Meehan family genealogy

Of Ballaghmeighan, County Leitrim

John O’Hart

Irish Pedigrees; or the Origin and Stem of the Irish Nation

1892 (5th Edition)

[1] Arms: Gu. on a chev. ar. three bucks' heads erased of the field, attired or, in base a demi lion ramp. of the second. Crest: A griffin's head erased, wings endorsed or.

THIS is a county Leitrim family; and is the anglicised form of O'Maoithain ("maoth:" Irish, tender) and of O'Miadhachain ("miadhach:" Irish, noble, honourable), two ancient families of that county, but of different descent. The latter family was anglicised O'Mehegan, as well as O'Meehan; but the pedigree of either family is not forthcoming.

Line of Heremon

Heremon Genealogies

Notes

[1] Meehan: The Sept of O'Meehan or O'Meighan possessed Beallach, now the parish of Ballymeehan, in the county Leitrim. The Four Masters record the death, A.D. 1173, of Edru O'Miadhachain (or Edru Meehan), bishop of Clonard. In Burke's Armory we read: "A curious relic, consisting of a metal box, which contained the gospel of St. Molaise, of Devenish, a celebrated saint of the sixth century, is still in possession of the family, the Sept having preserved it for more than 1200 years." Christopher O'Meighan, an officer in the army of James II., fell at the battle of the Boyne.

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