O'Beirne family genealogy

[1] Arms: Ar. an oak tree eradicated and fructed ppr. in base a lizard vert in the dexter base point a saltire couped gu. on a chief az. the sun in his splendour or, and a crescent of the first.

AODH (or Hugh) Balbh, brother of Murgal who is No. 99 on the (No. 1) "O'Connor" (Connaught) pedigree, was the ancestor of O'Beirin; anglicised O'Beirne, Beirnes, Barne, Barnes, Barnewall, and Barnewell.

99. Aodh Balbh [2] ("balbh:" Irish stammering, dumb; Lat. "balb-us"): son of Inreactha, the 23rd Christian King of Connaught. Some say that this Aodh Balbh was the 26th King, instead of Flaithrigh (2).

100. Uadhach: son of Aodh Balbh; a quo Clann Uadhaigh.[3]

101. Ubhan ("ubh:" Irish, the point of a thing): his son; a quo O'h-Ubhain, anglicised Hoban. Had a brother named Ceannfada, who was the ancestor of Fallon.

102. Cineadh: son of Ubhan.

103. Beirin ("beir-in:" Irish, fit to bear or carry; Lat. "fer-o:" Gr. "pher-o;" Pers. "bar"): his son; a quo O'Beirin.

104. Murtach Mantach: his son.

105. Dermod: his son.

106. Murtach (2): his son.

107. Cuconnacht: his son.

108. Giollachriosd: his son.

109. Donall: his son.

110. Giollaiosa: his son.

111. Iomhar: his son.

112. Giollacoman: his son; had a brother named Bernard, who was the ancestor of Barnewall, etc.

113. Maithan: son of Giollacoman.

114. Giollachriosd: his son.

115. Iomhar (2): his son.

116. Giollachriosd (2): his son.

117. Donall (2): his son.

118. Donoch: his son.

119. Cormac: his son; had five brothers.

120. Cairbre: his son; had six brothers.

121. Teige: his son.

122. Teige Oge: his son.

123. Donoch: his son.

124. Brian: his son.

125. Donoch (2): his son.

126. Teige (3): his son.

127. Henry: his son.

128. Hugh: his son; was a J.P. for the county Roscommon; died in 1813.

129. Francis: his son; was a J.P. and D.L. for the county Leitrim; died in 1854.

130. Hugh O'Beirne, D.L., Jamestown House, Drumsna, co. Leitrim: his son. Has a younger brother, Colonel Francis O'Beirne, late an M.P. for the county Leitrim; both living in 1887.

131. Francis O'Beirne, b. in 1864: son of the said Hugh. This Francis had three brothers—1. Hugh-James, b. in 1866; 2. Joseph, b. in 1874; and 3. George-John, b. in Dec., 1877.

Notes

[1] O'Beirne: Thomas Lewis O'Beirne, Bishop of Meath, was born in the county of Longford in 1747. He was intended for the Catholic priesthood, and was sent with his brother to St. Omer's; but eventually he joined the late Established Church. He was appointed chaplain in the British fleet under Lord Howe; and whilst in this service he published a pamphlet in defence of his patron, the Admiral. In 1782 he accompanied the Duke of Portland, Lord Lieutenant, to Ireland as his private secretary. He was in 1791 collated to the rectory of Templemichael and vicarage of Mohill, county Leitrim, in the diocese of Ardagh, where his brother was at the same time a Parish Priest. In 1795 he became chaplain to Lord Fitzwilliam, who obtained for him the bishopric of Ossory, whence, in 1798, he was translated to Meath. In his place in the Irish House of Lords he objected to the recall of Lord Fitzwilliam, then Irish Viceroy, and was one of those peers who voted against the Union, and signed the Lords' Protest. He died at Ardbraccan, on the 17th of February, 1823, and was there buried.

[2] Balbh: This word is the root of the sirname Balfe.

[3] Clann Uadhaigh: The sirnames Wood and Woods are considered anglicised forms of this Clan-name; which literally means "except from him" (uadh: Irish, "from him;" ach, "save or except"). But Wood and Woods are anglicised forms of the Irish sirname O'Coillte ("coill:" Irish, a wood).—See No. 103 on the "O'Mealla" pedigree.