Munnelly Origins
Version 5
Presented June 22, 2013
Scranton, Pennsylvania
We have a History
• Our direct ancestors, the O’Maonghailes arose as early
as1300 and recently as 1500
• Our name was carried by those living in the 8th and 9th
century and they were very likely our ancestors too.
Part 1: County Mayo
John O’Donovan
Ordinance Survey 1838
Roman Catholic Parishes of County Mayo
The Earliest Munnellys
• The earliest recorded group of Munnellys is found in a set of
decrees known as the Tudor Fiants. In a pardon issued 8 March
1593 in Fiant number 5798 the following eight people are
mentioned: “Melaghlin oge m’Philip O Monylla, Edm. m’Wm. O
Monylla, Cormock O Monillae, Edm. m’ Riccard O Monyllae, Shan
oge O Monyllae, Oueny O Monyllae Rich. O Monyllae and Wm.
m’Rickard buy, of same husbandmen” They were living in a place
recorded as Ballincashill which is known today as Ballycastle.
• What were the Fiants and why are they so useful
• Another possible Munnelly reference appears in the record around
this time. Richardo Manaly was an Irish soldier serving in the
Spanish army in Flanders around 1606.
Doonfeeny and Downpatrick Head near Ballycastle on
the north coast of County Mayo 2012
Ballymunnelly
• O’Donovan’s remark connecting the O’Monnellys to Ballymunnelly is
confirmed.
•
In a legal deposition taken in 1642, Teige O’Monelly and Richard
O’Monelly of Bavonelly [sic] along with Richard Barrett of
Cloontikilla, Edmund Barrett of Drinishia [sic] and several others
were named in crimes on Edmund Barrett’s land in County Mayo.
Bavonelly is almost certainly Ballymunnelly. The deposition is
among many connected to the uprising that began in October 1641,
which included attacks on people, loss of property, and an attempt to
seize Dublin Castle.
• Ballymunnelly or “Munnelly’s Place” was named for the group.
The records establish a continuing Munnelly presence
in the area
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Friar James Monely, a Franciscan priest, was recorded in 1704 during the
registration of the clergy. He was in Cloontakilla, on the shore of
Carrowmore Lake, not far from Ballymunnelly.
•
Cormuck Monnilly, a Franciscan priest, appears in 1743-44 probably at
Moyne Abby. He is also remembered by Munnellys in the oral tradition.
The 1417 Topographical Poems
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In 2004 “The Great Book of Irish Genealogies: Leabhar Mor Na
nGenealach” was published. This is the first time some of the material has
been available in English. It is 3,100 pages long.
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In 2006, Muraile followed up with, “Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbisgh and County
Mayo”, a shorter version of the first work covering County Mayo.
What are topographical poems?
A compilation written in 1666 based on topographical poems composed
from 1417.
Many of the same surnames found in Ballycastle in the 1593 Fiants are also
found in this work
No names similar to O’Monnelly are found. This may well be an indication
that the group was not in the area until the late 1400s or about the year
1500
Ballymunnelly first appears in “The Composition of Connacht” in
1585
Ballymunnelly
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It seems to never have supported many people. But would have had cattle.
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The general feeling is like being in a large valley.
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It is along a strategic road between Crossmolina and the coast.
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It is south of the settlement on Carrowmore Lake.
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It was not listed as a townland or settlement in the modern censuses of Ireland
beginning in 1841
•
The Chapel there was built in 1952
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The land is boggy and area was proposed as the site for a nuclear power plant
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First appears in 1585 Consignment of Connacht
The Browne Map II 1591
Ballymunnelly
• Ballymunnelly was a “quarter” when it was first
mentioned in 1585 and was still listed as a
quarter in the “Strafford Inquisition of County
Mayo” in1635.
• The quantity of land in a quarter or carrow in
Ireland depended on how productive it was.
• The meaning of a quarter can be gleaned from
the records. Typical descriptions mention the
ability to graze 40 cows on a quarter of land and
to use what were termed under tenants.
A typical description of carrow or quarter in 1635
Working the Land
• In the 1642 deposition the Monellys and others
are described as tenants and farmers, meaning,
they lived there permanently. This is consistent
with the 1593 entry describing them as
‘husbandmen’. There is no way to know from
the information what the tenancy arrangement
was.
• Typically, the arrangement was semi-permanent
and measured in lives plus a fixed number of
years.
