CLAN
ORIGINS
NIALL
NAOIGHIALLACH — Niall of the Nine Hostages
Born
353 A.D. — Died 405 A.D.
"You
ask where am I from, I shall tell you that I descend from the ancient
High Kings of Ireland, long ago".
They
say that Irish history really began with Niall Naoighiallach, or in
English Niall of the Nine Hostages. He was so called because he got
nine pledges of allegiance from nine nations or regions which included
the ancient five provinces of Ireland namely, Connacht, Leinster,
Meath, Munster and Ulster. The other places were Scotland, Saxony,
Britain/Wales and Brittany. According to tradition Niall was a tall,
fair haired warrior. He became High King of Ireland in 379 A.D. He
spent most of his life on military campaigns and raids instead of
governing. He died on one of these legendary excursions to France
in 405 A.D. From him descend many north western Irish clans including
the McGinleys. From DNA evidence of recent years, science has confirmed
what we knew for generations. We are from the blood of Niall of the
Nine Hostages, originator of the ancient Uí Néill (descendants
of Niall) bloodline.
The
McGinley/Mag Fhionnaile clan belong to an area straddling the parishes
of Tullaghobegly, Raymunterdoney and Clondahorky (see map in Clan
Territory section) which includes the large area called Cloughaneely.
The main area, Tullaghobegly, was prior to the mid 1700’s much
bigger. It was during this period that the church redefined or divided
some parishes. Before this time, Tullaghobegly included a large part
of Gweedore (a neighbouring parish to the west). This is in the north
of Tír Chonaill (the ancient Irish territory known in English
as Co Donegal today). Tír Chonaill means ‘the land/territory
of Conall’. This is because the majority of Donegal clans descend
from Conall Gulban, (a figure belonging to the fifth century) including
the Ó Domhnaill/O’Donnell, Ó Gallchóir/Gallagher,
Ó Dochartaigh/Doherty etc. They are called the Cineál
Chonaill meaning 'the kin/seed of Conall'. His brother was Eoghan
after whom is named Inishowen (now part of Donegal) and Tyrone. His
dynasty became known as Cineál Eoghain and they include the
Ó Néill/O'Neill, Ó Catháin/Kane, Mac Lochlainn/McLoughlin
and Mac Suibhne/Sweeney. The father of Conall Gulban and Eoghan was
the famous Niall Naoighiallach (Niall of the Nine Hostages). Niall
had fourteen sons, three of whom, Conall, Eoghan and Éanna
conquered Donegal and the north west and carved out individual kingdoms
for themselves. Éanna had a very small territory Tír
Éanna located south of the Inishowen Peninsula. Conall had
the largest territory which at first included the south and western
parts of the county including Cloughaneely. His Tír Chonaill
eventually covered the whole county of Tyrconnell/Donegal. The modern
county of Donegal was really an English invention forced on the local
Irish. They 'united' the old Tír Conaill/Tyrconnell with Inishowen
to form County Donegal in 1585.
Now,
as we can see, anciently the north west of Ireland was divided up
into two related dynasties headed by two brothers. It is a fact that
nearly all clans found in Donegal belong to one of these branches,
not forgetting the very small kingdom of the third brother and third
branch, the Cineál Éanna. The exceptions to this are
well known such as the McNultys and Dunleaveys who came from east
Ulster and the Clearys from Connacht. These 'exceptions' are usually
found in the far south of the county. We know for sure that the earliest
McGinley takes us back to the 1200's and are placed in the far north
of the county in typical Cineál Chonaill territory. We know
for sure that we were heavily involved with religious matters. We
know for sure that we had the special privilege of religion under
the Sweeney clan protection. We know for sure that we came to prominence,
as a clan, at the same time that the Sweeneys arrived back in Ireland
from Scotland. While this shows a strong link or bond with the Sweeney
clan, it does not automatically presume Cineál Eoghan origin
as the Sweeneys are. There are many examples throughout the history
of the area of friendships and alliances between groups/families of
Cineál Chonaill and Cineál Eoghain. Also, we often find
conflicts and wars where both sides are mixed up. Family tradition
has always accerted a Cineál Chonaill origin.
