A new seven-part series exploring the history of Ireland's most common surnames is set to air on Irish-language broadcaster TG4 on Sunday night. "Sloinne" (Irish for surname) provides a fascinating ...

The earliest known Irish surname is O’Clery (O Cleirigh); it’s the earliest known because it was written that the lord of Aidhne, Tigherneach Ua Cleirigh, died in County Galway back in the year 916 ...

In a Gael Linn booklet first published in 1998 and entitled Aspects of Our Shared History, the late lamented Aodán Mac Póilin asked the question: Can a surname tell you where your ancestors came from?

The origins of some last names are pretty self-explanatory, whether it's Baker, Shepherd or even Rotten. But many surnames make no sense at all, at least not to the average Joe without a degree in Old ...