Callaghan

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Callaghan or O'Callaghan is an Irish surname.

Origin and Meaning

This surname means descendent of Ceallachán who was the Eóganachta King of Munster from AD 935 until 954. The personal name Cellach means ‘bright-headed’. The principal sept of the name Callaghan were lords of Cineál Aodha in South Cork originally. This area is west of Mallow along the Blackwater river valley. The family were dispossessed of their ancestral home and 24,000 acres (97 km²) by the Cromwellian Plantation and settled in East Clare. In 1994, Don Juan O'Callaghan of Tortosa was recognised by The Genealogical Office as the senior descendant in the male line of the last inaugurated O'Callaghan.

The Callaghan land near Mallow, forfeited by Donough O'Callaghan after the Irish rebellion of 1641, came into the hands of a family called Longfield or Longueville, which built a 20-bedroom Georgian mansion there. In a twist of history, 500 acres of the ancient Callaghan land returned to Callaghan hands in the twentieth century, when Longueville House was bought by a descendant of Donough O'Callaghan^[1]. The ancestral estate of the Callaghans, now a luxury hotel, is currently owned by William O'Callaghan.

People

• Christopher Callaghan - 2006 Republican Candidate for NY State Comptroller
• Daniel Callaghan - Rear Admiral - US Navy
• Fred Callaghan (born 1944), footballer with Fulham
• Georgina Callaghan who performs as Callaghan (1983-Present), a British musician
• Guy Callaghan - New Zealand butterfly swimmer
• James Callaghan - Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1976-79)
• Morley Callaghan - Canadian novelist, short story writer, playwright, TV and radio personality.
• Sheila Callaghan - American playwright
• Steve Callaghan - Writer of Family Guy TV series
• William M. Callaghan - Admiral, US Navy; first commanding officer of the battleship USS Missouri

People with alternative spellings

• Barry O'Callaghan - CEO and controlling shareholder of Riverdeep Interactive Learning
• Edmund Bailey O'Callaghan - doctor, journalist, leader in the patriotic movements of both Ireland and Quebec
• John O'Callaghan (DJ) - DJ and Producer from Ireland, mostly well known for his hit "Big Sky"
• Joseph T. O'Callahan - Captain, US Navy, Jesuit priest, Medal of Honor Recipient

Places

• O'Callaghans mills County Clare Ireland
• Callaghan, New South Wales, a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales and home of the University of Newcastle, Australia

Other

• USS Callaghan (DDG-994)
• Mount Callaghan

See also

• Irish nobility
• Eóganachta
• Eóganacht Chaisil
• Irish royal families
• Chiefs of the Name
• Callahan
• Callihan

Other Munster families

• McGillycuddy of the Reeks
• O'Donoghue
• O'Donovan
• O'Brien, Prince of Thomond
• O'Grady of Kilballyowen

References

Further reading

• Bugge, Alexander (ed. and tr.), Caithreim Cellachain Caisil: The Victorious Career of Cellachan of Cashel Christiania: J. Chr. Gundersens Bogtrykkeri. 1905.
• Curley, Walter J.P., Vanishing Kingdoms: The Irish Chiefs and their Families. Dublin: Lilliput Press. 2004.
• O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees. Dublin. 5th edition, 1892.

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