[Surname] Re: Irish surnames
by Jim Young (guest)
8/6/2007, 5:32 AM
One group of surnames that don't begin with Mac and O but are Irish are those taken from Irish place names. These form a very small and select band. Ones I know are: Corbally, Dease, Drumgoole, Finglas, Galbally, Santry, Slane (or Slaney) and Trim. Edward MacLysaght suggests that Craughwell and Powderley are also from Irish place names.
There are some names that look like Irish county names but, I believe, have non-Irish origins: Carlow, Longford, Sligo. Also some Irish names beginning with Kil- look like they're from place names, but are really versions of MacIl- names, e.g., Kilkenny for MacIlhenny.