Clans
traditionally associated with the Cineál Chonaill include.....Boyle,
Dougherty, Ferry, Friel, Gallagher, McBride, McCool/Coyle, McDaid,
McGonigle, McMenamin, McNeilus, McRoarty, Mooney, O'Donnell, Strahan,
Ward and ofcourse McGinley. Clans belonging to the Cinéal Eoghain
(located in present Donegal) include, Bradley/Brollaghan, Deery, Dermott/Dermond,
Duffy, Gormley/Grimes/O'Gorman, Lafferty/Laverty, McCrossan, McLoughlin,
Mulfaul/McPhail, Shiels/Shields, Sweeney and Toner. The other group,
the Cineál Éanna are represented by the Breslins and
possibly the Kennys. The other notable clans in Donegal (those who
possessed their own territories) are Begley (Gallowglass), Cleary/Clery/Clarke
(from Connacht), Dunleavey/Dunlevy (from Co Down), Gillespie (from
Co Down), McCready (from Co Down), McFadden (Gallowglass), McNulty/Ultagh
(from Co Down). It is not known for sure to which group the Harkins,
Divers, McGlincheys belonged to. This represents the clans who possessed
their own territories in Donegal.
According
to the famous Dr McGinley of Glenswilly, our clan base was near Dunfanaghy
up until 1603/4. The historical evidence would seem to support this
as the first survey of Co. Donegal (The Hearth Money Rolls, 1665)
show the majority of the surname McGinley (and its variants) located
within a few miles of the village of Dunfanaghy. While this survey
is not extensive (it only lists those paying the English enforced
Hearth Tax), it does give a rough idea as to location plus it is an
early source, less than a generation after the break-up of the clan
system. The name is spelt M’Ginnelly in this survey and 60%
of the name are found around the greater Dunfanaghey area. Some family
traditions have given the Roshin area (just a stone's throw south
of Dunfanaghy) as the ancient centre for the clan. These sources are
from unrelated families in Donegal, England and America. These three
seperate family traditions all mention a large stone house in that
area and this would have been very unusual for any McGinleys before
the 1800's. One family in particular (based in Kansas, USA), say that
they actually lived in this large stone house. These unrelated traditions
may point to the residence of the main family of the McGinleys at
that time (before the early 1800's). It is also clear, that from the
earliest days of the McGinley clan in the 1200's, they were always
most closely associated with religion and with the north Donegal area.
They are known to have been 'perpetual vicars' in the north Donegal
parish of Mevagh from the late 1200's (possibly earlier).
The
ancient rulers of the Tullaghobegly Parish area were the Ó
Maolgaoithe clan (Mulgeehy, Geehy). They were overthrown by the Ó
Baoill clan (O’Boyle/Boyle) around the tenth century and they
were dominant until the middle of the fourteenth century. Following
this, the powerful Mac Suibhne clan (Sweeney) gained the leadership
of the area. Their control lasted up until the end of the ‘Gaelic’
era in the early to mid seventeenth century. It was at the beginning
of the period of Mac Suibhne leadership that the McGinley clan come
alive. The leading clan levied taxes from the smaller or dependant
clans. The payment was in kind, usually in the form of cattle and/or
produce from the land. These smaller clans also had to supply their
best warriors to the Mac Suibhne/Sweeney clan when needed. These were
all part of the ancient Brehon Law system (the native law system used
among the Gaels of Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man) of which
each clan respected. In return, each of the smaller dependant clans
had the protection of the controlling clan (in our case the Mac Suibhne/Sweeney
clan). There were a few ‘ruling clans’, like the Mac Suibhne,
in different parts of Donegal. They all in turn swore their allegiances
to the high leaders of the whole of Donegal, the Ó Domhnaill/O’Donnell
clan. For example, during the reign of Aodh Rua Ó Domhnaill/Red
Hugh O’Donnell, the Mac Suibhne na dTuath (Sweeneys of Doe)
had to supply 120 armed gallowglass warriors during times of war.
Some of these may well have been McGinleys.
