Some useful references are listed below for those interested in learning more about
the origins of the Ua h-Anluain sept and its 1,000 year history. Links are also
included for some major events in Irish history which affected the Clann.
Please note that a full account of Clann O'Hanlon's history is presented on the
O'Hanlon History page (contents listed below for
information).
This page is purely a list of links to references for further reading.
County
Louth Archaeological and Historical Journal- external link Table of contents of the journal which lists an article entitled "O’Hanlon
tomb and arms in Newtown lordship" by Seumas Ua Cuinn (J. Quinn), found in
volume II part 1 (1908), pages 57-61. Note: I have a copy of this article if anybody would like more
details.
Family Mottoes- external link A personal webpage listing various family mottoes taken from "The General
Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales" by Sir John Bernard Burke,
and from Irish
Family Mottoes by Tomás ó Baoill.
www.irishsurnames.com- external link A commercial site with excellent quality graphics. Images are copyright, but
licence is granted to use one image on a homepage for personal, non-commercial use.
The O'Hanlon coat of arms used throughout the Hanlon Homepage comes from this site,
with thanks.
http://www.araltas.com/heraldry/- external link A commercial site with some very nice coats of arms. Images are copyright Eddie
Geoghegan, with permission to use up to ten images for non-commercial purposes.
The O'Hanlon coat of arms with an ermine boar comes from this site, with thanks.
Dundalk Coat of
Arms- external link A fourteenth century coat of arms for the city of Dundalk, incorporating the
O'Hanlon boar. Part of Ralph Hartemink's International Civic Arms website. With thanks to Ralph for
his permission to reproduce the coat of arms on this site.
Ancient History
The Three Collas, Oriel and Orior
Clann Ua hÁnluain is descended of Colla da Crioch, one of three brothers who were
known as The Three Collas. These brothers conquered a large part of Ulster which
became known as Airghialla in Gaelic (Oriel in English). The O'Hanlons were lords
of an Eastern territory within Oriel, a land known as Oirthear in Gaelic (Orior in
English).
The
Lords of Oriel- external link A brief discussion of the geography and tribes of Airgialla (Oriel). Mentions
the O'Hanlons but focuses on the northhwestern part of Oriel (now County Monaghan) and
the family names of MacMahon and Early who remained there. The Hanlons retained Orior,
in the east of Oriel.
Old Irish Kingdoms and Clans: Oriel- external link Very brief history and geography of the origins of Oriel (Airgialla). Mentions
O'Hanlons but deals mainly with MacMahons in Monaghan.
Ancient Texts
The Milesian Genealogies and Ancient Irish
Texts
O'Hanlons in Ancient Irish Texts This page has a chronological list citing all the references to Clann
Ua'h-Anluain in the ancient Irish texts: The Annals of The Four Masters, Annals
of Ulster, Annals of Connaught, Annals of Tigernach and MacCarthaigh's Book.
The
Milesian Genealogies- external link Though written in the years 1632-1636 the Milesian Genealogies are in fact
far older. Some historians believe these Irish pedigrees are fairly accurate back
to the 6th or possibly the 5th century A.D.. They were compiled in the convent of
Donegal by a Franciscan monk, Michael O'Clery, after sixteen years of searching
throughout Ireland for old manuscripts (1616-32). Amongst the old documents were
the ancient verbal genealogies which Ireland's first monks committed to paper when
Christianity came to Ireland in the 5th century. St Patrick was in fact one of the
nine personages appointed by the triennial parliament of Tara in the fifth century
to review, examine, and purge errors from all the old chronicles, genealogies, and
records of the Kingdom. (He arrived in Ireland in 432 AD.)
Note: Allowances must be made for Mr. O'Clery's religious persuasion
when dealing with his records of anything earlier than the fifth century AD. In
a noble effort to complete this opus magnus he composed a remarkable theory of
descendancy in which every Irish clann was traced ALL the way back - to Adam and Eve!
Maps
Ireland's
History in Maps- external link Excellent collection of maps reconstructed from written records representing the
territory names and predominant family names at various periods in time. (With
thanks to Dennis Walsh for providing this outstanding resource and for permission to
reproduce maps on this site.)
1300
A.D.: shows O'Hanlon as a medieval Irish surname.
1300
A.D.: shows O'Hanlon's Country as a territory.
1400
A.D.: O'Hanlon not shown (included with O'Neill of the Fews).
1500
A.D.: shows Orior and the Fews separately in Armagh; Oriel in Monaghan.
1600
A.D.: shows O'Hanlon name after the Plantation of Ulster in southern
Armagh, southern Monaghan, northern Louth.
Hanlon Surname in Griffith's Valuation 1848-1864- external link A very nice collection of maps of Ireland made by Dennis Garvey based on the data
from Griffith's Valuation of Ireland 1848-1864. The main map shows the distribution
of the Hanlon surname by county, highlighting counties with large numbers of Hanlons.
