Healy Family
Genealogy Forum
at GenForum!

 

The Patron Saint
of Ireland.

 

 

 

N E W    D A T A    P A G E
- HISTORY of The Healy Name - Page 7

"Saepiens Dominabitur Astris"
"The wise man will be governed by the heavens."

O' HEALATHAIGH - O' HELUIGHTHE - O' HEALAITHE 
HEALY - HEALEY - HELY - HALY 
O'HEALY - O'HEALEY - O'HELY - O'HALY

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Many people send me information about the Healy Name and it's association through history. Below I have included some of that information for your reference in researching your particular Healy Family line.

Because the different Healy Family branches are represented in different parts of Ireland, Scotland and England over the centuries it takes a great deal of time to trace each family line.

As you do your research and come across documentation and details to confirm or clarify any information on this web site I would be greatly appreciative if you would send me a copy with a description and reference to your source. In this way we all will benefit from all the Healy Research being accomplished.

Help build our Healy Clan traditions and culture.

Thank you, Edward E. Healy
~ Contact EEHealy ~

• R E S E A R C H     N O T E S •

In the 4th century there was a king of Ireland named Olil Ollum.
He had four sons.

The first son was Eoghan Mor.
All the Eugenians families are descended from Eoghan Mor,
They may find association under the leadership of the McCarthy which has no Chief at this time.

Cormac Cas was his second son.
All the Dalcassian families are descended from Cormac Cas.
The O'Brien Clan has been the ruling family for 1000 years.
Under the latest reorganization of the Dalcassian Council the reaffirmation of the O'Brien
as Chief of the DalgCais was confirm by his acceptance on 10 August 2004.

The third son was Cian.
All the Ciannachta families are descended from Cian.
This represents some forty-six blood related families. These families may find association under the leadership of the Chief Eile O'Carroll.
The 1983 Reformation and Incorporation of Clan Cian is a Society that supports Clan O'Carroll.


The names HEALY - HEALEY - HELY - HALY - O'HEALY - O'HEALEY - O'HELY - O'HALY can be found from Co. Sligo to Co. Cork. Thus it is important to note that depending upon your particular blood line and genealogy link your particular (Healy Family) may claim association with either of the Eugenians, Dalcassian or Ciannachta family organization.

O'Healy is derived from the Irish which was later anglicized to Hely , Healy, Healey and sometimes Haly.

Historically, there are three branches of the O'Healy family:

1) The first are the Healy's (O'h-Eilighe ) descended from Fergus Mor, descended from Ir son of Milesius , the first King of Ireland and who eventually settled in Connacht near Lough Arrow near Counties Sligo & Mayo.

2) The second are the Healy's ( O' hEalaighthe) descended from the MacCarthy Mor, King of Desmond who were the Chiefs of Pobal O'Healy who eventually became the the Barons of Donoughmore and the Earl O'Hely and later Earl of Donoughmore. Of these Hely's, the influential French family Hely d'Oissel was descended from the Jacobite Peter O'Hely who was exiled to France.

3) The third are the Healy's of County Kerry which was part of the Kingdom of Thomond, with Healy being synonymous with Kerrish or Kerrisk (MacFhiarais).

The modern Healy Family members are able to join a Clan Associations by Right of Birth. It is important to research the Roots of your particular Healy Family lineage. For the most part The Dalcassian branch (the Kerry Healy's) or Eugenian branch (the Desmond Healy's) represent the majority of Ireland's Healy Families.

Refer To:
OBrienClan

SURNAME HISTORY - Healy

There is an English surname Healy, derived from the Old English heah, "high", and leah, "clearing", "wood", but almost all of those bearing the name in Ireland are descendants of one of two Irish families, the Ó hEilidhe, from eilidhe, "claimant", and the Ó hEaladaighthe, from ealadhach, "ingenious".

The Ó hEilidhe had territory in south-east Co. Sligo, on the shores of Lough Arrow, one of the most beautiful parts of the country, where their seat was at Ballyhely.

The Ó hEaladaighthe, whose name was originally given the more phonetically accurate equivalent "Healihy", were based in the parish of Donoghmore in Muskerry in Co. Cork, where they retained considerable power and wealth up to the seventeenth century.

