On the origin and derivation of the family name McCullagh

The ancient name for the tract of country now known as County Down - but including a small part of south County Antrim - was ULAGH (in Latin, Ulidia.) Some historians suggest it bore this name after ULAGH, a Norwegian, who flourished here before the Christian era. According to this theory the whole province of ULSTER eventually took its name from him. These historians further hypothesise that Ireland - being then of five provinces - had this as its fifth part (cuig-Ulagh - i.e.Ulagh's fifth.) A family of good note in Antrim - and many other families of lesser account - took the name Mac (son of) Cuig Ulagh (or Mac Ulagh or MacCullough, McCullough, McCullagh or McCulla.)

Other historians counter this hypothesis by remarking that the Norwegians - variously known as Norsemen, Vikings or Ost-men - didn't set foot in Ireland until towards the end of the eighth century. The name is clearly much more ancient than that. We can tell from surviving remains of defences that the native Irish built against these invaders (e.g round towers) that the frequency and intensity of attack from sea invaders became a major preoccupation of life in the eighth century.

On the other hand, our histories are full of stories of the FOMRAIGH or sea-rovers who attacked and plundered our coasts in earlier times from their homes in those lands now known as Denmark, Sweden and Norway. The two colonies of the FIRBOLG and the Tuath de Dannans of Celtic legend, though emanating immediately from Britain, had their origin in the parts around the Baltic Sea now known as Germany. Another conjecture is that the name derived from Ollamb Fodlab, ancient king of Ireland who was seventh in line of descent from Milesius.

The great geographer and astronomer Ptolomy (c. 150 A.D.) mentions the Voluntii or Uluntii as inhabitants of this country. He referred to the territory as ULIDIA.

But the most common explanation of the derivation of our name is from the ancient Celtic hero CUCHALLAIN (various spellings!). Irish history is rich in legend and folklore. No folk hero surpasses this man in repute.

It is said that Cuchallain lived in Ireland about the first century. On behalf of King Conor and the Red Branch Knights - who were temporarily out of action on account of a witch's spell laid upon them for the past misdeeds of the king - Cuchullain single-handedly defended the province of Ulster against the invasion of Queen Maeve of Connacht, leading an army composed of warriors from all the rest of Ireland.

His given name was Setanta. The boy Setanta came by his unusual name in the following way.

As a youth Setanta showed great promise both as a sportsman and a warrior. Once as a reward for his deeds of distinction on the hurley pitch, he was invited to attend a great feast given by the king in honour of his smith Cullain. When it was assumed that all of the guests had arrived, the smith unleashed his faithful and fearsome hound to defend the banqueting hall. Suddenly a terrifying howling outside startled the guests within.

It was noticed then that one of their number, namely the small boy, had not yet entered the feast. With quaking hearts they went out, only to find that Setanta had dispatched the hound with one blow from his hurley.

Cullain was relieved but desolated for the loss of his faithful hound. Setanta promised to take its place by his side as guard and thenceforward became known as Cú Cullain, the hound of Cullain (or the Hound of Ulster). This may be the proudest surname any Irishman can possess!

McCullagh (and its variations)

While not in the list of the one hundred most common surnames in Ireland, this is still numerous with an estimated Irish population of five thousand persons. (Note there are far more than this number abroad). 80%-90% of those bearing this name live in Ulster, mainly in counties Tyrone, Down and Antrim. In 1659 Petty's Census revealed a similar situation when this name (with all its variants) constituted one of the principal Irish surnames in the Baronies of Antrim, Belfast, Carrickfergus and Toome, and in Lower Iveagh in County Down (mainly present-day South Down and South Armagh).

In the previous century the “Annals of Loch Ce” tell us that Seamus Mac Con Uladh was killed at Dunbo (Coleraine) in 1532. The author in his index translates this name as MacCullagh. On this point, one genealogical authority - namely Woulfe - begs to differ. He gives McAnully, MacAnaul and MacCullow but not MacCullagh as a modern or early-anglicized form. According to him the Irish form of MacCullagh is MacColla (sometimes MacCollach) derived from Colla - a personal name in use in MacDonnell and MacSweeney families.

The acclaimed authority Edward MacLysaght rejects this. He had no doubt that the Irish form of MacCullagh is either Mac Con Uladh or Mac Cú Uladh. The reason for the alternative forms is that in later times Cú Uladh was seen as one word and so cú did not change in the genitive case. From this later form came the pronunciation, which gave the anglicized MacCullagh.

Dr Hayes-McCoy, considers MacCollas as gallowglass families (a hired warrior class).

Distribution

The most exhaustive source for sixteenth century Irish surnames is the FIANTS: therein we find MacAnulla (Belfast) but MacColla, MacCullo(e) and MacCullowe mainly in Connacht but occasionally in Ulster. The “Composition Book of Connacht” (1585) records as men of substance one Rory MacCollo of Becklone, Co Galway and one Rory MacHugh MacCullogh of Bollindrone, Co Sligo.

The name MacCulloch is also that of an important Scottish family originally from Argyleshire and later of Galloway, from whence came the Ulster Plantation undertaker who was the ancestor of some of the MacCullochs of Ulster. The first of them settled in Donegal. This name is traditionally derived from the Scottish Gaelic word culach, meaning a boar. In Co Sligo Boar and Bower have been used as synonyms of MacCullagh within living memory. It is possible that this undertaker may be the source of the Protestant or Scots McCullough line, as distinct from the Irish Gaelic and largely Catholic McCullaghs - though this spelling variation with religious sect link is far from established. Indeed Camlough McCulloughs acquaintances thought we must be Protestant on account of the 'agh' ending to our surname!

