Dowd
Dowd (variants O'Dowd , O'Dowda ; all from Irish Ó Dubhda ) is a family name that was once used in Ireland , but has now become rare. The formerly wealthy clan now owns a small farm near Dublin that has been inherited for generations.
Early history
The family name goes back to Niall Noigíallach , a high king of Ireland (died around 450–455). According to legend, he kidnapped St. Patrick to Ireland as a child. His brother Fiachra was a retainer of Daithi, the last pagan king of Ireland, who was struck by lightning in 455 while leading an army at the foot of the Alps. His grandson Aillil became King of Connacht and later King of Tara (until 482). His family led the northern Uí-Fiachrach tribes for centuries. Aedh Ua Dubhda became king in the 10th century. He got his nickname, which later became one of the oldest family names in Europe, because of his dark complexion (Irish dubh , "black"), which was very rare in Ireland at the time. He died in 982. His grandson Mulrony inherited the title of Lord of the Uí Fiachrach . He died in 1005. The O'Dowds became a powerful force both on land and sea, resisting the ambitions of the Burkes and Birmingham.
When Anglo -Norman invaders came to Ireland at the beginning of the 14th century , they were repelled in 1354 under the leadership of Sean-Bhrian Ó Dubhda. The O'Dowds wrote a manuscript called the Great Book of Lecan which is kept in Dublin. In 1599 the O'Dowds Land in Ulster was awarded by the Earl of Essex . Numerous battles hit the O'Dowds hard and the clan dispersed, but the O'Dowds still gather in Mayo every three years .
People named Dowd
- Ann Dowd (born 1956), American actress
- Bernard Patrick O'Dowd (1866–1953), Australian poet
- Cathy O'Dowd , a mountaineer from South Africa, was the first woman to climb Mount Everest on both the south and north routes
- Charles F. Dowd (1825–1904), teacher, later director, proposed the introduction of time zones ( s )
- Chris O'Dowd (born 1979), Irish actor
- Clement Dowd (1832–1898), American politician
- Doug Dowd (1919-2017), political economist ( s )
- George O'Dowd (* 1961), better known as Boy George , singer and DJ
- Harry Dowd (1938-2015), English football goalkeeper
- Jim Dowd (politician) , Labor Party MP for Lewisham West
- Jim Dowd (* 1968), American ice hockey player
- Jeff Dowd , American film producer
- Johnny Dowd , American country musician
- John H. Dowd (1922-2004), American marketer
- John M. Dowd (* 1941), American attorney ( s )
- John Dowd (Motocross) (born 1965), former motocross rider
- Larry Dowd (1940-2006), American rockabilly musician
- Lindsay Dowd (* 1991), American volleyball player
- Maureen Dowd , journalist
- Michael Dowd , peace activist
- Mike O'Dowd (1895–1957), American boxer, world middleweight champion
- Nancy Dowd (* 1945), American screenwriter
- Nic Dowd (* 1990), American ice hockey player
- Phil Dowd , football referee
- Robert Dowd (* 1988), British ice hockey player
- Ross Dowd (1907-1965), American production designer
- Siobhan Dowd (1960–2007), Irish-British writer
- Thomas Dowd (* 1970), Canadian priest, auxiliary bishop in Montréal
- Timothy Dowd († 2014), American police investigator
- Tom Dowd (1925–2002), American music producer
- Tom Dowd (born 1964), American science fiction writer
Bearers of the name Dowd, O'Dowd, O'Dowda, Duddy, O'Duddy, Ó Dubhda and related family names can be found in Canada , the United States , Ireland, Northern Ireland , Scotland , England , Australia , New Zealand , South Africa and Greece .
See also
Web links
- Official website (English)
- Unofficial website (English)