The surname is very common and widespread today, though significant concentrations are to be found around the original homelands in Connacht and Cork. The best-known modern bearer of the name was John Healy, of the Connacht family, renowned for his passionate defence of the rural way of life.

SURNAME DICTIONARY/ SLOINNTE NA h-EIREANN

Healey Quite numerous: Ulster only. See Healy.

Healy Very numerous: all areas: particularly Munster, least in Ulster. Ir. Ó h-Éalaighthe, from ealadhach, ingenious.

This was a family in Muskerry (Cork). A separate grouping in N Connacht were Ó h-Éilidhe (claimant). [MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families, Dublin, 1980] & [Ó Droighneáin, M. & Ó Murchú, M.A., An Sloinnteoir Gaeilge & an tAinmneoir, Baile Atha Cliath, 1991]

Hely Very rare: scattered. The Hely-Hutchinsons are a noted branch of the Healys of Muskerry.

Ó h-Éaluighthe Healy, Hely: an-líonmhar ins gach aird, sa deisceart ach go h-áirithe. Múscraí i gCorcaigh b'áit dúchais do chlann amháin; bhí clann eile i Sligeach: Ó h-Éilidhe ón ainm Éilidhe (éilitheóir). Na Muimhnigh: Ealadhach = eolaíoch. Litriú nua: Ó h-Éalaí agus Ó h-Éilí. [MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families, Dublin, 1980] & [MacLysaght, Edward, More Irish Families, Dublin, 1982] & [Ó Droighneáin, M. & Ó Murchú, M.A., An Sloinnteoir Gaeilge & an tAinmneoir, Baile Atha Cliath, 1991]

Ó h-Éilidhe Healy: an-líonmhar tríd an dtír ach is cosúil gur clann Chonnachtach iad sa. Bhí suíomh aca ag Baile Uí Éilidhe in aice le Loch Arbhach. Féach Ó h-Ealuighthe, leis.

From Ireland.Com

Tribes and Territories of Northern Munster

Dál gCais (kings of Munster and Thomond)

Dál gCais was originally a small kingdom ruled by the ancestors Brian Borúmha, including the eastern portion of the present County Clare. Brian's ancestors are said to derive from the sons of Cas, 7th in descent from Ailell Aulum (or Oilill Olum), and included Caisin (Ui Caisin, e.g. MacNamara), Aonghus Ceannathrach (Cenel Cuallachta), and Blat or Blod (Ui Blait or Ui Bloid, e.g. O'Brien, O'Kennedy), among others.

The power of the O'Brien ancestors, lords of Dál gCais, increased greatly in 10th and 11th centuries, to the point they became an important dynasty within all of Munster and culminating with Brian Ború, son of Cendétigh, recognized as the dominant king in Ireland by the turn of the 11th century.

Brian's nickname, Ború, comes from Boramha, the name of the village where he was born. Ceann Coradh, now Kincora, was the stronghold of Brian, near the mouth of the Shannon river.

Dalcassian Septs included Ua Briain (O'Brien), Mac Domhnaill (MacDonnell), Ua Gradaigh (O'Grady), Ua hAnrachain (O'Hanrahan), Ua h-Elidhe (O'Healy), Ua Cinneide (O'Kennedy), Mac Con Mara (MacNamara), possibly Ua Cuinn (O'Quinn), Ua hEachtighearna (O'Aherne), and O'Muldoon (Malone) of Ogonelloe in east Co. Clare, among others.

Surname Locations:

Ó hEilidhe - Healey - Co Sligo
Ó hEaladaighthe - Healey - Muskerry, Co Cork
Ó hEilidhe - (O) Healy - Co Sligo
Ó hÉalaighthe - (O) Healy or Healihy - Co Cork

Ireland's History in Maps by Dennis Walsh

 

THE HEALY FAMILY
Irish and English History
Ref. Beedle-Douglas-Healy-Hildebrand Family
 

THE HEALY FAMILY
Says the biography of the late Dr. Worlaw:
"There are some people who say they attach no importance to man's descent or to family honors, and despise those who do." Perhaps they may be sincere, but I cannot help thinking their judgment in this matter erroneous and their feeling unnatural. "The glory of children" says the wisest of men, "are their fathers," and I do not see why any honorable descent should not be
valued as well an any other blessing of Providence."

