Hello tribes. (From one of my old files)
I have being looking up some myths and legends about Irish origins so I am putting a summary in my email, for those of you who are interested in a crash course on the possible role of the Mahadys in Irish history.
There is evidence of Ireland being inhabited for thousands of years. For example, burial mounds at Newgrange predate the pyramids. A road made of oak planks has been discovered deep beneath bogs near Balllymahon -perhaps made by one of our own ancestors as far back as 20,000 years ago. Names of early colonists include Firbolgs Famorians, Tuata De Dannans and others.
The final colonists - the Celts - were led by Milesius. The Milesians had originated in the Middle East and made their way westwards through Spain and finally to Ireland. "They came from a land beyond the sea, and now o'er the western main set sail, in their good ships gallantly, from the sunny lands of Spain" (Thomas Moore, national poet)
The fleet was commanded by Milesius himself, aided by his sons Heber, Ir, Heremon and Amergin. The island was soon under their control. Their decendants ruled as kings and high kings. They were designated by a number followed with the clan name,their own name and some other distinguishing feature. For example, "56 H.Ollious Fionn" meant that the king was the 56th king (56) descended from Milesuis through his son Heber (H), that his name was Ollious, and that he had fair hair (Fionn in gaelic).
The high king Brian Boru ended this practice in 10000AD and decided that in future the kings would be known by their clan name predeced by their first name. Mahady may have been one of the few clan names that had survived from the initial Milesian invasion.
The Gaelic language probably evolved from a mixture of Greek,Latin and a number of mid-eastern languages. The Mahady clan seemed to have emigrated in large numbers during the 19th century. We could even have an Argentinian connection in association with the naval battle in the River Plate in 1806 with the British navy, which contained many Irish conscripts, who later deserted.Some joined the Spanish, others found work and lands on the Pampas.Some of these sent money to their relatives in Ireland and so set up an emigration trail. An advertisement in the "Westmeath Guardian" on April 19 1866 gives rates of passage as saloon cabin �35; second cabin �35 third class �16. In fact,there was an Argentinian ambassador to Ireland in the 1950's named Senor Lorenso McGovern (whose grandfather had originally come from Longford) who set up a small airfield at Ballymahon,where an air show is held annually.
Contributed by Matt Mahady