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A Brief History of the Keating's in Ireland!

KEATING



Though it is still found indigenous in England, where it derives from
the Old English Cyting, from cyt, meaning 'kite', in Ireland it is a
name which may be regarded as completely hibernicised and the
gaelicised form, Céitinn, was adopted at a very early stage. The
Keatings of Norman origin themselves first came to Ireland with the
Anglo-Norman invaders at the end of the twelfth century, when
they settled in Co. Wexford. With that county they have been most
prominently associated; but branches of the family soon established
themselves in Leix and other parts of South Leinster. Writing of
Queen's County in 1613 the Lord Deputy describes the Keatings as
a "great sept of people" there. They are noted as serving as barons
of Kilmananan. In 1579 Sir Nicholas Malby, in his description of
Ireland and its septs, calls them ill-disposed rebels (of Co. Carlow).


From the year 1302 onwards Keatings held many positions of
importance as sheriffs, members of parliament etc. The best known
of these was John Keating (1635 - 1695), who was Lord Chief
Justice and a notable figure in the parliament of 1689.


At that time also several served in King James's Irish army. The
name appears among the attainders following the defeat of James
II, one family so dispossessed being as far north in Leinster as Co.
Meath. They do not seem to have been so closely identified with the
national cause in the previous generation, as none was attainted in
1642.


However, the most famous and most patriotic of all Keatings lived
then, Seathrun Céitinn or Dr. Geoffrey Keating (1570-1644),
hunted priest, gifted preacher, and author of Foras Feasa, History
of Ireland and other important works in the Irish language. Of his
line were some Keatings of Tubrid, Co. Tipperary, in the nineteenth
century.


During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the name was not
prominent in Ireland, though General Thomas Keating (1748-1796)
was a notable figure in revolutionary France; but in our own day
Sean Keating was an outstanding artist and President of the Royal
Hibemian Academy. In even more modern times, Justin Keating was
a popular and well known host of Irish Television programs
focussing on agriculture, who later entered politics and was
minister for agriculture in the Fine Gael - Labour government of the
1970’s and a most popular figure up to his untimely death.


By the time of the 1890 birth index, 130 births were recorded in
Cork, Kerry, Tipperary and Dublin. In the census of 1659 the
spelling of 'Keatinge' is found as a principal name of Tipperary.
'Keating' is found as a principal name of Waterford, and in Kildare
and Kilkenny among other locations.


The name O Ceatfhadha, usually anglicized Keaty, belonging to a
minor Dalcassian sept located near the city of Limerick, has in some
cases assumed the form Keating. MacKeatings are found in Ulster,
though their origin is unknown.


Heraldry

Arms: Argent a saltire Gules between four nettle leaves Vert. Crest:
A boar statant Gules armed and hoofed Or holding in the mouth a
nettle leaf Vert. Motto: fidelissmus semper ("always faithful". This
motto was not part of the original coat of arms but later adopted by
prominent members of the family)


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