The people and the name, Luc(e)y

EARLY REFERENCES TO THE NAME

Seventh Century :

The Index Nominum of Dr John O'Donovan's translation of Annal Rioghachta Eireann - Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters contains the following item: Colmán-ua-Cluasaigh - tutor of Cummine - the poet 661. and his translation of the entry is as follows: The Age of Christ, 661. The fifth year of Diarmaid and Blathmac. St Cummine Fodaa , a son of Fiachna, Bishop of Cluainfearta-Breanainn [Clonfert], died on the twelfth day of November. Colmán-ua-Cluasaigh, the tutor of Cummine, composed these verses:

The Luimneachb did not bear on its' bosom, of the race of Munster, into Leath-Chuinn,

A corpse in a boat so precious as he, as Cummine, son of Fiachna.
If anyone went across the sea, to sojourn at the seat of Gregory [Rome],
If from Ireland, he requires no more than the mention of Cummine Foda.
I sorrow after Cumine, from the day that his shrine was covered;
My eyelids have been dropping tears; I have not laughed, but mourned since the lamentation at his barque.

St. Colmán ua Cluasaighc, died. St. Sarand Ua Critain died.

O'Donovan's footnotes to the above are: a Cummine Foda: i.e. Cummine the Long or tall. ... he was of the tribe of Eoghanacht Loch Lein in Kerry.... (this lengthy footnote gives more information about Cummine, that need not trouble us here).

b The Luimneach. - This was the old name of the Lower Shannon. These verses, which are very obscure seem to allude to the fact of St. Cummine Foda having died in Munster, and his body having been conveyed in a boat up the Shannon to his episcopal church in Clonfert, in the county of Galway, to be there intered. Dr O'Connor says that his Acts, written in Irish metre by his tutor, O'Seasnain, who died in 661 [665], are extant in an old vellum manuscript in the Stowe Library.

c Colmán ua Cluasaigh. - He was the tutor of St. Cummine Foda, and the author of the panegyric just refered to. - See O'Reilly's Catalogue of Irish writers, p. 45.

d Saran. - He was the patron saint of Tisaran in the barony of Garrycastle, in the King's County ....

A chapter entitled Irish as a Vernacular Before the Norman Invasion by David Green, in the book A View of the Irish Language, mentions the same person, (although in a slightly different spelling): Colmán moccu Clúasaig who was the fer légind (learned man or Latinist) of the monastery of Cork. In the year 664 he wrote Sén Dé (Blessing of God) - a hymn written in a mixture of Irish and Latin on the occasion of a great plague of that year, and which is one of the earliest surviving examples of the written Irish language. It is interesting to note that while the Four Masters recorded Coleman as dying in 661, Green did not let him die until 3 years later. I don’t know the reasion for the discrepancy.

In Ireland before the Normans by Donncha Ó Corráin, there is a footnote:

The word moccu (Ogam: MAQQI MUCOI) appears to indicate tribal affiliation, (so that, Colmán moccu Clúasaig would mean: "Colmán of the tribe known as Clúasach," he also points out that,) "F.J. Byrne in Tribes and Tribalism in Early Ireland, [contained in Ériu 22 (1971)] considers that the disappearance of this formula reflects a decline in tribal feeling. Direct transference of the older tribal affiliation names to the more modern surnames was very rare. The Uí Néill did become the Ó Neill.

It has been common for ecclesiastical orders to have their members adopt a new name so that they become identified more with their order than with their natural family. In this way they become sons or daughters of their church - the loyalties and emotions that once would have been directed to their families are re-directed to the church. A cleric's nom de guerre was not often related to his parent’s names, (or to those of his children).

In The Saints of Ireland by Mary Ryan D'Arcy, there is the following entry:

Colman Mac Uí Cluasigh

? May 6 (his feast day) Seventh century

One of Ireland's some 120 saints named Colman was Colman Mac Ui Cluasaigh, a professor at Cork. About 664 he composed in verse a prayer for protection against the yellow plague that had devastated Ireland, leaving only one man in three alive. It was then the belief that pestilence never extended more than nine waves from the shore. So Colman took his boys and setting out in boats for an island in the ocean, they chanted the prayer verse by verse in turn as they went. One of the school asked Colman what was the blessing wherein it had befallen them to take to the sea. "What blessing is it" the saint replied, "but God's blessing?" Colman's "Lorica" or prayer, is said to be the only piece of writing that survives from Finbarr's school at Cork. It is given in 1000 Years of Irish Poetry, edited by Kathleen Hoagland.

