Clare Island Survey — Place- Names and Family Names. 3 41 



Scop^t, "Scuffle," also "Schofield." I am ignorant of the origin of this 

 surname. One household. 



Cl&rm 11lic is %\m\\vb, surname 111 ^c <s' jjiiii^i-d, "Winter." The 

 English version is nearer the mark than usual. Mac an Gheimhridh (literary 

 form) means " son of the winter." I have not traced the surname. It probably 

 arises from a by-name, in which case it would represent a subdivision of some 

 other name. The full surname was perhaps Mac Mic an Gheimhridh, " son 

 (i.e. descendant) of the Wintry Lad (one noted for campaigning or sailing 

 during winter)," just as the full form of Mag Uidhir " Maguire" was 

 Mac Meig Uidhir, " son of the Sallow Lad." Three households. 



1116iu\iimj, surname O H16]AAin, " Moran." This surname seems to have 

 absorbed another and distinct name, O Mughroin, the ending -oin being often 

 displaced by the more familiar -ain. O Moghrain (Annals of Ulster, 1206) 

 is perhaps a transitional stage. Four households. 



b^An^ij, surname b|ioin, "Burns." Broin is the genitive of Bran, and 

 should be preceded by O or Mac, but, if my information is correct, stands alone 

 as the surname. There may have been a local family with Bran for eponym. 

 At any rate, I know of no link that could connect the noted Leinster family 

 of O Broin, " O'Byrne," with the Connacht seaboard. Live householders in 

 Clare Island. 



Illojiboquie&c, surname. In English, " Gordon." One household. The 

 key to this curious equation of names seems to be supplied by Mac Vurich in 

 the Book of Clanranald (Cameron, Reliquiae Gelticae, ii., p. 184), who calls the 

 leader of the Gordon contingent under Montrose " Morhhar [= mormhaor] 

 Gordon mac Marcos Huntli," i.e., Lord Gordon, son of the Marquess of Huntly. 

 Some descendant of this house may have come to Ireland as a Jacobite 

 refugee. Mr. John MacNeill, the musical-instrument maker, of Capel Street, 

 Dublin, told me that his family came to Ireland as refugees after Culloden. 



111^5 lleilt, surname, "MacGreal." This name, as given in Irish, is the 

 colloquial form of the surname Mac Neill in Connacht and Ulster dialect. 

 Before vowels and liquids, Mac becomes Mag in Irish, but not in Scottish Gaelic, 

 the g being attached to the following syllable. Thus Irish Mag Aodha 

 " Magee " contains the same elements as Scottish Mac Aoidh " Mac Kee, 

 Mac Kay." In northern Irish, gn becomes gr, so that MagNeill (Magneill) 

 is pronounced Ma greill in Antrim Irish as in Mayo Irish. Instances of this 

 surname in Connacht are found in the Annals of Ulster, under the years 1346, 

 1361, 1377. In two of these, Mac Neill, denoting the chief of the name, is 

 wrongly rendered " son of Mall " in the translation. It is evident from these 

 instances that Mac Neill was hereditary chief of galloglaclis or Hebridean 

 swordsmen. Like the Mac Cabas and other gal/oglach chiefs, the Mac Neills 



R.I.A. PROC, VOL. XXXI. F 3 