Ballymunnelly on Petty’s Map 1683
Bogs in Ireland
Population Density 1841
The 1593 Pardon
• “Melaghlin oge m’Philip O Monylla, Edm. m’Wm. O Monylla,
Cormock O Monillae, Edm. m’ Riccard O Monyllae, Shan oge O
Monyllae, Oueny O Monyllae Rich. O Monyllae and Wm. m’Rickard
buy, of same husbandmen”
• One can infer the relationship of these eight men from their Gaelic
names, as follows:
• Melanghlin was the son of another Melanghlin, the grandson of
Philip and great grandson of O’Monylla
• Edmund was the son of William
• Shan was the son of another Shan
• William and Edmund were the sons of Richard who is Richard O
Monyllae
• We don’t know about Cormock or Oueny (Owen)
The names in the 1593 Pardon reveal the O’Maonghailes
had existed for a least four generations or about 100 years
G
Birt
h
1
149
0
2
151
8
Philip O Monylla
3
154
5
Melaghlin O Monylla
William O
Monylla
4
157
3
Melaghlin Oge O
Monylla
Edmund O
Monylla
The founder
possibly
“Maonghaile O'Doherty”
Riccard O Monillae
Edmund O
Monillae
(Unknown)
Cormock O
Monillae
O Monyllae
Oueny O Monyllae
Richard O
Monyllae
Shan Oge O Monyllae
William O
Monyllae
Estimating The Time Of The Common Munnelly
Ancestor
•
It is possible to estimate that the common ancestor of the Munleys lived
between 1300 and 1500 A.D. Each of these methods is discussed below
and leads to a similar result
– Using Dr. Klyosov’s linear method of computation and probabilities. The simplest
formula is this: Number of haplotypes (samples) X Number of mutations from
Model X .090 for 37 Marker samples = Generations to a Common Ancestor
– Using the 15 Munley samples currently on Family Tree DNA with at lease 37
markers, the formula is 15 X 21 X .090 resulting in 28.35 generations
– At 25 years per generation that is 709 years, at 30 years per generation it is 850.
Working backwards from 2013 gives the years 1163 to 1304
•
Family Tree DNA probabilities, the maximum estimated distance between
pairs of the 15 samples as 850 years or about 1250. The two computations
give similar results.
The Oral Traditions of Munnelly Origins
• The First Munnellys were told by an old woman to follow their cattle
until they reached a large valley, which became Ballymunnelly.
Seven brothers who settled in different places in the shape of star.
• The stories capture something about Munnelly settlement
– It is spread out
– It is in older areas
– Probably settled when all of northern County Mayo was
controlled by the MacWilliam clan – before 1530. The territory
was split with the Barrett clan in 1584.
• The Munnellys were from Spain
Part 2: Before County Mayo
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Records in English begin around 1580 while Irish records ended as a result
of the Reformation and conquest.
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While written records begin as early as 700 A D they are not complete. The
records were kept by monks and poets in Latin, Gaelic and Irish but they
are qualitatively different from the English language ones.
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Annals of Ulster and other books noted significant events by year
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In this period research is increasing done by “Triangulating’ historical
records with Y-DNA samples and place names to gain an understanding.
•
Testing the Munnelly – Manley Y-DNA connection to the Doherty clan
inconclusive
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The Cenel Moan or Clan Moan also show an historical connection and
similarity in their Y-DNA to the Munnelly – Manley samples
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The historical and Y-DNA connections linking the O’Maonghaile and
MacMaonghail groups
Summery of historical evidence pointing to a Doherty
connection
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In the Doherty clan genealogy, three ancestors bore the names Maenghuile,
Moenghuile or Maonghail in the ninth and tenth centuries.
– The name is not associated with any other clan
– It was not used as given names or surname after this time
There is an old fort named Dunwiley is in the Doherty homeland next to Ardmiran in
County Donegal and it is believed to preserve the name Maonghaile.
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O’Donovan’s comments in the Ordinance Survey Letters
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The oral tradition for five or seven brothers
The Maonghaile connection in the Doherty Genealogy is remote
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Aindilis
Conor managh (of the monks)
Donall
Rory
Donall mor
Angus
Muirchertagh
Dermot
Conor
Donal fin (white)
Donogh don (brown)
Donall of Drom Fornogh
Maenghaile
Donogh
Maonghaile
Dochartach (the first Doherty)
Maonghaile
Fiamahan
Cindaladh
Gairb
Ronan
Luighdheach
Seadna
Fergus
Conall Gulban
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Aindilis, the first chief of the Doherty clan in 1188 The Maonghailes lived in the 9 th Century
County Donegal
Donegal Showing Stranolar, Admiran, Dunwiley and the Clan Moan
Area
The Fort of Dunwiley
• The fort of Dunwiley. The first element in Maenghuile, Gaelic maoin,
means wealth or treasure. In the second element, ‘ghuile’, “gh” can
be “dh” pronounced like ‘y’ or if it is located in the middle or end of a
name, it is usually silent. ‘Ghuile’ is thought to equate to ‘wiley’ in
‘Dunwiley, rendered as Dun Mhaonghuile’ or fort of Maonghaile and
if the case, it would seem the history of the O’Dochartys can be
tentatively traced to the ninth century.