And, says the biographer of Dodridge:
"Wise men and good lay very little stress on any hereditary honors but those which arise from the piety and usefulness of their ancestors."


Joseph Warren Healy - The Healy Book:

"I have gathered up the following genealogical fragmentary records of the Healy family, not because my ancestors were of "honorable descent" nor because they were distinguished for their learning, piety, or usefulness-although they may have acted well their part and have no mean place in history - but to gratify myself and those who bear me family name and share in the inheritance of so worthy an ancestry. If this labor of love shall induce the coming generation to cherish the memory and imitate the sterling Christian virtue of their fathers, my purpose will have been accomplished. For my materials, I am largely indebted to members of the different branches of our family and very especially to Samuel Bell, Esq. Of Manchester, N.H. and the Hon. John Plummer Healy of Boston, Mass." - Joseph Warren Healy (The Healy Book).


English Ancestry-Notes from Early Histories:

"The English Genealogical Histories of Ancient and Distinguished Families gives a full and detailed account of the ancestors of the Healy Family. In English records the name is variously written as Hele, Heale, Hela, Healey, Heeley, and Healy, all doubtless having a common ancestor. No less than five English Post Offices bear the name of the family: Hele near Exeter, Hele-Cullompton, Healey-Sheffield, Healy-Bedale, Marsham, and Healey-Rochdale. Scattered over the Kingdom are descendants of position and wealth, some of whom occupy ancestral estates and are allied to the English Aristocracy."

Says Prince in his Worthies of Devon writing in 1701:
"There was Hele of Hele in the parish of Bradninch, eight miles to the north of Exeter. Here lived Bartholomew de la Hele so far back as the days of King Henry II, whose reign commenced Oct. 23 AD 1154 now near 550 years since. From him descended Roger I, next Sir Roger II Hele, Kt., and then Sir Roger III his son-Roger IV Hele, Roger V Hele, and William VI Hele. William VI had
two sons, Nicholas VII and Roger VII Hele. The line of Nicholas ended with his daughter Alice, but Roger VII Hele was the progenitor of all the families of Hele in the South part of the country."

Says Moore in his History of Devonshire, page 4.....:
"From a Pedigree in the possession of Paul Treby, Esq., the representative of the principal branch of this family, the Heles from the southern part of the Country are descended from the Heles of Bradninch."

From the Records of the Heralds Visitations of 1620:
"The Pedigree of all the Devonshire branches of the family is directly traced to Bartholomew de la Hele, the first of the name mentioned in English History, who lived in the time of King Henry II, AD 1154-1189." The records go on to say: "He doubtless came over to England from Normandy with William the Conqueror and received from this Prince the lands among his Norman followers, etc."

Notes:
William the Conqueror or William I, Duke of Normandy, invaded England in 1066 Defeating Harold II in the Battle of Hastings Oct. 14, 1066, William was crowned King and reigned until 1087. After William I came William II, Henry I, Stephen, and then Henry II. In 1171, over 100 years after the Conquest of England, Henry II began the Conquest of Ireland. It is quite possible, however, that there were two Bartholomew de la Heles, the earlier one coming to England with William the Conqueror, and the other, a descendant, living in the time of Henry II. A generation is oftentimes overlooked when the telling is done by grandchildren.

Burke's Extinct and Dormant Baronetcies of England says:
Hele, Heale, or Healy a manor in the parish of Bradninch in the Hundred of Harridge in the North of Devon, from the earliest time of which any record exists and, as is presume, from long before the Conquest, was in the possession of the family which had its dwelling there and gave it name. Of this very ancient family, fruitful as the county of Devon is known to have been in distinguished houses, it may with truth be stated that is was one of the most eminent, the most widely spread, and the most affluent which even that quarter of England could boast....."

Burke assigns to the family of Healy a Coat-of-Arms very nearly the same as that of Hele. The Hele, Heale, or Healy English-family Crest is given in the Royal Book of Crests, Great Britain and Ireland, Dominion of Canada, India, and Australia, Plate 37, 14th Crest.

Underneath the Crest is the description:
"On a chapeau a lion statant gardant ducally gorged"


Condensed from THE HELE-HEALY FAMILY (IRISH):
By Michael Walsh, Editor of the New York Mercury, in 1888.


