O'Callaghan or simply Callaghan without the prefix (anglicized from two separate surnames and clans, Ó Ceallacháin, Munster Clan. Ó Ceileacháin, Oriel Clan) is an Irish surname.
Origin and meaning
Munster
The surname means descendant of Ceallachán who was the Eóganachta King of Munster from AD 935 until 954. The personal name Cellach means 'bright-headed'. The principal Munster sept of the name Callaghan were lords of Cineál Aodha in South Cork originally. This area is west of Mallow along the Blackwater river valley. The family were dispossessed of their ancestral home and by the Cromwellian Plantation and settled in East Clare.
The O'Callaghan land near Mallow, forfeited by Donough O'Callaghan after the Irish rebellion of 1641, came into the hands of a family called Longfield or Longueville, who built a 20-bedroom Georgian mansion there. In a twist of history, of the ancient O'Callaghan land returned to O'Callaghan hands in the twentieth century, when Longueville House was bought by a descendant of Donough O'Callaghan. The ancestral estate of the O'Callaghans, now a luxury hotel, is owned by William O'Callaghan.
Oriel An entirely different sept, Ó Ceileacháin in Irish, is to be found in the counties Armagh, Louth, Meath and Monaghan. It has been anglicised as Callaghan, Kelaghan, Keelaghan, Kealahan and other variants. In County Meath, where it is widespread but has been found mainly in the parishes of Kells, Trim and Athboy, it is mainly anglicised as Callahan, Callaghan or O'Callaghan (with local spelling variants). In County Westmeath it is found in the form Kellaghan and Kelleghan. In County Monaghan it is often found as Keelan.
Members of the Ó Ceileacháin family were mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters as being lords of Uí Breasail, a district on the southern shore of Lough Neagh, and priors of Armagh in the 11th century.Annála Rioghachta Éireann: Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland
People
Callaghan
O'Callaghan Barry O'Callaghan (born 1969): CEO of Riverdeep Interactive Learning Bill O'Callaghan (1868–1946): Irish hurler Billy O'Callaghan (born 1974): Irish novelist and short-story writer Cian O'Callaghan (born 1979) : politician, Irish Social Democrats Con O'Callaghan (decathlete) (1908–1976): Ireland's first Olympic decathlete; brother of Pat O'Callaghan David O'Callaghan (dual player) (born 1983) David O'Callaghan (Kerry Gaelic footballer) (born 1987) Denis O'Callaghan (Australian rules footballer) (born 1949): Australian rules footballer Donncha O'Callaghan (born 1979): Irish international rugby union player Edmund Bailey O'Callaghan (1797–1880): doctor, journalist, and leader of political movements in Ireland and Quebec Gareth O'Callaghan (born 1961): Irish broadcaster & Author Gary O'Callaghan, (1933–2017): Australian radio announcer George O'Callaghan Irish footballer George O'Callaghan-Westropp (1864–1944): Irish landowner and politician George O'Callaghan, 2nd Viscount Lismore (1815–1898) Irish peer and British Army officer Geraldine O'Callaghan: kickboxer Jim O'Callaghan (born 1968): Irish Fianna Fáil politician John O'Callaghan (Medal of Honor) (1850–1899): American soldier and Medal of Honor recipient John O'Callaghan (musician): Irish musician and DJ José O'Callaghan Martínez (1922–2001): Spanish Jesuit, papyrologist and Biblical scholar Joseph O'Callaghan (1824–1869): American Jesuit educator Joseph T. O'Callahan (1905–1964): Captain, US Navy, Jesuit priest, Medal of Honor recipient Kevin O'Callaghan Irish footballer Kilian O'Callaghan (born 1963): ballet dancer and teacher, from Monkstown, Co. Cork Leland James O'Callaghan (1915–1997): American businessman and politician from Georgia Miriam O'Callaghan (camogie): 26th president of the Camogie Association Miriam O'Callaghan (media personality) (born 1957): Irish television current affairs presenter with RTÉ Mollie O'Callaghan Australian Olympic Swimming Gold Medallist Pat O'Callaghan (1906–1991): first Irish athlete to win an Olympic medal Robert O'Callaghan (British Army officer) (1777–1840): British Army officer and politician R. E. O'Callaghan (1855–1936): English vegetarianism activist, lecturer and writer Seán O'Callaghan (1954–2017): IRA informer from Tralee, County Kerry Sian O'Callaghan (1988–2011): murder victim from Swindon, Wiltshire, UK Therése O'Callaghan: camogie player captain
Places O'Callaghans Mills, County Clare, Ireland Liscallaghan, old Irish name for Fivemiletown, County Tyrone
See also Irish nobility Eóganachta Eóganacht Chaisil Irish royal families Chief of the Name O'Callaghan Clan (Munster) Callahan (disambiguation) Callihan
Other Munster families McGillycuddy of the Reeks O'Donoghue O'Donovan O'Brien, Prince of Thomond O'Grady of Kilballyowen
References
Further reading Bugge, Alexander (ed. and tr.), Caithreim Cellachain Caisil: The Victorious Career of Cellachan of Cashel Christiania: J. Chr. Gundersens Bogtrykkeri. 1905. Curley, Walter J.P., Vanishing Kingdoms: The Irish Chiefs and their Families. Dublin: Lilliput Press. 2004.
O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees. Dublin. 5th edition, 1892.
External links Callahan Genealogy and History website