Genelach Dáil Cuinn Project™ Forum

James,

Genealogy, especially genetic genealogy, is addictive. The technology, and thus the accuracy of test results, is getting more and more refined. Hopefully, in the next 5 years we will have complete coverage of the entire Y chromosome with no gaps. That should bring about some interesting changes and refinements.

IDK if you have followed any of the threads relating to Scottish versus Irish origin, but the results show that the R1b-DF104 clade originated in Ireland, most likely Connacht, and spread to Scotland, Galloway and Argyllshire primarily, and the Isles from there. So your Dad may have been among far distant kin in Glasgow.

It is amazing how well the Y-DNA correlates with the Irish genealogies. There are some egregious discrepancies, but overall the genealogies are quite accurate. Unfortunately, we have discovered that some families/surnames just were not recorded; usually because they were too distant from the chieftain lines. But, as more men test and their results become available, it will flesh out the Y-Haplotree and allow us to make connections that may help answer some of the questions still outstanding.

Have a safe and enjoyable trip!

I just reached out to James via email since for some reason my reply hasn't moved from my outbox lol. But I did some initial looking into what Breifne name the Cunninghams in Eastern Cavan could have come from.

Firstly, Cunnegan/Connagan variants were extremely low numbers and inconclusive by the timeframe of existing parish records. If the name did come from O/Mac Connagain/Cuinnegeain, nearly all these folks had become Cunninghams. I did come across something interesting though going further back...

British Tax on Hearths, 1664, Castlerahan barony, Co. Cavan
TEIGE McCONNIN, Castlerahan & Munterconnaught p.
JAMES CONNINGE of Killeter, Killinkere p.
PATRICKE CANINGE of Cloghballybeg, Killinkere p.
PHILIP CONIN of the same;
THOMAS CONINGE of Lenenawragh, Killinkere p.
NICHOLAS CONINGE of the same;

It's too early to say whether these are the people who became Connyngham/Cunningham, but looking up Canning/Conning variants in the mid 19th century here reveals little to no results, leading me to believe that the majority of the people of this family whose variants end in -ING could have become Cunninghams. I am going to dive into the Elizabethan Fiants to try to find evidence of O/Mac Connagain/Cuinnegain in Breifne Ui Raghallaigh. However this is a very good candidate. The name I believe I am seeing here is:

Mac COINÍN (M'Conine, M'Kenyne, M'Canine, Cuneen, Cunneen, Conyeen, Kinneen, Kenning and Canning)
"Son of Coinin", an old Irish personal name; scattered; No doubt several distinct families, i.e. the MacCoinin of Mayo, anciently seated in Erris, who were noted patrons of learning." -Rev Woulfe

There is one variant that is undoubtedly present overwhelmingly and in the same place we see this family in 1664.
Via johngrenham.com, there are 105 "CONNON" baptisms in Lurgan parish, Castlerahan (one in Kockbride as well James), MacLysaght says "Connon" could be "Mac CANANN" from "cano: a wolf club; a surname in Monaghan" but clearly the amount of Connon here in the 1850s dwarfs this scattered variant in Monaghan and it may be a different name than MacCanann altogether (another generalization by the scholars). The name is scattered across the rest of eastern Cavan as well. Clearly Lurgan parish within Castlerahan barony is probably the ancestral homeland of whatever this surname is that's in the hearth rolls, likely MacCoinin.

James, be sure to take a trip through here on your vacation. It may be the origins of your people.

LURGAN, a parish, in the barony of CASTLERAHAN, county of CAVAN, and province of ULSTER, on the road from Kells to Cavan; containing, with the post-town of Virginia (which is separately described), 6387 inhabitants. It comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 11,327 ¾ statute acres, including 922 ¾ acres of water, of which the greater portion is in Lough Ramor; 8423 acres are applotted under the tithe act, and there is a large portion of bog and moor. In 1831, two townlands were separated from this parish to form part of the district parish, or perpetual cure, of Ballyjamesduff.

Also for some exact-location clarity with the moving boundaries, spellings, etc over the last 400 years. The townlands noted in the hearth rolls are today:
CLOGHBALLYBEG, now in Mullagh parish, Castlerahan
KILLETER, now in Mullagh parish, Castlerahan
LENENAVRAGH, now in Mullagh parish, Castlerahan

RC Marriages Cunningham vs Connon (Southern Cavan area)

Chris,

Just wow! Outstanding research, as always. Thank you, good sir.

And if you see a PM in your outbox, it means the recipient has not read it. There is no auto deletion after some interval, so you have to delete it manually after enough time has passed by your standard.