Kavanagh;
Variant Spellings; Cavan, Cananagh, Cavenagh, Couvane, Kavenagh, Keevan, Keevane, Kevane, Keveney, Kivnahan.
The surname Kavanagh has never had the usual Gaelic prefixes and in Irish is Caomhanach, an adjective of Caomh 'gentle'.
The territory of the Kavanaghs was in Co. Wexford and that is where the sept is found today.
The first Kavanagh was Donal son of Dermot MacMurragh, King of Leinster who was instrumental in the Norman invasion.
Cahir Mac Art Kavanagh (1500-1554) took part in the Geraldine rebellion, while Art Kavanagh was Hugh O’Neill’s companion in their escape from Dublin Castle. During the days of the 'Wild Geese' the Kavanaghs were prominent in The Irish Brigade of France.
Morgan Peter Kavanagh (1800-1874) and his daughter Julia (1824-1877) were noted authors, while Arthur MacMurrough Kavanagh (1831-1889) MP, a man who had stumps for limbs carried on a normal life. Rev. Francis Kavanagh was one of the 1798 leaders.
The surnames O’Keevan or Kevane, O Caomhain in Irish, and Gaffney, O Caibhdeanigh in Irish sometimes present as Kavanagh.
Coat of Arms
Kavanagh
Where the Family lived (Blue Area)
Addresses for More Information
Ireland
Centre for Irish Genealogical and Local Studies, Carraig, Cliff Road, Windgates, Bray, Co. Wicklow, Ireland. (Sean Murphy, MA, Director)
General Register Office, 8-11 Lombard Street East, Dublin 2, Ireland.
Telephone (01) 671 1000
Website http://www.doh.ie/manual/chap4/gere.htm
National Archives, Bishop Street, Dublin 8, Ireland.
Telephone (01) 478 3711
National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2, Ireland.
Telephone (01) 603 0200
Website www.heanet.ie/natlib
Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, 66 Balmoral Street, Belfast BT9 6NYY, Northern Ireland
Telephone (01232) 251319.
Website http://proni.nics.gov.uk/index.htm
University College Dublin, Adult Education Office, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
Website http://www.ucd.ie/delltti
Britain
Family Records Centre, London, England.
Website http://pro.gov.uk/about/frc/default.htm
Public Records Office, Kew, Surrey, England.
Website http://www.pro.gov.uk
General Register Office for Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland.
Website http://www.open.gov.uk/index.html
National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth, Wales.
Website http://www.llgc.org.uk/index.htm
North America
Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints, Family History Information, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
Website http://lds.org/en/ 2 how do I begin/0- how do I begin.html
Family Tree Maker’s Genealogy Site
Website http://www.familytreemaker.com/index.html
The Irish Ancestral Research Association (TIARA), P.O. Box 619 Sudbury, MA 01776, USA.
Website http://tiari.ie
Irish Genealogical Society International, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA.
Website http://www.rootsweb.com irish/index.html
New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston Massachusetts, USA.
Website http://nehgs.org/main-01.htm
Australasia
Genealogical Society of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
Website http://www.alphalink.com/au/esv
National Archives of Australia, Canberra, Australia.
Website http://www.aa.gov.au/AA_WWW/AA_Home_Page.html
National Archives of New Zealand, Wellington, New Zealand
Website http://www.archives.dia.gov.nz
List of Links
Cyndi’s List of Genealogical Sites on the Internet: Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Website http://www.cyndilist.com/ireland.htm
UK and Ireland Genealogical Information Service.
Website http://www.genuki.org.uk
Copyright 1998 by A. MacDarragh Burke, MD
All Rights Reserved.