• The fort has a unique design indicated a connection the Vikings or
Romans.
The Fort of Dunwiley
• The Herringbone design of the fort suggests Viking or even Roman
influence. The picture below shows a herringbone design in a
reconstruction of the Viking settlement in L'Anse aux Meadows in
Newfoundland, Canada or Vineland. Both forts date from 1000 A D
• The fort maybe older than the Doherty clan!
Comparison of Munnelly and Doherty Y-DNA
• Munnelly Y-DNA is similar to that of the Dohertys in that
they are both R1b1a2a1a1b4b
• Most, but not all Doherty samples have a value of 22 at a
location known as YCAIIb
• This nearly unique marker is not found in the Munnelly
group
• Every Munnelley has a value of 12 at location 455.
None of the Dohertys or any other group has the value
12 at 455
• If the Munnelly results had 22 at location YCAIIb there
would be little doubt that they were at one time part of
the Doherty clan, but that is not the case.
• They share other similarities along with differences
The Munnellys Show a Connection to the Clan Moan
• Munnelly Y-DNA is similar to a lesser known group of surnames
historically part of a group known as the Cenel Moain or Clan Moain.
The group was composed principally of the O’Gormleys clan, with
several others such the O’Kanes, McHenrys.
• All of these groups and the Munnellys are 23 where the Dohertys are
22.
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Ó Maonghaile,
Mac Maonghail Surnames
According to Patrick Woulf
• Mac MAONGHAIL –IV M’Mounell, M’Monnell,
M’Monyll, MacMonagle, MacMongegal,
MacMonigal, MacMonigle, MacMunigal,
Monagle: ‘son of Maongal’ (wealth-valour); an
old Donegal surname. For unaspirated g, cf.
Mac Congail
• Ó MAONGHAILE --I O Monhily, O Monnilly,
Munnelly, Monnelly, Monley, Manley; ‘des of
Maonghal’ (gilt-valour); found chiefly in Donegal
and North Connacht.
Bishops of Raphoe Magonail – MacMaonghail or
Conwall
• Padraig Magonail, MacMaonghail or Mac Congail Bishop of
Raphoe 1367
• Donat Magonail or Mac Congail Sed 1563 death 1589 succeeded
and assisted at the Council of Trent in 1563. He was the last
Catholic bishop of Raphoe.
Mac Maenghal - Conwell
Moenghal in Early Medieval Times
• Moenghal appears in the Doherty family tree and in the name of
several abbots in the “Annals of Ulster” and other books
– 851 Moenghal abbot of Ardstraw in west County Tyrone dies
– 855 Maenghal, abbot of Fobhar in West Meath dies
– 869 Maenghal the Pilgrim, abbot of Beannchair near Bangor County
Down dies
– 873 Maenghal, Priory of Clonmacnoise died County Offaly dies
Moenghal’s Poem to King Niall
• In 844 Moenghal the Pilgrim wrote upon the death of
King Niall
• Take with thee the total destruction of Niall,
• who was not a judge without judgment,
• To the King of heaven let him make submission,
• that he may make smooth for him every difficulty.
• Niall was drowned
• Niall was good
• Niall in the sea
• Niall in fire
• Niall without death.
Marcellus – Moenghal 9th Century Scribe, Writer,
Musician and Missionary
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Was known as Marcellus. He travelled with his nephew and visited Bobblio,
Italy
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Lived at St Gall Abbey in Switzerland
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Has two manuscripts one in Zurich and the other in Basel
http://www.e-codices.unifr.ch/en/list/one/ubb/A-VII-0003
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Wrote in Latin and Greek
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Zimmer, a German Academic attempted to prove that Marcellus – Moenghal
was the same man as the Moenghal the Pilgrim in Donegal
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A great musician and teacher to the Medieval composer Nokter (840 – 912)
St Gall Abby Switzerland
Moenghal-Marcellus’s Greek and Latin Manuscript in the
Universitätsbibliothek Basel, Switzerland
The Moenghal Inscription at Inis Cealtra Monestary in
County Galway
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“MOENGAL MAC LODGIN” was found carved on a stone at Irish cealtra
Abbey in Galway. The context would date it to around 1000 A D. Mac
Lodgin was possibly a person named Laidgen mentioned in the 7th Century.
Part 3: Speculative Evidence
• There are about 80 people using the name Moneghal in
Barcelona, Spain with others in France and Uruguay
• Steve Dunford’s work on Rathfran Abby near Lackan and
Killala, County Mayo
Rathfran Abby County Mayo
. Standing 6’4” high and 2’ wide at the top, narrowing to 1’6” at the base, The inscription
has been deciphered as possibly reading:- “Joannes O’Munilay
(or it could be O’Maille) me fiery fecit 1018. This date may not be correct.