In this article, we look at Irish Surnames – their origins and evolution. See if you can find the Irish surnames in your family tree in one of the sections below.

Looking for County Donegal Ancestry

Today we feature a letter from one of our Green Room members, Marie Irwin, as she chats about the life and times of her family and their origin in the very north part of County Donegal. Marie: Hello Mike, a very warm welcome from sunny North Queensland to you. Mike: Nice to meet you too, Marie. A little…

An Irish Rebellion in Australia

We’re just back from our trip to Australia – following the Irish Ancestry Trail in that part of the world. And what it trip it has been! We were delighted with the welcome and the stories – and had plenty opportunity to take lots of photos and videos. We look forward to sharing many of…

Tralee to Kilkee on the Wild Atlantic Way

Coming into the town of Tralee – the administrative capital of County Kerry – my mind always goes back to the Rose of Tralee festival. Specifically to the early 1980s and heading down to Tralee for the craic, sleeping only when necessary and wherever possible. Funny how those memories can colour your impressions of a…

Did your Family Live in an Irish Castle?

When we look at Irish surnames today, it’s easy to get confused when we see names that appear to have several different spellings, some look very English or Scottish – how could they be Irish you ask – while other names appear to randomly have an “O” or “Mac” in front of them. Before We…