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'. This information comes from the "Leabhar Chlainne Suibhne", from the later portion done by Tadhg Mac Fithil around 1532 onwards (see The Sweeney Clan Book by Pól Breathnach, 1920). 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.

Murchadh Óg was a young man when he arrived in north Donegal. It is presumed his wife, the 'daughter of McGinley' was around the same age. She would have been born around 1280 and flourished about 1315. We do not know when they got married. The words in the original text throws up some interesting points. Firstly, she is described as 'the daughter of Mag Fhionnghaile'. Going by the customs of the time and following Brehon customs, it was the 'norm' to describe the eminent leaders of a clan simply as 'the' McGinley, or 'the' O'Donnell etc. Is this what is presumed here? We may suggest that her father was 'the chief of the name' or possibly the 'first of the name'. He was a peer of Murchadh Mear and he would have been born around 1260/70.

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!. This would indicate that this was a traditional 'occupation' handed down the generations in the ancient Celtic manner. This would no doubt have been with the blessing of the main tribe of the area, the Sweeneys. We have a note telling of Christinus McGinley, Latin for Giolla Chríost Mag Fhionnghaile. He flourished at the end of the 1300's. He was a noted vicar of Mevagh Parish. Shortly after he died, we have a record of a Ruairí Mag Fhionnghaile taking up his position. This Ruairí may have been his son or a nephew. 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. The following record clearly indicates the important religious role that the McGinleys played in this part of north Donegal in the 1300's and the 1400's...."1432. November 26th. Mandate to the Abbot of Assaroe, the Archdeacon, and Cornelius Mac Menamin O'Donnell, Canon of Raphoe, to collate and assign to Eugenius Mac Gonagle the perpetual vicarage of Mevagh, so long vacant by the death of Christinus Mac Ginley, notwithstanding the fact that Roger (Ruairí) MacGinley has held it for six years, having been promoted by the Bishop after the lapse of the canonical interval". This text clearly shows that the McGinleys were the constant vicars of the area, passing the position down through the generations. Why someone wished for the position of vicar to pass to a Eugenius Mac Gonigle is not known, even though the bishop had promoted Ruairí MacGinley personally to the position. The above text can be found in "The History of the Diocese of Raphoe" by Pól Breathnach/Paul Walsh, 1920. The original document is The Calender of Papal Registers V11 42Y. Without giving further citations, Pól Breathnach mentions that the McGinleys, along with the McGonigles, supplied both rectors and vicars to the parish of Mevagh for 'long ages'. It can safely be presumed that Ruairí was born before 1400 and we know for sure that he flourish as a vicar between 1426 and 1432 (possibly for much longer). As for Giolla Chríost, an old Gaelic name meaning 'follower of Christ', we know that he had been dead a while before 1426. He was noted as the vicar in 1410, but we do not know what age he was at the time. We can only estimate his date of birth to just after the middle of the 1300's. The 'honourary' position of 'perpetual vicars' of the Mevagh parish lasted for many generation, and clearly had the backing of the Sweeney overlords as well as the bishops of the time.

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.

Following the turmoil after the disastrous Nine Years War, Donegal was in a bad state. By the year of 1607, there seemed little hope left for the native Irish. It was in this year that the famed ‘Flight of the Earls’ took place from Rathmullan, Co. Donegal. This so called ‘Flight’ (as the English called it), was not a case of the Irish running away, but rather of the leaders going to the Continent to regroup and get financial and military help from their Catholic friends, in Spain mostly, but also in France, Belgium etc. The Irish leaders, O’Neill and O’Donnell planned to return to Ireland to fight again. Lack of commitment from the Continent as well as illness and age got the better of them and any planned revolt faded away as time went by. A large 60 ton ship left Donegal with the ‘flowers of our land’ aboard. None on board were McGinleys, as we seemed to have stayed behind to continue the war against the English resulting in the final rebellion under O’Doherty.

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?

