Your Irish Family Ancestry
Ancestry is important to the Irish. As far back as we can tell, who you were the son of or daughter of was an inherent part of your identity. The Annals of Ireland, our ancient manuscripts, are full of long lists: starting with a name, and going on for half a mile down the page with son of such and such, son of such and such. There is barely a mention of a man or a woman in Irish history without also referencing who they are a child of, who their family was and where they came from. Irish people are all about our family connections.
So what’s in a name? Does your family name matter to you? Have you ever changed it, through marriage, divorce, or for any other reason? How many family names have gone into the mix that is you? How many of those names do you carry with you right now?
A brief history of the Irish Coat of Arms and Family Crests
A ‘Family Crest’ as most people understand it is actually a coat of arms. The history of these are a little spotty, but generally speaking the Coat of Arms started as a unique heraldic design, worn either on a shield or on a cloth tabard over armour, which could identify the wearer during battle or tournaments. The full Coat of Arms consisted of a shield, supporters, crest and motto. They were first worn by feudal Lords and Knights in the 1100’s, in order to identify allied from enemy – one guy dressed as a tin can amid the heat and blood of battle looks pretty much like the next. Since 1552 in Ireland, the granting and usage of Coats of Arms has been strictly regulated through the Office of the Chief Herald of Ireland, even though there’s not much call for an individual to identify allied from enemy on a battlefield these days.
One of the best sources for heraldry information is the “Book of Crests of the Families of Great Britain and Ireland”, first published by Fairbairn in 1859. In it, editors suggest that there can be certain associations of the ‘crest’ part of a coat of arms with particular family names, especially in Gaelic traditions, but that the crest was never intended as a stand-alone part of the coat of arms. The crest is the bit that appears above the shield, and is often an animal form. It is arguable, I suppose, that in Gaelic culture certain animals or symbols may have been associated with a particular family previous to the formal adoption of coats of arms, and the popularity of using the crest as a simpler design in engravings, jewellery, belts, bookplates and other decorative and status bearing items is a remnant of that.
Your coat of arms is a representation of your history and your heritage, not just the family name you happen to carry on your current passport. This is a connection to many of the individuals who have borne or worn variations of your Coat of Arms or Crest, right back through the ages – many of whom you are linked to directly by blood. This is your sigil, your mantra, your personal badge of honour; a strengthening image useful to focus your thoughts and energy on your ancestral heritage, with a view to creating your unique connection to Ireland.
So what’s in a name? Does your family name matter to you? Have you ever changed it, through marriage, divorce, or for any other reason? How many family names have gone into the mix that is you? How many of those names do you carry with you right now?
A brief history of the Irish Coat of Arms and Family Crests
A ‘Family Crest’ as most people understand it is actually a coat of arms. The history of these are a little spotty, but generally speaking the Coat of Arms started as a unique heraldic design, worn either on a shield or on a cloth tabard over armour, which could identify the wearer during battle or tournaments. The full Coat of Arms consisted of a shield, supporters, crest and motto. They were first worn by feudal Lords and Knights in the 1100’s, in order to identify allied from enemy – one guy dressed as a tin can amid the heat and blood of battle looks pretty much like the next. Since 1552 in Ireland, the granting and usage of Coats of Arms has been strictly regulated through the Office of the Chief Herald of Ireland, even though there’s not much call for an individual to identify allied from enemy on a battlefield these days.
One of the best sources for heraldry information is the “Book of Crests of the Families of Great Britain and Ireland”, first published by Fairbairn in 1859. In it, editors suggest that there can be certain associations of the ‘crest’ part of a coat of arms with particular family names, especially in Gaelic traditions, but that the crest was never intended as a stand-alone part of the coat of arms. The crest is the bit that appears above the shield, and is often an animal form. It is arguable, I suppose, that in Gaelic culture certain animals or symbols may have been associated with a particular family previous to the formal adoption of coats of arms, and the popularity of using the crest as a simpler design in engravings, jewellery, belts, bookplates and other decorative and status bearing items is a remnant of that.
Your coat of arms is a representation of your history and your heritage, not just the family name you happen to carry on your current passport. This is a connection to many of the individuals who have borne or worn variations of your Coat of Arms or Crest, right back through the ages – many of whom you are linked to directly by blood. This is your sigil, your mantra, your personal badge of honour; a strengthening image useful to focus your thoughts and energy on your ancestral heritage, with a view to creating your unique connection to Ireland.