263 



The name Mac Aodh signifies ' Son of Hugh,'* and is pro- 

 nounced in Scotland, as well as the south of Ireland, according 

 to the provincial sound of the syllable Aodh, Mackay ; but in 

 the middle of Ireland, Mackew ; and in Ulster, Magee. The 

 family which bore it was akin to the Mac Donnells, and was 

 commonly known as " Macgee of the Binns of Islay."f When 

 the Mac Donnells sought a permanent footing in Ireland, the 

 Magees followed their fortunes, and obtained a settlement on 

 the north-east coast of the county of Antrim. The tradition 

 of the family, as stated by John Magee, the owner of the pre- 

 sent document, is, that his ancestor, John Magee, who was 

 cousin to Somhairb Boy Mac Dormell, came to Ireland with 

 that chieftain to assist him in wresting the Route and Glynns 

 from the Mac Quillins, and that, having rendered important 

 services to him at the battle of Aura, he received, as a reward, 

 the four quarterlands of Ballyukin, and two adjacent to Aura, 

 in the parish of Culfeightrim, which continued in the posses- 

 sion of the family until the time of the present representative's 

 grandfather. 



It may be observed, also, that the peninsula on the coast 

 of Antrim, near Larne, which was formerly called Rinu 

 Shevny, having been occupied by the Magees in the early 

 part of the sixteenth century, exchanged its ancient name for 

 ' Mac Guyes-Isle,' or ' Island Magee,' the latter of which it 

 bears at the present day. 



The Mac Donnell who made the above grants was Donald, 

 Lord of the Isles, who died in 14274 His next brother, John 

 of Islay, was ancestor of the Earls of Antrim.§ 



however, that though the names Mac Gee and Mackay are of the same ori- 

 gin, the families so called were perfectly distinct. 



* Mak-Kye, 1. Filius Hugonis — Collectan. de Reb. Alban. p. 27. From 

 Hugh Mac Donnell of Sleate, his son, John, and grandson, Donald, derived 

 their patronymic of Hughson, a name now written Hewson. See Douglas, 

 Peerage of Scotland, p. 363, a. 



t Collectan de Reb. Alban. pp. 297, 310. 



% Douglas, Peerage of Scotland, p. 360. 



§ Ibid., p. 359. 

 VOL. V. n 