The
Mag Fhionnaile/McGinley clan were, historically, one of the lesser
known clans in Co. Donegal. They have since the very beginning had
a close association with religion. The earliest record we have of
a McGinley takes us back to the early 1300's when we find mention
of 'the daughter of Mag Fhionnghaile' as the wife of Murchadh Óg
Mac Suibhne, the clan leader of the Sweeneys, the full text being
as follows...'now, concerning Murchadh Óg and his children,
and they were his children, namely four sons by the daughter of Mag
Fhinnghaile (sic), Donnchadh Mór Mac Suibhne na dTuath, Maolmhuire
Mac Suibhne Fánaid, Dubhghall the parson and Domhnall'. Of
those four, one became the clan leader of the Sweeney Doe branch and
one of the Sweeney Fanad branch. Another is clearly described as a
parson (the earliest reference to religion among the McGinleys-he
was half a McGinley!). Her husband, Murchadh Óg came to the
area of north Donegal with his father Murchadh Mear 'the crazy/reckless
one' from south west Scotland where they had carved out a large territory
for themselves for a couple of hundred years. Before that, they hailed
from Co Derry where they were a branch of the Irish Uí Néill
dynasty. Murchadh Mear and his son arrived in the Fanad area sometime
in the second half of the year 1314, where the father then decided
to go 'adventuring' and left his son in charge. In other words, his
son Murchadh Óg became the first official clan leader of the
Sweeneys in Ireland and through his marriage to the daughter of Mag
Fhionnghaile, they are the ancestors of both branches of the great
Sweeneys of north Donegal!. Both men are known to have taken part
in the famous Battle of Bannockburn in Scotland, but opposite Robert
Bruce! They were promised the return of some land they lost in Scotland
by the English king if they opposed Bruce. After their defeat they
fled back to Ireland. Some Sweeneys remained in Scotland and developed
into the Mac Shuibhne/McQueen clan. It is not known if the McGinleys
were part of the Sweeney clan or simply a local clan who mixed with
the Sweeneys. What we know for sure is that the McGinleys 'entered'
into the world at the same time as the Sweeneys appeared in the north
Donegal area. There is no evidence to suggest that the McGinleys came
over with the Sweeneys. Whatever, since that time the two clans have
been intertwined.

The
next mention of the McGinleys is still in the same area, north Donegal.
We have records of the McGinleys being 'perpetual vicars' in the parish
of Mevagh in the late 1300's and early 1400's! The McGinley clan were
obviously of some importance in this area at the time. Such a title
of 'perpetual vicars' no matter how unofficial, would have been determined
by the bishop and with his full consent.
One
of the earliest figures of note from within our clan was the monk
and scribe Ciothruadh Mag Fhionnghail who lived on the beautiful but
windswept Tory Island off the north Donegal coast. It was in the year
1513 that the records record him as the author of the great book about
the Sweeney clan, Leabhar Chlainne Suibhne, or in English, The Clan
Sweeney Book. Most scribes in the Gaelic world at that period would
have been middle aged or older. It would be safe to presume therefore
that he was born around the 1450’s or 1460’s. Before the
advent of the 1800's, Ciothruadh Mag Fhionnghail was the most noted
of our clan.
We
have a few records of members of the McGinley clan during the 1500’s
always in conflict with the illegal English regime in Ireland. The
1500's were tough times for the Irish clans. They were almost constantly
at war with their English neighbours. Several of the name are listed
among the ‘English Pardons’ granted at the time. These
lists pertained to Irish rebels, warriors and chiefs who fought against
the English. The idea of the so called ‘pardon’ was to
try and subdue the natives and to persuade them to stop fighting.
In the pardon list dated 1572 we find the names of Aodh Mag Fhionnghaile
(Hugh M’Gynillye), Eoin Mag Fhionnghaile (Owen M’Gynnillye)
and Ádhamh Mag Fhionnghaile (Edom M’Gynnillye). Note
the old and now obsolete spelling, in English, of our surname. In
the General Pardons of King James for Donegal, we find the name often
spelt M'Gennelie and M'Gennell (see Reeves-Visitation of Derry Diocese).
The Mag Fhionnaile clan had their base somewhere in the Tullaghobegly/
Raymunterdoney/Clondahorky parish area, possibly close to Dunfanaghy.
This area lies to the north of the Errigal and Muckish mountains and
stretches out to the sea. They were recorded as being very numerous
here in the sixteenth century. In fact our clan was one of the twelve
most numerous names in the whole of Co. Donegal in the 17th century.