Individuals

Some of the best-known people of the name were Ulstermen.

• James MacCullagh (1809-1847) from Strabane was an eminent physicist and mathematician.
• David McCullagh, currently political reporter with RTE.
• John Edward MacCullough (1837-1885) from Coleraine was a famous United States tragedy actor.
• Joseph Burbridge MacCullagh (1843-1896) of Dublin became known as “the father of the interview”.
• Colleen McCullough : Thorn Birds author.

Historical Notes

At this point it's relevant to include some historical notes on places of settlement and on the frequency/distribution of our forebears in the seventeenth century and earlier.

CENSUS OF COUNTY DOWN 1659 PRONI - T 497

This census is largely a statistical record of parish names, townlands and numbers of inhabitants both Scotch (sic) - [often a synonym for Protestant, recent immigrant (to Antrim/Down mainly) from Scotland or planter] - and Irish - meaning native Irish (or Roman Catholic). This was the century of the Plantations and of greatest religious intolerance.

Some of the principal Irish names of each district are noted here.

In the Magheralin/Moira area, the second most popular Irish name (after McBrien) is McCullagh - with twelve entries.

Newry then had a population of 951, of which 166 were described as Scotch and 785 as Irish. The wider hinterland of Lower Iveagh was equally divided between the two. Where I live now, Drumcashellone - then spelt Drumcassellowen - had ten inhabitants, two of them being Scotch. It is interesting to note that the ratio now (Catholic to Protestant) is similar, though thirty years ago it would have been the reverse.

In 1659 all other areas north of here (e.g.Benagh, Crowbane, Derrylacka) were totally Irish. [The Ulster Plantation was not yet complete and the post-Cromwellian persecution, the penal laws and further confiscation of Catholic lands were yet to take their full effect.]

Thirteen people lived in Ballinacraig (where Flo and I lived when we first settled in Newry) and Crieve, eleven of whom were Irish. Its principal citizen was Michael Garvey. In Kilkeel Garvey (with seven families) was one of the most populous Irish families.

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The oldest grave in the famous and historic Creggan Churchyard (near Crossmaglen) contains the mortal remains of one Terence Loy. A photo is included below and in the Source Files. He is thought to be a forefather.

PRONI Sheet VAL 29/2/28 A contains a map (see Source Files) of lands in Ummerinvore.

Sheet VAL 29/2/28 B contains the notes below:

          GRIFFITHS LAND VALUATION 1862
          UNION OF CASTLEBLANEY, CO ARMAGH
          p. 51 = Ummerinvore, p. 36 Sheetrim, p. 31,32 Cloughoge
      

At Ummerinvore, Map Reference 2, leasing from Walter McG. Bond was Mr John Loy.1

The land consisted of 14 acres, 1 rod, 35 perch with a total rateable valuation of £10.

(For relevance, see the first story in my complete text).

The equivalent sheet for Sheetrim VAL 2A/2/27 A,B,C (Sheetrim, Creggan, Upper Fews in the Union of Castleblaney) has no McKeown or Sheridan.

All the land in that area was then leased from one of three men - Thomas P Ball, Donaldson or Patrick Quinn. Common names of farmers included Quinn, McArdle, McShane, Caraher, Donaghy, Duffy and Donaldson.

Ordnance Survey Sheet 27, Griffiths Valuation, shows a rateable valuation of sixteen shillings of the farm that Jack McKeown would later buy in Sheetrim. The “Rocks” - John McKeown's home place today - and the farm his father was given by his grandfather, had a valuation of twelve and six pence. Neither was in the hands of any forebear of ours then.

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Meanwhile, in the Union of Cookstown (Annaghmore p.32) the Griffiths valuation of the McCullagh land in Ardboe was detailed as follows in Patrick's story later…

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The Householders Index, County Tyrone (PRONI) shows the following McCullagh families in nineteenth century West Ulster:

Strabane Lower	G43	T
Strabane Upper	G199	T
Omagh West	G2
Omagh East	G22	T
Dungannon Upper	G46	T
Dungannon Middle	G7	T
Dungannon Lower	G3	T
Clogher	G4	T
Total	326	Families

In this case, the letter T after the entry indicates that these families were recorded in the earlier Tithe Applotment Survey. The G indicates that the entry appears also (and in the same number and form) in the Griffiths valuation. The land holding for Patrick McCullagh (senior) and John and Patrick McCullagh is included in the Dungannon figures for both surveys.

TITHE APPLOTMENT BOOK	Parish of Ardboe 1826	Ref. FIN 5/14
Annaghmore	Total Acres A.R.P.	Amount of Tithe L.S.D.
Francis McCullock (sic)	10.3.13 10 acres 3 rod 13 perch	0.15.6 3/4 Fifteen shillings six and three-quarters pence p.a.

The farm of John McCullagh, Annaghmore in Griffiths Valuation (1864) was 16 pounds, 1 shilling, and 25 pence. This is approximately equal to the above, which was measured in Irish acres (10 Irish acres [7,840 sq. yards] is equal to 16 English acres [4,840 sq. yards]).

So much for background information. I now begin the personal account of our own McCullagh line.