BEGINNERS' BLAS
SLOINNTE/ SURNAMES

Murphy

Murphy is the most common surname in Ireland and is, as one might expect, of Gaelic origin. However it is important when seeking the original Gaelic form of Murphy to take into account certain important factors in order to get the correct form. Some Murphy’s are Ó Murchú, and others Mac Murchaidh. When Ó and Mac were dropped, this gave rise to the confusion.
The name Mac Murchaidh can be traced to three provinces – the province of Leinster, Ulster and Connacht. In Leinster it was the name of a powerful ruling family in the medieval period, Dermot Mac Murrough being perhaps the most notable. In Ulster Mac Murchaidh is to be traced specifically to the Armagh/Tyrone border area, and perhaps stretching into Monaghan and south Armagh. A notable Armagh Mac Murchaidh was Séamas Mac Murchaidh, a rapparee who had a large bounty on his head before his eventual capture by the English. He was hanged on the Mall in Armagh in ?
Ó Murchú, on the other hand, can be traced to a sub-sept of the Cenel Eoghain, of whom we heard some weeks ago, and have origins in modern day Tyrone and South Derry. Ó Murchú is also found in Sligo and in Wexford.
With the revival of the Gaelic consciousness towards the end of the 19th and in the early 20th century, people sought to restore the Ó and Mac to their name where it had been dropped a generation or so beforehand. However many did not trace the correct form and this has given rise to the mixture of Ó Murchú and Mac Murchaidh that exists today. As time goes by – as people migrate to cities etc – it is increasingly difficult to get at the truth, but perhaps a general guide would be that Murhpy’s from the Tyrone / Armagh border area, and from south Armagh into Monaghan and Louth should be Mac Murchaidh, and others should opt for Ó Murchú.
The element itself Murchadh means ‘sea warrior’ or ‘sea hero’ and is very often found as a personal name.

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