It was over 20 years ago that my first article on Alexander McDonnell, Chess Master, appeared. Shortly afterwards I met a gentleman, who lives in the same town, who has a strong MacDonnell interest of his own. This gentleman gave me family tree of the MacDonnells (a).
I valued and treasured this interesting tree. After the passage of 20 years and two house moves, today I have mislaid it. I had forgotten the gentleman's name (not McDonnell - that was his wife's name) but I did remember the street where he used to live.
That was 20 years ago of course. He may very likely have moved. Then, one dark evening some two weeks ago I determined to cold call. At the first house where I knocked there was no answer. At the second, neighbouring, house an elderly lady asked for my name and refused to let me in. The the third house, neighbouring on the other side, to my surprise, someone I know rather well answered.
We had played together on the same town rugby side. So he let me in and I told the story. It soon became apparent that my MacDonnell contact was indeed his neighbour and still lived at the same house.
A few day ago I called on the gentleman and his wife. He has presented me with a magnificent family tree of Clan Donald South (also known as Clan Iain Vor) (b), a smaller tree which focused on his wife's line, and a copy of my original article.
The large tree was compiled by local historian and genealogist Donnell O'Loan. Clan Donald South (or Clan Iain Vor) is a dranch of Clan Donald - the Scottish MacDonalds (c). O'Loan traces ancestry from Somerled (1100-1170), Lord of the Isles, and considered the first Chief of Clan Donald, through Randal of the Isles, Chief Donald, Angus, Angus Og, John the Good, to John of the Isles who married Margery Bisset. It was this union through which the Glens of Antrim came under the control of the clan underr the name of the MacDonnells of the Glens or Clan Donald South.
Than through Sir Donald of the Glynns, John of the Isles, Sir John, to Alexander (1480-1540). Alexander had several sons. One was Sorley Bui (Sorley Boy) from whom the Earls of Antrim descend. Another son was Colla (d 1558) and the main tree concentrates on his descendants.
Colla's son was Gilleasbeag, then Coll Ciotatach (1643), Sir Alasdair (killed Chockanaos 1647). Four more generations down (d) give us Dr Alexander, father of Alexander, Chess Master.
The second tree concentrates on the ancestry of the gentleman's wife, Joan. It begins with Somerled (d 1164), named as 1st Lord of the Isles, down to Ian Mor, 1st chief of Islay, Kintyre and the Glens of Antrim (who m Marione Bisset). Then through the 2nd chief of Clan Donald South down to Count Robert, named as 24th Chief, and his son Count Randal, 25th Chief. Here Joan is named as a Countess herself, as daughter of the 24th Chief and sister of the 25th Chief!
I had met a Countess! But how? The tree explains that Donald Gorm was the illegitimate son of Sir James, 9th chief. Donal Gorm's issue led to the Counts McDonnell of Mayo, in the Pererage of the Austrian Holy Roman Empire, which title passed by Special Remainder in 1766 to their Irish cousins.
The gentleman, too, was a MacDonnell of sorts. His forbears had been MacDonalds in Scotland. when they came to Ireland they chose a different surname (quite a common occurance), to form what's called a sept of Clan Donald (though not Clan Donald South).
Notes
(a) see the information on the family in
MacDonnell 2009 Part 2, Wednesday, October 21. 2009
(b)
Clan MacDonald of Dunnyveg, also known as Clan Donald South, Clan Iain Vor, Clan MacDonald of Islay and Kintyre[1], MacDonalds of the Glens (Antrim) and sometimes referred to as MacDonnells, is a Scottish clan and a branch of Clan Donald. The founder of the MacDonalds of Dunnyveg is Iain Mhoir Tanistear Mic Dhòmhnaill (John Mor Tanister MacDonald), a son of Iain Mic Dhòmhnaill (John of Islay, Lord of the Isles) and Margaret Stewart.
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Clan MacDonald of Dunnyveg - Wikipedia
(c) see
MacDonnell 2009 Part 3, Thursday, October 22. 2009
(d) Colla Voulin (1645-1719. Kilmore), then Alexander who married (1) Miss McDonnell (Nappan) and (2) Anne McVeigh (Drimadoone). A son of the first marriage was Michael Roe (m Eliz Stewart) the father of Dr Alexander, who was father to the Chess master. From the second marriage descend, notably Donnell O'Loan and Alasdair McDonnell MP, the current Deputy Leader of the SDLP (Social Democratic and Labour Party.