"The Healy family is of pure Munster origin, owing its extraction to the famous Eile-Righ-Deargh or Eile-- The Red King...,

This branch was the root of the family O'hEiligh or O'Healy, but it had many ramifications in various parts of Munster. The principal of which was the clan O'Healy, Chiefs of Domhnach-Mor 0'h-Eiligh or Probal O'Healy, a parish in the ancient barony of Muskerry in County Cork That the name is one of the most ancient in Ireland can be deduced from the fact that the putitive founder Eile-Righ-Deargh, flourished in the 5th century. The name is anglicized Healy, Hely, and Haley. Others deduce the name from the O'Haly family which is the anglecized form of the Irish O'h Algaiel

Algaeh Irish Nobler-Irish Pedigrees by O'Hart. Coats of Arms:
1. Arms as a fesse between three stage heads erased in chief az and a demi lion ramp in base (P. 64)

2. Three boars' heads couped in pale ar crest; on a chapeau a lion statant guard ducally gorged (P.24) The similarity between the English and Irish armorial bearings seems to indicate a common ancestor. Titles such as Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount or Baron were to be found in Ireland only after the Angle-Norman Invasion).
 

NEW - HISTORY  of  THE  HEALY  NAME
Download PDF Document outline of Healy Name in History
[ CLICK HERE ]

NEW LINK ABOUT HEALY BOOK
The Healy clan branches have spread very far and very wide.
By: Finbarr Slattery

Text  Below:
Thursday, January 27, 2005

The Healy clan branches have spread very far and very wide
By: Finbarr Slattery

A FEW years ago I was given the loan of a book called The Healy Story as the lender expected that I would find suitable material in it for this column.

I put the book under the driver’s seat of my car and it was almost a year later before I found it there.

When I did, I could not recollect who had given it to me. The book was inscribed: “ To Julie, Donal Healy 10/8/96”.

Early this year I was chatting with Roger O’Donoghue from Clonkeen and Knocknahoe, Killarney when he asked me about a book. It immediately clicked that he was the man who gave me The Healy Story.

I found the book that night and rang Roger to tell him. Speaking to his wife, Mary, on the phone, I told her the book would feature in my column this week.

But before doing so, I must relate a story about lending books. I remember well seeing a cartoon in Dublin Opinion many years ago, a visitor was being shown around the family home by the owner and there were books all over the place. The caption read “Why don’t you put the books on shelves?” The answer given was: “Tell me, can I borrow those too”

It was a pertinent message that has stayed with me and has made me very conscious above the hazards of borrowing and lending books. I found The Healy Story brimful of interest and today I feature some extracts that I hope you will enjoy:

First, Roger O’Donoghue’s connection with The Healy Story. Julia Healy married John O’Donoghue (John Rodger) in Clonkeen. They had two in family and Roger is a grandson of Julie Healy.

The book contains quite a graphic account of the Headford Ambush. A member of the Healy clan took part in the ambush, the most celebrated and biggest military engagement of the War of Independence in Kerry. The conflict was between Kerry No. 2 Brigade flying column and the forces of the Crown and the incident took place on Tuesday, March 21, 1921.

The site of this famous ambush was the platform at Headford Railway Station, where DJ Allman, the officer commanding the Kerry No. 2 Brigade, and his men decided to ambush the Kenmare-Killarney train. Their plan was to capture the large amount of arms which included a Vickers machine gun carried by the British Military.

The column lost two men, their O.C, DJ Allman and Jimmy Bailey, while the British fatalities numbered 25. After his death and, indeed, 75 years later, Allman was a folk-hero in his native Kerry. His two right-hand men during that Headford ambush were Jim Coffey and his close friend Danny Healy of Coolroe, Listry, who were with Allman as the train pulled into the station during the ambush.

Allman was determined to break the ambush stalemate which, in his opinion, had lasted far too long and as he edged out from the shelter of the ramp to fire at the enemy, a hidden sniper sent a bullet through his lung. Healy and Coffey immediately pulled him back into cover but it was obvious to them that he had been fatally wounded for blood gushed from his mouth, ears and nostrils and a green and gold resetter worn on lapel of the coat was dyed a vivid red.

