Curtin family genealogy

Arms: Vert in front of a lance in pale or, a stag trippant ar. attired gold, betw. three crosses crosslet of the second, two and one, and as many trefoils slipped of the third, one and two. Crest: In front of two lances in saltire ar. bedded or, an Irish harp sa.

FRAOCH, brother of Cubroc, who is No. 82 on the "O'Conor" (Corcomroe) pedigree, was the ancestor of Clann Cruitin; modernized O'Cruitin and O'Cuarthain; and anglicised MacCurtin, Curtin, Curtain, Jordan, and Jourdan.

82. Fraoch: son of Oscar.

83. Carthann: his son.

84. Lonan: his son.

85. Seanan: his son.

86. Labann: his son.

87. Brocan: his son.

88. Cruitin [1] File ("cruitin:" Irish, a crooked-back person; "file," a poet, bard or minstrel): his son; a quo Clann Cruitin.

89. Maolruana: his son.

90. Fergus: his son.

91. Saorbreitheamh [2] O'Cruitin: his son; first assumed this sirname.

92. Saortuile: his son.

93. Mudhna: his son.

94. Altan: his son.

95. Conor: his son.

96. Flann: his son.

97. Aralt: his son.

98. Gioila Chriosd: his son.

99. Aodh (or Hugh): his son.

100. Conor (2): his son.

101. Hugh: his son.

102. Hugh Oge: his son.

103. Solomon: his son.

104. Conor (3); his son.

105. Seanchuidh. ("seanchuidh:" Irish, a chronicler): his son; a quo O'Seanchuidh, anglicised Sanchy.

106. Fearbiseach: his son.

107. Eolus: his son.

108. Crimthann: his son.

109. Hugh na Tuinnidhe ("na-tuinnidhe:" Irish, of the den): his son; a quo Tunney.

110. Conor (4): his son.

111. Conor Oge: his son.

112. Hugh Buidhe [3]: his son; author of the "English Irish Dictionary" published in Paris, A.D. 1732.

William McCurtin, miller and merchant, Tipperary, was of this family. His son, Charles McCurtin, living in 1887, represents him in Springhouse Mill, Tipperary.

Notes

[1] Cruitin File: The word cruitin [crutteen] is derived from the Irish cruit, "a lyre," "harp," or "violin" (Lat. cythar-a). Of the ancient Irish Cruit Evans wrote: "Ex sex chordis felinis constat, nec eodem modo quo violinum modulatur, quamvis a figura haud multum abludat."

[2] Saorbreitheamh: This word is compounded of the Irish saor, a workman a carpenter, a builder, a joiner, a mason; and breitheamh, a judge. Some of the descendants of this Saorbreitheamh were, by way of eminence, called Mac-an-t-Saoir (literally, "the sons or descendants of the workman"), which has been anglicised MacIntyre, Carpenter, Freeman, Joiner, Judge, Mason, etc. It was our mistake in the first series, page 227, to give "MacIntyre" as synonymous with "O'Mictyre," chiefs of Hy-MacCaille, now the barony of "Imokilly," in the county Cork; for, O'Mictyre ("mactire:" Irish, a wolf) is quite distinct from Mac-an-t-Saoir, and has been anglicised Wolf and Wolfe.

[3] Hugh Buidhe; This Hugh and Andrew MacCurtin were natives of the county Clare, and distinguished as poets in the 18th century. Hugh wrote an Irish Grammar, an English-Irish Dictionary, and an Essay in Vindication of the Antiquity of Ireland. And Manuscripts in the Library of Trinity College, Dublin, copied by Andrew MacCurtin, between 1716 and 1720, are referred to by Eugene O'Curry, who styles him "one of the best Irish scholars then living."