(O)Kennedy;
Variant Spellings; Kennington, Minnagh, Muinagh.
In Ireland there are two distinct Kennedys, in the north the sept is most likely to be Scottish in origin, while in the south the name is more likely to be of Irish origin. The sept is descended from Cinneidighe, a nephew of the great Brian Boru. It is logical then that they originated in the region of Co. Clare but were forced out by some of the local powerful families, notably the MacNamaras.
The name is derived from two Irish words ceann 'head' and eidigh 'armored'.
The sept dropped the O during the period of English occupation and has not resumed the prefix in any great numbers. A branch of the sept is found in Co. Leitrim where they use the name Minnagh. Muimhneach in Irish is Munsterman.
The Kennedys were faithful to the Catholic cause in the wars of James II and as a result the sept lost most of its lands. Like many Irish Catholics of that era they emigrated to the continent to become part of the 'Wild Geese'.
John Patrick Kennedy (1843-1906) was a noted Irish-American Catholic publisher. Hugh Kennedy (1879-1936) was the first Chief Justice of the Irish Free State.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the assassinated president of the US was descended from a branch of the family that had migrated to Co. Wexford.
Coat of Arms
(O)Kennedy
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.