A Guide to Irish Roots

Including Celts, Vikings, Normans, Kings, Queens and Commoners

The old saying, “Every Irishman has a king or queen for an ancestor,” may be true. At one time Ireland boasted 150 independent kingdoms! Our ancestors, in early times, memorized the names of each person between themselves and the local king. This practice developed into one of the oldest systems of delineating family relationships in Western Europe.

Folk memory played an important part in every aspect of Irish life. In the island’s far west talented story tellers still recount the exploits of saints, heroes and the genealogy of the common fold. From these masters of oral tradition, and from the great libraries of Europe, the authors have collected the origins of the family names found in this book.