Healy, 487; Hoagland, 15.

There are many reasons why Colman Ua/moccu Cluasaigh should be considered in this study to be simply a person who shared a name with the others in this paper. There is no reason to assume any blood relationship, no matter how attractive it may be to have a Saint in the family.

(DÓM points out that the form Mac Uí arose from a misunderstanding of the archaic moccu.)

Eighth Century :

No relevant information discovered to date.

Ninth Century :

In his introduction to Family Names of County Cork, Ó Murchadha describes the movements of people in Ireland in the 9th Century:

The groupings then in Munster were by no means homogenous. Dominating, or at least attempting to dominate, the scene were the Eóganacht, whose eponym was Eógan Mór (and) from whom all the later great Gaelic families of the province claimed descent.

Eóganacht Locha Léin ruled over West Muskerry, Eóganacht Raithlind over what is now South Cork, and Eóganacht Glennamhain over the Fermoy (N-E Cork) region, while in the east, Eóganacht Caisil based on the Rock of Cashel claimed supremacy over all others.

Before the penetration of the Eóganacht, Co Cork seems to have been populated by tribes of Érainn stock (Fir Bolg). These were later represented by such groups as the Múscraige (M. Mittaine in mid-Cork; M. Trí Maige in north Cork &c.) The Corcu Lóegde (or Corco Loígde) who were pushed into south-west Cork by the Eóganacht, and in east Cork Uí Liatháin and Uí Meic Caille.

It is often difficult to seperate facts from the myths and legends with which the histories of these early people were melded. The Fir Bolg were said to rule Ireland for 36 years and they were possibly Belgæ. The Eóganachta maintained their power until 908 A.D. when overcome by the Uí Néill, and maintained Cashel until 964 when it was captured by the Clare sept, Dál Cais led by Mathgamain, whose brother Brian Bóroime later defeated the shop-keeping Vikings of Dublin. As will be shown, our early Lucey's were of the Eóganacht, as it is from them that the Mac Carthys arose.

Tenth Century :

No relevant information discovered to date.

Eleventh Century :

In The Surnames of Ireland, MacLysaght wrote:

Ireland was one of the earliest countries to evolve a system of hereditary surnames: they came into being fairly generally in the eleventh century, and indeed a few were formed before the year 1000. ... (the system) developed spontaneously in Ireland, as elsewhere, as the population increased and the former practice, first of single names then of ephemeral patronymics or agnomina of the nickname type proved insufficiently definitive. Elsewhere, Ó Murchadha also asserted that family names did not take root in Ireland until the 11th Century, and other writers concur with this view. This implies that most earlier sur-names were simply useful descriptions for identifying individuals, and did not pass consistently from generation to generation.

Twelfth Century :

No relevant information detected to date.

Thirteenth Century:

1224 The Annals of Connacht record at item 13:

The sons of Hugo [de Lacy, Earl of Ulster] came to Ireland in spite of the King of England, and their coming produced assaults of war and dispersion among the Galls of Ireland ... Then the Galls and Gaels of Ireland raised an army to attack them: Aed mac Cathail Chrobdeirg king of Connacht, Donnchad Cairbrech O Briain king of Thomond, Diarmait Cluasach (Long-eared) Mac Carthaig king of Desmond and the leading men of Ireland generally, except the Cenel Eogain and Cenel Conaill. The index lists the above entry as follows:

- Diarmait Cluasach [m(ac = son of) Domnaill Mor] k(ing) 1224.13; U1229.6.

The entry for 1229 (item 6) simply reads:

1229

Diarmait Mac Carthaig [viz. Diarmait Cluasach] king of Desmond, died.

The Annals of the Four Masters, lists in the Index :

Mac Carthy, Dermot, Lord of Desmond 1189 ———— died, 1229.

In the events of 1189 AD, Dermot Mac Carthy is described by the Four Masters as King of Desmond, while under the date of 1229 they say: Dermot Mac Carthy, Lord of Desmond died. In neither instance is the word Cluasach used - this signifies little, although other (later) Mac Carthys are described by the Four Masters as Cluasach.