Further maps are included at Parish level for the four main counties with many Hanlons:
Families
in Ireland from the 11th to the End of the 16th Century- external link A list of family names quoted from "A Topographical and Historical Map of
Ancient Ireland" by Philip MacDermott, M.D. Amongst the principal families in
Ireland in this period it cites Lord O'Hanlon of County Armagh.
The Rise of the Gabhal Raghnaill - external link An account of the Chieftains of Armagh in battle against Henry VII and Henry
VIII in the 15th & 16th Century which mentions the O'Hanlons. Written by Emmett
O'Byrne.
The Book of Rights A useful text about Elizabethan Ireland. Used to be on the web at
http://members.nbci.com/pattraynor/index.htm, but is no longer there.
In summary: The native chiefs held their independence down to 1586 A.D. in the
reign of Elizabeth I, when Armagh was formed into a county by the Lord Deputy,
Sir John Perrott. At that time all the eastern part of the Kingdom of Orgiall,
called "Oirthear," was occupied by septs of the race of Niallan: including the
baronies of East and West Orior [part of Armagh]. The sept of O'h-Anluain (i.e.
the O'Hanlons), who possessed the two latter baronies, were descended from the
aforesaid Niallan, a descendant of Colla-da-Chrioch.
Sir
John Perrot (1527 - 92)- external link A biographical essay mentioning Sir John's taking hostages at Newry in August
1584. As a pledge of loyalty from the Irish chieftains he took the sons of Tuelough
Luineach O'Neill, Magennis, MacMahon and O'Hanlon.
Clans and families of Ireland and Scotland- external link Sir Oghie O'Hanlon's surrender in 1587 to the British Crown and the regrant of
his lands by letters of patent. According to this account "owing to his loyalty to
the English", most of Clann O'Hanlon's lands were retained by the clann up to the
Cromwellian clearances of the mid 1600's.
End of Gaelic Lords
Nine Years War, Flight of the Earls, Plantation of
Ulster
While Sir Eocha O'Hanlon tried to retain his title and lands, fighting alongside
the English, his son Oghy Og fought with the Gaelic Lords against the English. The
nine years war was brought to a close by the Battle of Kinsale starting in the Autumn
of 1601 and ending with a disastrous attack on Christmas Eve 1601, though the final
peace treaty was only signed in March 1603. Fearing for their lives, many of the
Gaelic chieftains fled abroad with their families in 1607. The result of the defeat
at Kinsale and the flight of the Earls was the confiscation of lands from the gaelic
Lords of Ulster, and their redistribution to English and Scottish planters in the
Plantation of Ulster of 1609.
Battle of Kinsale- external link Good coverage of the battle; no mention of the O'Hanlons.
Battle of Kinsale- external link Another account of the Battle of Kinsale from www.irishclans.com.
The First Census of the Fews - 1602- external link A census of the Fews in County Armagh detailing the clansmen of Turlagh O'Neill
who were pardoned for their part in the nine years war. Includes 5 O'Hanlons.
Kinsale: The
Consequences- external link Brief account of the end of the nine years war and the flight of the
earls.
The Flight of The Earls- external link Detailed account of the battle of Kinsale and the end of the nine years war
with the flight of the earls.
Flight of The Earls- external link No mention of the O'Hanlons, but a good account of the 1607 Flight of the
Earls and events leading up to it, e.g. Queen Elizabeth's Act of Supremacy.
The
Flight of The Earls- external link Good account of Hugh O'Neill's uneasy cooperation with the British and his part
in the nine years war and the flight of the earls.
Irish Troubles - The Plantations- external
link Part of "Desmond's Concise History of Ireland" by Jerry Desmond, this
gives a numerate discussion of the three main plantations - Ulster in 1609, Cromwellian
in 1652 and Williamite in 1693 - as well as the Great Hunger of 1845-8. The author
confirms the O'Hanlons participation in the battle of Kinsale saying "the Ulster
confiscations were directed almost exclusively at the Gaelic lords and their
supporters who had been defeated at Kinsale: O'Neill, O'Donnell, O'Reilly, O'Hanlon,
O'Doherty and others."
The Plantation of Ulster- external link Gives a little background to the Ulster Plantation of 1609, and much detail
of the subsequent rebellion of 23rd October 1641, ending with Cromwell's arrival
in Ireland on August 13th 1649. Asserts that The O'Hanlon fought against England
in the nine years war, and had his lands confiscated in the rebellion.
After The Plantation
Poyntzpass Local History- external link A spirited account of how this part of Armagh came to be taken from the O'Hanlons
and given to the Poyntz family in 1608. The next generation was also in conflict
with the O'Hanlons: Sir Toby Poyntz, son of Sir Charles Poytnz who was originally
granted the land, was amongst those involved in the hunt for the rapparee Redmond
O'Hanlon.
Tayto Castle-
external link History of O'Hanlon castle written by its present owners, Tayto (NI) Ltd.