Kirwan (family)
The family Kirwan of Galway is one of those 14 families that the Tribes of Galway ( English Tribes of Galway are called) and for centuries the city and the surrounding countryside in County Galway dominated.
The Kirwans were possibly (see Martin ) the only family of Irish origin among the tribes of Galway. They trace their descent to the second son of Milesius , one of the mythical Gaels. They claim that they are descended from Maoldabhreac, son of Fiobhrann, son of Finghin from Heremon, second son of Milesius. He became the father of Ciorrovan or Kirrovan, from which all Irish kirwans are descended. They left behind many castles in the Galway area, including Cregg Castle in Corrandulla (built 1648), Castle Hackett near Corofin (acquired in the 15th century - now in ruins), Gardenfield Castle near Tuam . Kirwan's Lane, a medieval street in Galway , is named after the family.
They seem to be during the reign of Henry VI. (1422–1471) settled in Galway. The first recorded are William Kirwan and his children. Some believe they belonged to the Kirwicke family, previously listed among the town's residents. This assumption is likely because the spelling of the name now commonly spelled Kirwan has undergone various changes: O'Quirivan, Kyrvan, Kerovan, Kirevane. Six bearers of the name were mayors of Galway.
Well-known members of the family are Dean Kirwan and Richard Kirwan , (1733-1812) Esquire von Cregg.
The Blindwell, Castlehackett, Cregg, Gardenfield, Glan, Hillsbrook and Woodfield families in County Galway and the Dalgin in County Mayo are the most important descendants of the bearers of the name.
A roundabout in Galway is named after the family.
literature
- Seán Spellissy: The History of Galway: City & County . The Celtic Bookshop, Limerick 1999, ISBN 0-9534683-4-8 .
- Adrian Martyn: The Tribes of Galway: 1124-1642 , Galway, 2016. ISBN 978-0-9955025-0-5