1243

The Annals of Connacht (item 2 for the year) informs us that:

Tadc son of Aed mac Cathail Chrobdeirg, ... captured Cormac mac Tomaltaig and brought away his own mother, Etain daughter of Mac Carthy, Fingen to wit, who was Mac Diarmata's wife, and gave her as wife to Cu Chonnacht O Raigillig as ransom for himself.

(Etain was the daughter of Fingen Mac Carthy, and later, she became the widow of Aed Mac Cathail Chrobdeirg O'Conchobair. It is not for six years that the relevance of this to our study is made clear):

1249

The index of the Annals of Connacht points us to

- Fingen [m(ac) Diarmata Cluasaig], 1249.3

while the entry is as follows:

3. A great war was waged against the Galls of Desmond, and great harm inflicted on them, by Fingen Mac Carthaig this year. 5

5 According to Inisf. (fo. 46a, last entry) he captured Geoffrey Gogan and made away with him secretely. This passage should be read in conjunction with O'Donovan's last note to 1250.

(DÓM assures me that there is nothing in the Four Masters last note to 1250 of relevance to this paper.)

1261

The Annals of Connacht records (at items 5 and 6)

5. Very destructive war was waged against the Galls this year by Fingen son of Domnall Mac Carthaig (viz Donal Gott?) and his kinsmen.

6. A great hosting was made by the FitzGeralds into Desmond, to attack Mac Carthaig; but he attacked them and routed them and fitz Thomas, John by name (viz. John, son of Thomas Fitz Gerald of Shanid) and his son (Maurice) were killed there, as well as fifteen knights, besides eight noble barons and many young squires and countless soldiery.

1261 was the year of the battle of Callann. In 1259, a royal (i.e. Anglo-Norman) grant of Desmond and Decies was made to John FitzThomas. This of course provoked a rising of the MacCarthys, who in the battle of Callann won a total victory over FitzThomas and the Justiciar, and confirmed for some time their control of south-west Ireland.

Fourteenth Century :

Calendar of Documents, Ireland, 1302 - 1307 A.D.

No 320: Grant to Thomas Olousy of the Archdeaconry of Cashel.

This is the earliest record known to me (excepting that of Colman) where the name (or a variant of it) is used without it being an appendage to the name Mac Carthy.

Cormac Mac Carthy (V1134) had built the original chapel (subsequently named for him) on the Rock of Cashel. In the 9th Century, the Eóganacht Caisil still based their territory on the Rock of Cashel (and had done so since the 4th Century ). Although the McCarthys had lost the physical control of the area in 964, it seems appropriate that one of them again achieved temporal control.

(DÓM is of the opinion that Olousy (written as one word) was unlikely to derive from Cluasach/Mac Cluasaigh. He also expressed the view that it was probably not connected with the Mac Carthys, because of their absence of influence at Cashel at this time.)

1398

Refer to entry below at 1421 AD.

Fifteenth Century :

1409 : Mac Carthy Cluasachg i.e. Donnell, the son of Fineen, son of Donough, son of Dermot Reamhar, died. (The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland) The footnote in The Four Masters reads:

g. Mac Carthy Cluasach, i.e. Mac Carthy of the long ears.

1418 : Dermot Mac Carthy Cluasach, Tanist of Hy-Cairbre, died. (The Four Masters: Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland) (Tanist means a parallel or second person, and in this context, the heir apparent.)

The Annals of Connacht recorded the same event as follows:

10. Mac Con O hEtersceoil, king of Corca Laigde, his brother the Bishop O hEtersceoil and Diarmait son of Mag Carthaigh Cluasach, eligible prince of the Ui Cairpri died. (in the index for this event we read: Mág Carrthaig Cluasach, Diarmait, R(ig)D(amna), V 1418.10.)

May we assume therefore that the name Cluasach was, by this time, being used as an hereditary surname rather than as a simple description? We have a father (probably Donell of 1409) and son (Dermot), both refered to as Cluasach.

1421

A reference in MacCarthaigh’s Book mentions Donnchadh son of Mac Carthaigh Cluasach, dated (by the editor) at 1398, but by the Annals of Connacht at 1421. DÓM believes that the later date is more likely to be correct.

