Ó Gobhann

Rev Patrick Woulfe

1923

Ó GOBHANN—III—O Gowen, O Gowin, O Goen, O Goine, O'Gowan, Gowan, Goan, Gowen, Gowing, Going, Smith, Smyth; 'descendant of the smith' (Irish 'gobha'); the name of an old Cavan family who, in the latter part of the 16th century, were one of the most numerous in O'Reilly's country, and were also found in Monaghan, Down, Louth, Meath and Westmeath; still very common in all these counties, but nearly always disguised as Smith or Smyth. To be distinguished from Mac an Ghobhann, which is often similarly anglicised.

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