They heard him gasp ‘water’ and he tapped his breast. Healy and Coffey knew that the dying man was referring to the little bottle of holy water which he always carried in his vest pocket. Healy took out the little black bottle and sprinkled him with the water.

At that stage, the position of Coffey and Healy was an extremely dangerous one. They wanted to take the dead or dying Allman with them, but burdened with his body, they would have presented too good a target for the British snipers, who were sending bullets screaming off the rails all around them and so, reluctantly, they left Allman’s body lying on the platform.

This ends the story of the Headford Ambush. Two gallant soldiers of Ireland had lost their lives while the enemy had been dealt a heavy blow and the men of the Kerry No. 2 Brigade Column had written an imperishable chapter in the history of their country’s fight for freedom.

Danny Healy later married Allman’s sister and today that family is known as the Healy-Allmans. In the townland of Liscarrigane, in the parish of Clondrohid, and in Daingeanasallagh, in the parish of Ballyvourney, three different branches of the Healy family lived in one square mile. The late Bill Healy of Ballincollig, who gave me some of the terrible famine stories, was among them.

Bill had 16 brothers and sisters. One brother, Denis, was included in the first group, who joined the newly formed Garda Siochana in 1922. In 1912 another brother, Mike, and a neighbour called Murphy, made arrangements to emigrate to the United States and they applied for berths on the new luxury transatlantic liner, The Titanic.

Murphy was granted permission to travel but Mike Healy was refused because the liner was booked out and he was told to wait for the next sailing. Mike and the Healy family were very disappointed at the refusal, because in the public mind, this new liner was the ultimate in luxury and safety and therefore everybody travelling to America at the time wanted to go on the Titanic.

However, when young Murphy saw Mike’s disappointment, he decided not to travel himself but to wait for Mike so that they could travel together. A few weeks later their disappointment turned quickly to joy and relief when they heard that the Titanic had gone to a watery grave, after hitting an iceberg in the western Atlantic and had sunk to the ocean floor. This appalling tragedy was the world’s worst maritime disaster. It happened on April 14, 1912, with a loss of 1,503 lives.

Another chapter in the wonderful book, The Healy Story, reveals that Tadhg Healy from Tralee was the youngest player ever to win an All-Ireland medal. The former Kerry footballing great, who passed away during the early days of 1991, had the distinction of being the youngest player ever to win an All-Ireland senior medal, when at the age of 17 years he helped Kerry to their 1937 success against Meath. He went on to win three All-Irelands in 1939, ‘40 and ‘41, with the great Kerry three-in-a-row team of that period.

There was also a Healy closely connected with Christy Ring. The family connections with one of the greatest sportsmen of all time were Dan Healy, who worked with him and Willie Healy and Paddy ‘Hitler’ Healy, who played with him.

Colourful Kerry politician, Jackie Healy-Rae also features in the Healy book. He has, on two occasions, held the prestigious and influential position of Chairman of Kerry County Council, in 1982 and again in 1985.

Healy-Rae, a farmer and publican, is a native of Kilgarvan parish where many members of the Healy clan fled after their eviction from Donoughmore during the Penal Times. In a recent full-page article in The Cork Examiner (14/7/95) on the life of Healy-Rae, who was then a Fianna Fáil member of the Kerry County Council, he was described as “the champion of the grassroots, and the most famous local politician in Ireland”.

Another famous Healy is Ardfert man, Phil Healy, the former chairperson of Kerry IFA, has been very much to the fore in helping the people of underdeveloped African countries, during the last decade of the 20th century. My thanks to Roger O’Donoghue for giving me a loan of this interesting book. I hope you have enjoyed and found interesting the extracts from it that I have included.

New From Online Google Search
The Chief Irish Families of Munster
... O'Grady, O'Hanraghan, O'Hartigan, O'Hea, O'Healy (modernized Haley and Hayley),
... Of this Clan the principal families In Munster were--O'Falvey, ...
 

Return to Page 1

Return to Page 2

Return to Page 3

Return to Page 4

Return to Page 5

Return to Page 6

Updated by: EEHealy July 11, 2004

---

Note: This information may not be complete and any information to fill in the missing spaces would be appreciated. Please e-mail any Information On Any Family Members. - Return to HealyClan Front Page

---