Mag Raith

Rev Patrick Woulfe

Irish Names and Surnames

1923

Mag RAITH—IV—Magrath, Magragh, MacGrath, MacGragh, Megrath, Magraw, MacGraw, Megraw, MacGra, &c.; 'son of Mac Raith' (son of grace, or prosperity; a not uncommon Irish personal name); also written Mac Craith, Mag Craith, Mac Graith, Mac Raith, and Mag Ratha, which see; the name (1) of a Donegal family, the head of which was coarb of St. Daveog, or erenagh of Termon Daveog, now Termon Magrath, at Lough Derg, and resided at the Castle of Termon Magrath at the northern extremity of Lough Erne, about half a mile west of Pettigo; (2) of a Thomond family who were hereditary poets and chroniclers to the O'Briens; (3) of a Scottish family in Kintail (see Mac Raith), some of whom settled in the north of Ireland. The Magraths were also at one time an influential family in Co. Waterford; and there are, doubtless, many minor families of the name about which history is silent. The name is now very common all over Ireland.

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