Ó Rothlain
Encyclopedia
Irish name
A formal Irish-language name consists of a given name and a surname. Surnames in Irish are generally patronymic in etymology, although they are no longer literal patronyms, as Icelandic names are...
meaning "descendant of Rothlan". It is the pre-anglicized
Anglicisation
Anglicisation, or anglicization , is the process of converting verbal or written elements of any other language into a form that is more comprehensible to an English speaker, or, more generally, of altering something such that it becomes English in form or character.The term most often refers to...
, Irish
Goidelic languages
The Goidelic languages or Gaelic languages are one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic languages, the other consisting of the Brythonic languages. Goidelic languages historically formed a dialect continuum stretching from the south of Ireland through the Isle of Man to the north of Scotland...
form of the names Rowlan
Rowlan
Rowlan is an Irish Surname and the anglicized version of the name Ó Rothlain . It, therefore, shares a link with the surnames Rowland, Rowlands, Rollan, Rollin, Rolan, Roland and Rowley.-Canterbury:...
, Rowland, Rowlands, Rollan, Rollin, Rolan and Rowley. The name can also be found spelled as Ó Rothlán, Ó Rothlain, O'Rothlain, Rothlán, and Rothlan.
Significance in the History of Ireland and Connacht
The name Ó Rothláin is IrishIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, and has its main presence in history deeply rooted in County Mayo
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
, Connacht
Connacht
Connacht , formerly anglicised as Connaught, is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the west of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for...
. According to Irish History the family were chieftains within Co. Mayo (titled as "Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
").
Ó Rothláin is recorded in The Tribes, Customs and Genealogies of the Hy Fiachrach by John O'Donovan
John O'Donovan (scholar)
John O'Donovan , from Atateemore, in the parish of Kilcolumb, County Kilkenny, and educated at Hunt's Academy, Waterford, was an Irish language scholar from Ireland.-Life:...
. The earliest reference is found in Irish Annals dating back to 1208. According to the Annals of the Four Masters
Annals of the Four Masters
The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland or the Annals of the Four Masters are a chronicle of medieval Irish history...
, Auliffe O'Rothlain, Chief of Calry of Coolcarney, was slain by O'Moran.. The next major mention of the name Ó Rothláin appears in the year 1337 in the Annals of Connacht (Annála Connacht),1337.9, stating that, "Master Ó Rothlain rested in Christ." This same event again appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, M1337.3, "The Master Professor Ó Rothlain died."
Questions of Origin
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
for being Catholic in connection with the 1795 Battle of the Diamond
Battle of the Diamond
The Battle of the Diamond was a violent confrontation between the Catholic Defenders and a Protestant faction including Peep o' Day Boys, Orange Boys and local tenant farmers that took place on 21 September 1795 near Loughgall, County Armagh, Ireland. The Protestants were the victors, killing...
. Approximately 4,000 Ulster Catholics fled into County Mayo (see Crossmolina
Crossmolina
Crossmolina or Crosmolina is a town in the Barony of Tyrawley in County Mayo, Ireland, as well as the name of the parish in which Crossmolina is situated. The town sits on the River Deel near the northern shore of Lough Conn...
) after their defeat. The story states that the family settled in and around the town of Castlebar
Castlebar
Castlebar is the county town of, and at the centre of, County Mayo in Ireland. It is Mayo's largest town by population. The town's population exploded in the late 1990s, increasing by one-third in just six years, though this massive growth has slowed down greatly in recent years...
where they can still be found bearing the name of Rowland. However, while some Ulster Catholics may have married into the family or clan, this explanation is a doubtful explanation of the families presence in Connacht as historical references placing the family within Connacht pre-date 1795 by nearly 600 years.
See also
- 1208 in Ireland1208 in Ireland-Events:*The town and lands of Fethard, County Tipperary were lost to its founder, William de Braose, following a dispute he had with King John of England.*Auliffe O'Rothlain, Chief of Calry of Coolcarney, was slain by O'Moran....
- 1337 in Ireland
- Kingdoms of Ancient IrelandKingdoms of ancient IrelandThis article lists some of the attested Gaelic kingdoms of Early Medieval Ireland prior to the Norman invasion of 1169-72.For much of this period, the island was divided into numerous clan territories and kingdoms . These túatha often competed for control of resources and thus they continually grew...
- Provinces of IrelandProvinces of IrelandIreland has historically been divided into four provinces: Leinster, Ulster, Munster and Connacht. The Irish word for this territorial division, cúige, literally meaning "fifth part", indicates that there were once five; the fifth province, Meath, was incorporated into Leinster, with parts going to...
- Annals of the Four MastersAnnals of the Four MastersThe Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland or the Annals of the Four Masters are a chronicle of medieval Irish history...
- Uí Fiachrach AidhneUí Fiachrach AidhneUí Fhiachrach Aidhne was a kingdom located in what is now the south of Co. Galway.-Legendary origins and geography:...
- History of IrelandHistory of IrelandThe first known settlement in Ireland began around 8000 BC, when hunter-gatherers arrived from continental Europe, probably via a land bridge. Few archaeological traces remain of this group, but their descendants and later Neolithic arrivals, particularly from the Iberian Peninsula, were...