OÂ'Donoghoe

Donoghue or Donohoe, more properly O'Donoghue, is one of the most important as well as the most numerous names in Ireland. In Irish O Donnchadha, it denotes descendant of Donnchadh, anglice Donogh, a personal name. Several distinct septs o the name existed in early times. O these the principal are O'Donoghue of Desmond, O'Donoghue of Ui Maine (Hy Many) and O'Donoghue of Co. Cavan. The modern representatives of the two latter usually spell the name Donoghoe, and are still found plentifully in Counties Galway and Cavan, while the first-named are mostly in Counties Kerry and Cork, I.e. in the Desmond country. They are of the same stock as the O'Mahonys, descended from Domhnall son of the King of Munster who took part in the battle of Clontarf in 1014. They were originally in West Cork, but having been driven into Kerry by the MacCarthys, they became very powerful in that county, and a district called Onaght O'Donoghue perpetuates their occupation. The sept split into two branches, the head of one being styled O'Donoghue Mor, with his seat on Lough Leine at Ross Castle (still one of the tourist attractions near Killarney); the other was O'Donoghue of the Glen. O'Donoghue Mor estates were confiscated during the Elizabethan wars, but O'Donoghue of the Glen held on at Glenflesk and the present head of the family is one of the few Chiefs of the Name recognized officially in Ireland as eligible to use that designation, I.e. to be called in popular parlance "The O'Donoghue". Geoffrey O'Donoghue of the Glen, one of the leading Gaelic poets and scholars of the seventeenth century, if not himself chief of the Name was most probably son of the chieftain Geoffrey O'Donoghue (d. 1678). Another minor O'Donoghue sept belonged to Ossory but these are now called Dunphy. A hundred years ago the peasantry there were still O'Donoghue, and Dunphy was "genteel". Dunphy, however, is recorded in the census of 1659 as one of the principal Irish names in the barony of Iverk, Co. Kilkenny. Like all the great Irish families O'Donoghues distinguished themselves in the armies of continental powers in the eighteenth century. In Spain the name became O'Donoju - Juan O' Donoju (1751-1821) was the last Spanish ruler of Mexico. Donnchadh O Donnchaddha founded Jerpoint Abbey at the end of the twelfth century. Several O'Donoghues distinguished themselves in the nineteenth century in politics and literature. John O'Donoghue (1812-1893) was the author of A Historical Memoir of the O'Briens and other works; Patrick Donahoe (1811-1901) was founder and first editor of the Boston Pilot, while David James O'Donoghue (1866-1917), author of The Poets of Ireland etc., was a well-known librarian and research worker.

Name Variations:  Danahy, Denian, Deniau, Deniou, Donachie, Donaghe, Donaghu, Donaghue, Donaghy, Donahew, Donahey, Donaho, Donahoe, Donahoo, Donahoue, Donahue, Donahugh, Donehew, Donehoo, Donehue, Doneyhoo, Donhoe, Donhou, Donhue, Doniho, Donihoo, Donihue, Donnahoe, Donnahoo, Donno, Donnohue, Donnou, Donnowho, Donoahue, Donocho, Donochoe, Donogh, Donoghoe, Donoghue, Donohew, Donoho, Donohoe, Donohoo, Donohou, Donohoue, Donohow, Donohue, Donohugh, Donougher, donoughue, Donoughy, Donowho, Donoyou, Dumphy, Dunaho, Dunahoe, Dunahoo, Dunahue, Dunchue, Dunehew, Dunehoo, Dunfee, Dunfey, Dunfy, Duniho, Dunihoo, Dunnahoe, Dunnahoo, Dunnahue, Dunnehoo, Dunnihoo, Dunphey, Dunphy, O'Donoghue, O'Donohoe, O'Donaghue, O'Donahoo, O'Donahue, O'Donaughue, O'Doneghue, O'Donnoghue, O'Donoghoe, O'Donoghue, O'Donogu, O'Donohoe, O'Donohoo, O'Donohue, O'Donoughue, ODonoghue, O'Donoghoe.

References:
One or more of the following publications has been referenced for this article.
The General Armory; Sir Bernard Burke - 1842.
A Handbook of Mottoes; C.N. Elvin - 1860.
Irish Families, Their Names, Arms & Origins; Edward MacLysaght - 1957.
The Surnames of Ireland; Edward MacLynsaght - 1957.
The Book of Irish Families Great and Small.

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