Also under the year 1609, we find the ‘1609 Inquisition of Lifford’. Under the leadership of the Englishman Sir Arthur Chichester, it was decided to get together a ‘jury’ or list of reputable men for the purpose of investigating the ownership of church lands in Donegal. Basically, the English were trying to steal or confiscate any unclaimed or unproven lands that were under ‘Catholic’ Church control. The jury consisted of eighteen Donegal men. These included some leaders of their clans. Most of the others were “prominent leaders of the county in 1609 from the old co-arb and erenagh septs of Donegal”. The English Attorney clearly mentioned in particular their fluent knowledge of Latin. It was pretty standard for the chiefs and prominent men, of any Irish clan, to be well versed in Latin. Nearly all members of a clan would have had some knowledge of Latin, much moreso than of English. One of these celebrated men was Hugh Og O'Donnell Maginnell, or in Irish, Aodh Óg Ó Domhnaill Mag Fhionnghail. We do not know much about him but he was either the clan leader or a leading figure within the clan. He was clearly someone of importance. The aim of the list was to list all church controlled lands mentioning the co-arb or erenagh clans that went with the land. The McGinleys are not actually mentioned in the list, so presumably they were not a co-arb or erenagh clan (or no longer so), even though they have been noted since at least the late 1200 ’s as churchmen.

The follow up to all this was the dreaded Plantation of Ulster. It started around the year 1609 with a steady stream of English, but mostly Scottish, settlers. The native population were kicked off their land and at best were allowed to live in the hills and bogs. The McGinley clan suffered as much as any other at this time. It is believed that we were dispersed from our lands around 1603/1604. Although the forfeited land was generally given to new ‘incoming’ Protestants from Scotland, a small amount was given to ‘subdued’ natives, those indicating that they would not be causing any more trouble. It is reckoned that around 14% of Donegal land was ‘re-granted’ to Catholics. Very interestingly, under the ‘Lease of Lands to English and Scottish Settlers in Co. Donegal (1613), we find a lease of land given to a Hugh Oge O’Donel M’Ginnell or in Irish Aodh Óg Ó Domhnaill Mag Fhionnghail. It is further noted that he was given this lease of lands in the Lagan district on 5th September 1611 by the ‘Donegal Jury’. To clarify…he was given lands under the authority of the ‘Donegal Jury’ at the 1609 Inquisition at Lifford, on which sat one Aodh Óg Ó Domhnall Mag Fhionnghail. It would seem that Aodh and his family were ‘rewarded’ for his work on the jury by giving him land in the best farming area of Donegal! It should be pointed out here that the historian Canon Maguire makes the suggestion that this person on the Jury was really named Aodh Óg Ó Domhnaill and not a McGinley. He says that this O'Donnell added McGinnell/Mag Fhionnghail to his name in honour of his mother, the daughter of the Seneschal Mac Congail. This clearly does not make sence. Firstly, under Gaelic custom, the added name would have normally been put in front of the final surname not after it! Secondly if this is correct, he would have added McGonigle (or in Irish Mac Congail) not McGinnell! Thirdly, he could not have mixed up the spelling as the Seneschal's name is at the beginning of the list of jurors and would simply be a matter of copying the spelling. But, the compiler clearly spell the two names differently. Predictably, Canon Maguire sites no authority for this statement and no later scholars on the subject such as Ó Gallachair mention it. The present archivist for the Raphoe Diocese cannot clear the matter up either. Until other evidence is forthcoming, it is only right to call him a McGinnell and not a McGonigle or O'Donnell.

