,
Are O'Hara and O'Huathmaran;
Let us visit Lieny of sword armed heroes,
And bear O'Kearnahan in memory,
Good is each mansion of that tribe--
Of these is O'Gara."
The following notices of this family are collected from various
sources:-
A.D. 964. Tiachleach O'0ara was slain; he was lord of South Leyney.
1056. Rory O'Gara, tanist of Leyney, was slain.
1059. Rory O'Gara, heir presumptive of the lordship of Leyney, died.
His uncle, Conal, died, 993.
1067. Donlevy O'Gara, lord of Leyney and Magh-Ui-Gadhra, was killed by
Brian O'Hara.
1128. O'Gadhra, lord of Leyney, was slain on an expedition into Leinster.
His kinsman, O'Gara of Moy-Gara, was slain at the battle of
Ardee.
1206. O'Gara, lord of Sliabh-Lugha, died.
1207. Connor O'Gara, lord of Leyney, flourished.
1217. Donal O'Gara, died.
1226. Ferghail O'Teighe, Captain of the House of Cathal of the Red
Hand O'Connor, and Aodh, son of the said Cathal, were
slain by Dunlevy O'Gara, lord of Leyney; and Dunlevy
himself was slain in the year following, by his own nephew,
the Giolla-Roe O'Gara; and Giolla-Roe was slain soon
afterwards at the instigation of Hugh O'Connor.
1228. The sons of Teige O'Gara slew Murtogh O'Flanagan.
1237. A prey was taken by Connor MacCormac O'Gara, whose brother
was killed on that occasion.
1241. Teige, son of Rory O'Gara, died.
1254. Manus O'Gara was killed.
1256. Rory O'Gara, lord of Sliabh Lugha, was slain by David
FitzRickard Cuisin; but Hugh, son of Felim O'Connor,
plundered the murderer's lands, demolished his castle,
seized his possessions, and slew himself in revenge for the
murder of his friend.
1260. Teige, son of Cian O'Gara, was slain at the battle of Dromderg,
at Dun-da-Leath-glas or Downpatrick, fought between the
English, commanded by Stephen, Earl of Salisbury, and the
Irish
Nation under the command of King Brian O'Neill; Hugh
O'Connor
being second in command. In this sanguinary struggle the
Irish
King lost his life in defence of his people.
1285. Rory O'Gara, lord of Sliabh Lugha, was slain by DeBermingham on
Lough O'Gara, in the barony of Coolavin
1325. Brian O'Gara, of Coolavin, died.
1328. Donogh Roe O'Gara and five of his name were slain. Dermod
O'Gara slew Teige O'Connor.
1435. O'Gara was killed by his own people on Inis Bolg, an island in
Lough Techet, now Loch O'Gara; his own brother, Connor Cam,
was
the principal in the murder. This Connor Cam was slain in
the
year following, in an attempt to repel the MacDonoghs from
Coolavin. Felim O'Connor preyed the country of O'Gara; and
the
latter in revenge preyed the people of Ballymore-O'Flynn.
1461. Fergal O'Gara, tanist of Coolavin, was killed by MacCostelloe.
1464. Tomaltach O'Gara was killed in a nocturnal attack on Sliabh
Lugha, by Maurice MacCormac MacDermott Gall, and by Edmund
MacCostelloe of the Plain.
1469. Eoghan O'Gara, son of Tomaltach Oge, son of Tomaltach Mor, lord
of Coolavin, died between the two Lady-days, in Autumn; and
his
son, Eoghan, died soon afterwards; and Dermod, son of
Eoghan,
son of Tomaltach, succeeded to the lordship.
1478. The son of Fergal O'Gara, above mentioned, and Manus, son of
David, were slain.
1495. Teige, son of Donal, son of Eoghan O'Gara, and Cian, son of
Brian O'Gara, were slain. Cian, son of Eoghan, son of
Tomaltach
Oge O'Gara, was "rhymed to death" by a bard.
Dermod, son of
Eoghan, son of Tomaltach Oge, lord of Coolavin, was taken
prisoner by O'Donnell, at the battle of Bel-an-droichet,
near
Sligo. His son, Eoghan, died in 1537.
1648. FARGAL O'GARA, the last name on this family pedigree, lord of
Moy O'Gara and Coolavin, to whom Brother Michael O'Clery
dedicated the Annals of Ireland (the Four Masters), was
M.P.
for the county of Sligo, from 24th March, 1628, till 30th
May,
1640. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin; and he
was
the first of the family who conformed to the Protestant
religion.
1716. Bernard O'Gara, a native of Sligo, was appointed to the
archiepiscopal see of Tuam. He died in 1740, and was
succeeded
by his brother Michael O'Gara, Who died between 1752 and
1755.
--------------------------------------------
This is the last entry we find of this family.
* Annala Rioghachta Eirionn: This name means "The
Annals of the Kingdom of
Ireland"; now known as "The Annals of the Four
Masters".
A friary was erected at Knockmore, in the 14th century, by
O'Gara, of
which the doorways and windows are in good preservation;
and it is still
a favourite burial place.
Here are also the ruins of Gara Castle, the residence of that O'Gara whose descendant,
Colonel O'Gara, left Ireland, after the battle of Aughrim, and entered the Austrian
service.
Compiled by Pat Traynor, in California's gold-rush country. tray@jps.net