By the start of the 20th century, McGinley’s were classed as
one of the top ten most numerous surnames in Co. Donegal. Robert R.
Mathesons ‘Special Report on Surnames in Ireland’ was
published in 1890. The purpose was to find the distribution of Irish
surnames. His research suggests that around 80% of Irelands McGinley
families are located in their native Co. Donegal. Most of the rest
being in the neighbouring counties of Derry and Tyrone. By the start
of the 21st century, the distribution of the surname was more or less
the same. The surname is rare in other parts of Ireland (except for
the variants McGinnelly/Mayo and Ginnell/Westmeath).
It
should be noted that some say that the clan are of south west Donegal
origin, around the Carrick/Glencolmcille/Meenacross area. It is true
that we find McGinleys in this area, but they would seem to be an
offshoot of the original clan of the north, mostly because they cannot
be dated earlier than the northern ones. In the Griffiths Valuations
of 1857, no less than fourteen of the eighteen families in the townland
of Meenacross were McGinleys (the other four all being Gillespies).
Two are recorded in nearby Meenaneary. In opposition to this it should
be added that the vast majority of McGinleys in this survey are to
be found still in the far north of Donegal. The first note of a McGinley
in the area of south west Donegal is Brighid Nig Fhionnghaile (more
about her later) who was born circa 1658/59. Obviously her father
goes back further but nothing if known of him, he may not even have
been born in this area. If we age him in his twenties when Brighid
was born, he would therefore have been born circa 1638. Prior to the
start of the 1800’s, the McGinleys of the south west of Donegal
were basically split into two branches, one at Glencolmcille and the
other at Meenacross, although they are collectively called the Glencolmcille
McGinleys.
Sometime
in the early 1500's, a branch of the clan settled in the county of
Westmeath and changed slightly their name to McGinnell and Ginnell.
The Irish Gaelic form was also changed by dropping the final letter
‘e’, thus Mag Fhionnghail/Mag Fhionnail. The reason for
part of the clan re-settling in Co. Westmeath, far from their native
Donegal, is not known. It happened before the widespread English enforced
clearances of the north Donegal area. The vast majority of the name
in Co. Westmeath are generally now found simply as Ginnell. Today
the name can be found in Australia but usually as McGindle. Interestingly,
in the Genealogical Office in Dublin, there is a record of a ‘grant
of lands’ to an Andrew Ginley of Rotoath, Co. Meath (next to
Co. Westmeath). This was under the year 1636! There is a suggestion
that during the evil Cromwellian atrocities on the Irish people, some
of the clan fled south to settle in Co. Westmeath, no doubt the location
was chosen because of our earlier settlement there in the previous
century. The surname, usually found as Ginnell and McGinnell, is still
found in the Westmeath area. The name rose to national and international
fame through the exploits of Laurence Ginnell (see under Famous McGinleys).
Many
Co. Donegal clans such as the Clerys, Devannys, Divers, Gallaghers,
McDaids, McLoughlins, McNultys, O’Donnells, Sweeneys, and McGinnellys
(the usual spelling there) are to be found in the Burrishoole and
Achill Island areas in the west of Co. Mayo. It is recorded that these
Donegal clans settled there under the leadership of Ruairí
Ó Domhnaill/Rory O’Donnell from Lifford in Co. Donegal.
This was just after the time of the Battle of Kinsale (1601), part
of the Nine Years War. He was pardoned by the English, along with
his followers, for rebellious acts against the English Crown. The
first of the Donegal clans arrived there in 1602 (see Edward McLysaght).
It would seem therefore that members of the McGinley clan returned
home first before being 'moved on' to Connacht. Some folklore says
that they stopped in the area on the way to or just returning from
Kinsale, but this seems unlikely. It is also recorded that these Donegal
names settled there during the Cromwell evictions when thousands of
families were forced to leave Donegal. This was between 1654 and 1660.
It looks like a two wave migration into the area. Like the case with
the McGinnells of Westmeath, it seems likely that many McGinleys settled
in Burrishoole and Achil because of the previous settlement in those
parts by McGinleys.
