|
HOGAN/O’HOGAN
The Hogans are a Dalcassian family whose ancestor was Ogan who was
descended from an uncle of Brian Boru, the most celebrated of all Kings
of ancient Ireland. The Dalcassians were a dynastic group of related septs located
in north Munster who rose to political prominence in the 10th century AD
in Ireland. The Dalcassian territory extended well beyond the boundaries
of County Clare, which was the heart of Thomond, the territory of the
Dalcassian septs.
The Hogans occupied the extreme north-eastern part of Thomond and their
chief lived at Ardcrony, near Nenagh, County Tipperary. The name is
numerous in Ireland, being among the hundred most common surnames. It is
estimated that the present Hogan population in Ireland is about eight
thousand with the great majority living in their original native habitat
in the counties of Tipperary, Clare and Limerick. There are also a
number in County Cork, whose origin is stated by O’Donovan to be
different from the Dalcassian Hogans. One of the minor Corca Laidhe
septs was O’Hogan. In the Irish language the name is O’hOgain but the
prefix “O” is only occasionally met with in the modern form in English.
In the seventeenth century the name was often written Ogan. There is a
place named Ballyhogan in the parish of Dysart, County Clare.
The most famous Hogan is probably John Hogan (1800-1858), an Irish
sculptor of international repute; but to the Irish, the romantic figure
of “Galloping Hogan” who was the hero of Sarsfield’s exploit at
Ballyneety in 1690 makes the most appeal. Maurice Hogan, S.J.
(1831-1917) did much work as an editor of manuscripts and produced his
best known book Onomnasticon Gaedelicum at the age of seventy
two. The first Minister of Agriculture in the Irish Free State was
Patrick Hogan (1891-1936) who was one of three brothers who
distinguished themselves in various activities during the 20th
Century.
Source: MacLaysaght, Edward; More Irish Families; page 182.
The Dál gCais (Irish
pronunciation: [d̪ɑːɫ
ɡaʃ];
also Dal Cais or the Dalcassians) They claimed descent from Cormac Cas,
or Cas mac Conall Echlúath, hence the term "Dál", meaning "portion" or
"share" of Cas. In later times, for reasons of political expediency,
they claimed Cas was a brother of the largely mythological Éogan
Mór, son of Ailill
Aulom, from whom the established Eóganachta dynasties
had earlier claimed descent. The Eóganachta were in fact properly
descendants of the later Conall
Corc and so both claims and perhaps
both tribal names have their origins in Munster mythology.
In early historic Ireland they were an obscure group, one of many of the
subject peoples of the Éoganachta. In the seventh and eighth centuries,
when the overkingdom of Uí
Fiachrach Aidhne fell into decline,
they moved north and annexed Tuadmumu (Thomond) or North Munster.
Previously part of Connacht, it became part of Munster.
Thomond was to remain the heartland of the Dál gCais and its septs; it
is most especially associated with the O'Brien
dynasty (Ua Briain, Ó Briain), family
and descendants of the famous
Brian Bóruma, High
King of Ireland (d. 1014), who reigned
as its kings from the 930s to 1543, and from 1543 to the present day as Baron
Inchiquin. |