Following on from the Inquisition at Lifford for 1609, we find record of another Lifford Inquisition, this time for the year 1613. The name of one Donogh M'Genyll appears on it, almost certainly a relative of the 1609 Aodh Óg. The mere fact that the name McGinnell appears on two inquisitions would tend to discount the O'Donnell/McGonigle theory of Canon Maguire. This Donogh M'Genyll is described as a 'gent' from Clonokorker (should read Clondahorky). The use of the word 'gent' here would indicate a man of some importance (see Reeves - Visitations of Derry Diocese). It was common English practice of the time to refer to important people, or ex-leaders of small clans as a 'gent'. This has led some to believe that he was the last of the old clan leadership, or at very least, an influential high member of the clan. Remember he was 'handpicked' to appear on this jury with the leaders, nobles and men of importance to the area. The dispossessed Irish chieftains of the 1600's and 1700's were often called 'gentlemen' or 'gent' instead of giving them their proper titles. One early 1700 Act criminalised these men as 'all loose idle vagrants and such as pretend to be Irish gentlemen and will not work'.

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.

With regards to the earliest recorded McGinley, as previously mentioned, we find record of 'the daughter of McGinley' who was born around 1280-ish, most likely in north Donegal (we have no reason to presume otherwise). Her father who would have been born around 1250-ish. After more than ten years of research, and having investigated many hundreds of possible ancestors, we find that only one comes even close in respect of date. We give details here on the understanding that this is the 'most probable' earliest direct ancestor so far located. There is record of a Brother Fingal who is recorded as a Canon at Whithorn in south west Scotland in the year 1235. It is a fact that at this time a large percentage of the clergy at Whithorn came from Donegal or the north of Ireland. In fact, Whithorn was the second most important site in Celtic religious circles in Scotland, beaten only by Iona, so it was only natural that Donegal persons, 'the origin and light of the Irish Celtic Church' should go there. We know for sure that St Donnán studied there as did St Maol Rubha and St Comhghall, all prominent religious figures who came from Ireland. There were many Irish saints called Colmán and one of them was at Whithorn. One of the most important was St Finnian of Moville, Co Donegal. He was a tutor of St Colm Cille. The list of early clergy at Whithorn is littered with Irish or Celtic names. Fingal may well be the original ancestor of the McGinley surname. Family tradition asserts a religious figure as the progenitor and Brother Fingal is the only candidate. He is recorded thus....'Ego Fingallus, canonicus et sacerdos Candidae Casae, 1235'. This translates as 'I brother Fingal, canon, and sacred Whithorn, (in the year) 1235'. He was on a list of clergy recorded in that year at Whithorn. Fingallus is the Latin form of his name. He has a Gaelic name indicating his origin. The alternative Norse Fingal could not be in this case as the Vikings did not join Celtic Church Houses (they prefered to pilage them!). Fingal is further described as 'canonicus et acolytus' meaning 'someone who assists a member of the clergy in a liturgical service'. This further indicates that he was not 'high up' in the church, but simply an ordinary monk and probably only a student. He is recorded in "The Historians of Scotland Vol 5", 1874. In 1992 he is mentioned again in P.H. McKerlie's "History of the Lands and their Owners in Galloway". In "The Register of Walter Gray, Lord Archbishop of York" by The Surtees Society, 1870, Brother Fingal (canon and priest) is listed as 10th on a list of clergy in a letter from the convent of Whithorn to Archbishop Walter Gray of York in 1235. This was part of a dispute over the election to the see following the death of Bishop Walter of Whithorn.

Bearing in mind the family tradition of being 'born' of a religious figure, it should also be noted that there was a Bishop of Raphoe circa 1175 - 1190 whose name is not known. Could he have been the McGinley ancestor? This bishop was responsible for bringing the Cistercians (from Boyle, Co Roscommon) into Donegal. They established the Abbey of St Mary at Assaroe in south Donegal.

Another, who is far too early to be an ancestor is Rudgall mac Fingail, a noted Bishop of Emly in the south of Ireland. He died in the year 882, too early for surname formation. In this instance, Fingail simply indicates the name of his father and not a surname or clan name. It is interesting to note that he was a Bishop. He is mentioned in "A Political Index to the Histories of Great Britain and Ireland" by Robert Beatson in 1806, "History of the Irish Hierarchy" (Ecclesiastical History of Ireland) by Thomas Walsh in 1854, and also in "Fasti Ecclesiae Hibernicae" by Henry Cotton in the year 1860.