During
the Ulster rebellions under the leadership of the reknowned Cathaoir
Ó Dochartaigh, the leader of the O’Doherty clan, the
McGinleys did their bit in the war against the English. When the Irish
side was finally defeated, the English Government issued a ‘1609
Pardon List’. The compilers prepared the list in a very haphazard
way, showing little understanding of the Irish language. They translated
names into English as it sounded to them at the time. The list contained
a substantial number of warriors who fought under Cathaoir Ó
Dochartaigh, many on the list being ‘the chief of their name’,
in otherwords, clan leaders or at least ‘influential members
of their clans’. All the usual Donegal clans are represented
including McGinley. On the list we find Tirloe McGinelik, the original
Irish form would be Toirealach Mag Fhionnghaile. What happened to
him we do not know. The Pardon List of 1609 was used by the English
for the selection of those they wished to get rid of. The ‘pardons’
were offered as a bribe to leave the country. Those on the list were
considered to be dangerous rebels at the very least. What followed
after the 1609 Pardons, was very often transportation to Sweden or
further afield. Sweden was a friend of England at the time and needed
new recruits in their wars with Denmark, Poland and Russia. So, many
of Irelands finest young warriors and rebels were ‘shipped off’
to serve a foreign army! Did our Toirealach go too?
It
should be noted that the surname McGinley was sometimes changed to
McKinlay and McKinley in the east Donegal area known as the ‘Lagan’
(an area covering the villages of Convoy, Lifford, Raphoe, St Johnstone
etc). This was the main area in Donegal for the settlement of Scottish
Protestants in the early 1600’s. It is interesting to note that
Aodh Óg Ó Domhnaill Mag Fhionnghail was settled in the
Lagan area as early as 1611. We do not known exactly when the name
change took place but it is more likely to be later, in the 1800’s,
when many more ‘Irish’ moved into the area to work for
the Protestant farm owners. They changed their name but did not change
their religion and are still Catholic today in east Donegal.
There
were no great deeds done by the McGinley clan (no bad ones either),
according to the Annals and history books. The McGinleys, however
were mostly noted as churchmen and ecclesiastics, since the late 1400’s
up until the twentieth century. The history of the Diocese of Raphoe
(geographically most of Co. Donegal) is littered with references to
McGinley priests and holy men. Even before the time of the celebrated
monk from Tory, Ciothruadh Mag Fhionnghail in the late 1400’s,
we shone bright in this field. In the 1800’s and 1900’s
we were noted principly as priests but also as poets, scholars and
musicians (of traditional Irish music), a tradition that continues
into the new millennium. One of the most respected and famous of late
twentieth century and early twenty first century Donegal musicians
is Martin McGinley, the great fiddle player from east Donegal.
It should be noted that some early McGinleys most likely settled around
Co. Monaghan in the seventeenth century or earlier (probably on their
way to Co Westmeath?). We have a record of a marriage taken place
at Clones, Co Monaghan on January 13th 1683. Those getting married
were Mrs Christian Smith and Karravy Ginnaly (in Irish Garbhach Mag
Fhionnghaile). The surname can still be found in Co Monaghan, but
only occasionally. The McGinleys do not seem to have made much of
an historical or cultural mark in Co Monaghan.
The
Irish Traveller community contains many McGinleys, infact the two
most common surnames among Travellers in Donegal are Ward and McGinley.
Travellers are what we call families who do not live in settled accomodation
but travel around in caravans or, as in the past, in horse drawn caravans.
They were previously called Tinkers after their main occupation of
fixing or making things from tin (and other metals). Travellers are
not related to Romany Gypsies as some have suggested, nor are they
a seperate ethnic group. They are simply the remnants of the 'dispossessed'
clans from the early 1600's, some however became 'dispossessed' at
the time of the Famine. Most Irish, after the pogroms in the early
1600's moved and rebuilt their homes in other locations while a very
small percentage continued to wander the roads of Ireland. As time
went by they became more isolated from the rest of the population,
mostly through choice. There are no genuine records of Travellers
before this period and their surnames reflect typical Irish surnames
e.g. there are NO pure Traveller surnames in Ireland. Genetic studies
in recent years have confirmed the fact that they are the same ethnically
as the rest of the Irish population.