Ireland is known to have been inhabited during the Neolithic Period (4000-2000 BC). The Celts arrived in 700BC from Central Europe bringing iron weapons. The Celts main stronghold in Ireland was at Emain Macha near Armagh. The Celts were strongest in Armagh and Down and later this area also became the main focus of St Patrick's effort to convert the Celts

Briefly it was Conall Gulban an O'Donnell from Donegal who took a young lad hostage in England and sold him into slavery. This lad escaped and later returned to Ireland to convert the then pagan Ireland to Christianity. Conall ,whose father Niall of the Nine Hostages, was only following the custom of those times.

The origin of the Warnock Surname is to be found in the name of on an Irish saint - St Mhearnog. Mhearnog was born into an illustrious Irish family about 550 AD. The genealogy of Mhearnog is as follows: Feidlimid born Scotia near the end of the fifth century into Ulster royal clan and married Eithne of Lienster royal clan. Their three children were Columba, Iogen and Cuimne. Columba (521-597) we know as St. Columba or St Columncille of Iona fame. Columba was trained as a priest. He founded monasteries at Derry 546 and Durrow 556 amongst others. A legend has it that a Synod in 561 he was condemned for his part in a dispute over the possession of a copy of a Gospel which resulted in many deaths at the battle of Cooldrevne. From 563 Columba lived in exile on Iona founding a monastic community with twelve monks. He was the first Abbot of Iona and he died and is buried on Iona.

Columba's sister Cuimne born about 520 AD married Decuil and they had four children: Mhearnog born about 550 AD, Cascene, Meldal and Bran.

Mhearnog is listed amongst the Saints of Ireland and his Feast Day is 23 December. It is worth remembering that during the fifth and sixth centuries the entire Christian Church was Catholic and it is much later that religious fragmentation took place.

The Warnock Surname is derived as follows: Mac Mhearnog = son of Mhearnog Mac Giolla Mhearnog = son of the servants or followers of Mhearnog >From the above source we get variants as follows: M'Gillavearnoge and M'Varnocke, MacWarnock, Warnock , Warnick and Warnack. Even more complicating is that some Warnocks changed their name to Grahame.

Mhearnog also spelt Mhearnoc apparently pronouced WHAR-NOCK means the man who lived on the hill.

In view of the fact that our surname has its derivation in an Irish saint it seems logical that Ireland is the home country of our forebears. Certainly Warnock is a surname of long standing in Scotland arising as a surname around 1200 AD . In 1430 Warnocks were thought to have moved to Ireland as gallowglasses or paid retainers to the O'Neills who used them as soldiers to ward off invaders either from within Ireland or from foreign soil. The O"Neills held tracts of land in both Antrim and Down (near Bangor). These Warnocks held land around Bangor and some have been mentioned in Irish poetry for their feats in battle namely Caoman Mac Mearnog, Comgall Mearnog and Feargal Mac Mearnog. It seems that with the "Flight of the Earls" when the O'Neills were defeated in 1607 that Warnocks also were part of this movement which is also known as "The Wild Geese". Many of the "Wild Geese" served in the armies of France, Spain, Germany and Poland. During the 18th century Irish Brigades were a feature of European armies. The Irish Ancestry Guild indicates that the following Warnocks served: 1661 Don Sebastian Warnock in the Spanish Netherlands 1703 Major Seamus Warnock in the French army 1740 Colonel Charles Warnock in the army of the Emperor of Austria 1861-1865 Captain Michael Warnock and Colonel Thomas Warnock of the 88th N Y Volunteers in General Thomas Francis Meagher's Irish Brigade in USA

During the Ulster Plantation still other Warnocks came from Ireland so it seems that we will have to sift through yet another layer of Warnocks in Ireland.

In 1649 Oliver Cromwell also was responsible for the execution of Matthew Warnock, Arthur Warnock, Sean Warnock and Brendon Warnock. The religion of these four is not known. They could have been either Catholic or Presbyterian as both religions suffered persecution under Cromwell.

Please note: The above amalgam is mine together with errors. It is written for two main reasons 1. So that when we contact a Warnock relative we can email or snail mail a short statement that gives them some idea of our history.