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| McDonnells are to
be found widely distributed at the present day all over Ireland and,
without including the cognate surname McDonald in the count, the
McDonnells in Ireland number nearly ten thousand persons. These have
three distinct origins. The most numerous are descendants of a Scottish
clan from Argyle whose chief was known as Lord of the Isles. They came
to Ireland in the thirteenth century as a military body and having
established themselves as gallowglasses to the most powerful chiefs in
the north of Ireland, they gradually acquired territory of their own
both as grants for military service and by marriage, and by the middle
of the fifteenth century were firmly established in the Glens of Antrim,
having largely displaced the MacQuillans. Randal MacSorley MacDonnell,
the head of this family, was created Earl of Antrim in 1620. The
christian name Randal is of frequent occurrence on their pedigree.
Curtis says that the Burkes brought the McDonnells to Mayo in 1399; by
1500 there were six McDonnell septs in Leinster. Some MacDonnells of
Ulster are, however, a distinct Gaelic Irish sept, belonging to Co.
Fermanagh, but these would appear to be almost extinct now. Another
quite distinct sept of MacDonnells are those of Thomond, who were,
before the Gaelic way of life was disrupted by English invasion, bards
to the O'Briens. MacDonnells are still found there in Co. Clare. These
descend from Domhall (anglice Donal). In the seventeenth century the
anglicized form MacDaniell was more usual than MacDonnell. Mr. O
Raifeartaigh reminds me that the Antrim surname MacDonnell is a pitfall
for the unwary. Up to our own time the local Irish pronunciation of the
name was in accordance with the spelling 'Ac Dhomhniall, with the
aspirated D silent, and so was sometimes anglicized McConnell and even
O'Connell. Hence a MacConnell, from, say, Ballymena, is quite likely to
be a descendant of the lords of the Isles rather than of a less famous
sept. There have been many distinguished bearers of the name. In was the
most famous were Sorley Boy MacDonnell (1505-1590), a lifelong foe of
the English and often successful in his engagement with them, Alastar
"Colkitto" MacDonnell, intrepid foe of the Cromwellians killed
in action in 1647, and Francis MacDonnell (1656-1702), of the Wild Geese
in Austria; in politics Eneas MacDonnell (1783-1858), of the Catholic
Association and Sir Anthony (later Lord) MacDonnell (1844-1915), the
devolutionist; in literature Enas (q.v. supra), Sean Clarach MacDonnell
(1691-1754), who was acknowledged by his contemporaries as the supreme
poet of Munster, and John de Courcy MacDonnell (1859-1915), notable in
Celtic Studies. Alexander MacDonnell (1798-1835), was world chess
champion in 1833.
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