Just this week I have had the following question asked a number of times: “Where in Ireland does my x surname come from?”. It’s a fundamental question for many of us – after all, we all like a sense of place in our lives. So, I thought it would be useful to share the following…

Is There Such a thing as Irish DNA?

Carina and myself are just back from the city of San Sebastian in northern Spain – located in the middle of what is known as “Basque Country”. We travelled there as part of our traveling the “Irish Ancestral Trail” – tracking the places where the Irish originated, and the places where we ended up! It…

Irish Sayings – Is there Room for the Irish language in your Life?

I must admit, I find English – the language of this letter – to be one of the most beautiful languages in the world. Down through the centuries it stretched in the most imaginative of directions – absorbing the beautiful lines of poets and scribes who were supported by a wealthy power and taking in…

What Are the “Approved” Irish Names in Your Family?

Many Irish families seem to feature multiple instances of the same forenames e.g you might find dozens of Johns, Marys or Richards – but very few Joans, Timothys or Michaels. This cumulative effect is often down to “Irish naming patterns” – but sometimes families have a special place for some given names. Last week, I…

O’Doherty

Surname Index

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Do You Have This Problem Locating your Irish Surname?

Is There Such a thing as Irish DNA?

Irish Sayings – Is there Room for the Irish language in your Life?

What Are the “Approved” Irish Names in Your Family?

The Two Graces Of County Mayo Ireland