Sixteenth Century :

1510 : Mac Carthy Cluasach, Dermot, son of Donnell, died 1510; so reads the index to the Four Masters, but at the actual entry for that year says: ... and also Mac Carthy Reagh (Donnell, son of Dermot, who was son of Fineen), but there is no mention of the appellation Cluasach in the entry. The inversion of the names must be a typographical error.

1560 : one Robert Mac Clwos of Cork, obtained "English liberty," later in the 16th Century there are records in the Fiants of several other people living in or near Co Cork, with the names Mac Cluosse, and two others named Ó Lwosie. (quoted by MacLysaght).

(Fiant - an abbreviation of Fiant litterae patentes - these were warrants to the Court of Chancery which was the authority for the issue of letters patent under the Great (or Privy) Seal. They dealt with matters ranging from commissions for appointments to high office and important government activities, to grants of "English liberty" and "pardons" to the humblest of the native Irish.

(Pardon - In Tudor times this was equivalent to immunity from the effects of anti-Irish legislation, only in some cases was it an actual pardon for a specific offense.)

Seventeenth Century

1601 : Extracts of Fiants of Queen Elizabeth as published in the 18th Report of the Deputy Keeper of the Records in Ireland (all of the following are for 1601, and were supplied by Diarmuid ó Murchadha):

Fiant No 6302	A pardon to the followers of Roche of Fermoy, includes a James Lowsse
Fiant No 6467	Gullishie O Lwoshie (Giolla Íosa Ó Luasaidh) (= servant of Jesus)
	Tige and Donell O Lwosie (of Muskerry?)

Fiant No 6511	Gillpatrick O Lowsie of Ballivorney

Fiant No 6571	Gulestie O Lwoshie and Donell O Leieshie (sic)
	of Mashanaglas.
	Teig and Donell O Lwoshie of Ballivornie (cf. 6467)
	Owliffe O Lwosie of Kilmidie (par. Drishane)
	Shane O Lwosie of Ballyvoyrane (Ballyveerane, par. Macroom)

Fiant No 6558	Dermot Mc Cluosse of Killwey [?]
	Morris Mc Tho. Clwoes, John Mc Morris Mc Clowes and,
	Tho. Mc Cluas of Carrig Roghan.
	Conoghor Mc Philip I Cluost of Monyne.

Fiant No 6764	Teige bwye [?] O Lowsie of Ballyvarney (Ballyvourney). + Gillpatrick O Lowsie of Drishane Parish, Yeoman (= wealthy tenant farmer. Is this the same man as in Fiant 6511 ?)

Since recording the above, I have learned that the Victorian State Library contains the Reports of the Deputy State Keeper of Public Records and Keeper of State Papers of Ireland. These include Fiants from 1521 to 1603. As this was a time when the English were trying to make in-roads into Co. Cork, there is every chance that they may include more examples of Luceys. It is possible that more information than simply a name and number may be listed.

I’ve also been informed that The Irish Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns (4 vols.) were reprinted by Edmund Burke, Dublin 1994.

Eighteenth Century

1712 : the Kinsale presentments give the name Luosy, alias Lousy as among the "Popish inhabitants" who were executed, quoted by MacLysaght. The following may be additional information relating to event(s) that proceded the above :

Analecta Hibernica, No 15 "Robbery Warrants" 1712:

Dennis Luocy; Tiege Luosy (als. Lousy).

1766 : Inhabitants of Parish of Kilmichael in 1766, an article published in the Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society (1920) contains the following footnote (18) at page 74: The surname Loucy frequently occurs in the list. It is now spelled like the English surname Lucy. In the fiants (Elizabeth) it is spelled O'Lwoshie and O'Lwosie. (In Irish Ó Luasaigh.) It is said to mean herb-doctor. Mr D.J. Lucy H.C., a prominent member of this ancient Irish family, says O'Luosies were a branch of the O'Donoghues. The O'Luosies have been long seated in Macroom and neighbourhood. The name O'Donoghue (Ó Donnchada) is found in southern Co Killkenny, another sept in Co Galway, Co Cavan, west Cork and Co Kerry.

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September, 1999

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