The Origin of the Surname Dunphy:
 
Ó Donnchadha - (O) Dunphy - Co Kilkenny - of Iverk barony
Donahue is an Irish patronymic name Anglicized from the Gaelic O Donnchadha , 
which means "descendant of Donnchadh ," whose name was comprised of the elements 
donn = brown + cath = battle. Donohue is the most common spelling, while other 
variations include O'Donohue, O'Donoghue, O'Donohoe, O'Donochowe, O'Donaghie, 
O'Dunaghy, Donoghue, Donaghue, Donohoe, Donaghie, Donachie , among others.
 
BECAUSE of the anglicization of Irish names there are a number of different 
versions of this very numerous name, a name particularly common now in south 
west Cork and Tipperary. It is formed from a personal name, Donagh, 'brown 
warrior'. There are several distinct families as well as variations of the 
spelling. It was anglicized to Dunphy by the Ossory branch, who 3were of the 
same stock as the Fitzpatricks, who founded the Cistercian Abbey of Jerpoint 
in Kilkenny. This was built by the king of Ossory, Donagh MacGillaptrick, in 
1158, about the period when surnames were beginning to be formed from first 
names. In 1387 the abbott of Jerpoint was fined for a violation of the 
Statute of Kilkenny which prohibited the admission of Irishmen as members of 
the community. The abbey was suppressed in 1540 and its lands were given to 
the Butlers, the great family of Ormonde. It is one of the finest of the many 
monostatic ruins in Ireland. 
  
The O'Donoghues of Cashel, Tipperary, though related to the all-powerful 
MacCarthys, were frequently interritorial conflict with them which led to the 
eventual submergence of this O' Donoghue sept which had descended from Donagh, 
son of Ceallachan, king of Cashel. 
  
The O'Donoghues of Desmond were kinsmen of the O'Mahonys, descendants of the 
kings of Munster. They were among the many prominent families present at the 
battle of Clontarf in 1014.By the fourteenth century the O'Donoghues had been 
driven out of their territories by the MacCarthys and the O'Mahonys. They 
settled in Kerry where they became lords of all the country around Killarney. 
Here they separated into two distinct clans. Their chieftains were O'Donoghue 
Mor and O'Donoghue of the Glen. Ross Castle by the Lakes of Killarney, today a 
graceful ruin, was the headquarters of the O'Donoghue Mor family. 
 
In far-off times an O'Donoghue of the Glen was supposed to have gone over to the 
fairies. According to the legend, on may Day he used to glide over the Lakes of 
Killarney on a white horse accompanied by the sound of unearthly music and 
attended by troops of spirits scattering flowers. It would be nice to think that 
it was this unearthly manifestation which helped the O'Donoghues of the Glen to 
retain their considerable property until recently. That rare and special Irish 
title O'Donoghue of the Glen is still extant Their kinsmen, the O'Donoghues of 
Ross Castle, had thei rlands confiscated in the reign of Elizabeth. They became 
the property of the now extinct family of the Earls of Kenmare. 
  
After the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 the O'Donoghues began to be mentioned in 
European and South American history. An O'Donoghue exile in Spain became 
O'Donoju, while Juan O'Donoju (1751 - 1821) was the last Spanish ruler of 
Mexico. O'Donoghue features in the military lists of France, Spain, Austria. 
  
Those who survived at home were active in politics. Daniel, The O'Donoghue (1833 
- 1889), born in Kerry and educated at Stonyhurst, was M.P. for Tipperary. 
Afterwardshe became a prominent figure in national politics - Charles Gavan 
Duffy regarded him as an extreme nationalist. He was challenged to a duel by Sir 
Robert Peel who had called O'Donoghue a 'Mannikin traitor'. In 1870 he went 
bankrupt. Patrick O'Donoghue, another patriot O'Donoghue of that time, was tried 
at the Clonmel Assizes with O'Brien, Meagher and MacManus and was sentenced to 
death which was tempered to transportation for life to Van Dieman's Land. 
  
There were also O'Donoghues in the arts. Francis Joseph (1875 - 1911) was Dublin 
born. He studied painting in Paris and exhibited at the Royal 
Hibernian Academy in 1899. He was one of the early victims of the motor car - he 
was killed in an accident in Morehamptom Road, Dublin, in 1911.John O'Donoghue, 
a lawyer and a Kerry Journalist, became editor of The Freeman's Journal in 1871. 
He wrote The Historical Memoirs of the O'Briens. He died in 1893. David James 
O'Donoghue (1886 - 1917), born in London of Cork parentage, returned to Dublin 
to set himself up as a bookseller. He edited Poets of Ireland, a most useful 
reference book John O'Donoghue tried life from various angels; policeman, monk, 
labourer in England and, finally, writer. His many times refjected 
reminiscences, In a Quiet Land, brought him fame and was a Book Society choice. 
He was working on his fourth book in 1964 when he died.
 
The History of early County Kilkenny, Ireland:
 
Externally, the border of the medieval county of Kilkenny in the 13th and 14th 
centuries adhered closely to the borders of the diocese of Ossory, with the 
exception of the Leighlin Diocese parishes of Grangesilvia, Kilmacahill, 
Powerstown, Shankill, Ullard, and part of Wells , which were part of Catherlough 
[Carlow] at that time. The modern Kilkenny parish of Tibberaghney in the 
southwest was then part of what became the county of Tipperary. The most 
striking difference between medieval and modern Kilkenny County is the inclusion 
of the baronies of Clandonagh, Clarmallagh and Upper Woods which today reside in 
County Laois. In ancient times the area of County Kilkenny was known, among 
other names, as Osraighe and later Ossory. 
 
At the time of Anglo-Norman settlement in the thirteenth century, Kilkenny was 
divided for administrative purposes into twelve cantreds. These were rooted in 
pre-Norman (pre-1170) political divisions of the kingdom of Ossory, which were 
roughly based on Gaelic family territories or "tuaths". Ossory was an ancient 
territory said to be occupied by tribes known as the Brigantes, the Cauci and 
the Usdiae, and later the Osraighe. The Osraighe were claimed to be one of a 
group of Munster people known as the Erainn. They occupied an intermediate 
position between Mumu (Munster) and Laigin (Leinster) in the centuries between 
500 and 800, and were essentially a buffer between these two great southern 
provinces. The "Kings of Osraige" have a tradition which goes back to around the 
2nd century. The ancient Kingdom of Osraige, whose first king was Aengus 
Osrithe, flourished in the second century of the Christian era. In the fifth 
century the neighbouring tribe of the Deisi (from Waterford), aided by the Corca 
Laighde (from Cork), conquered South Ossory, and for over a century, the Corca 
Laighde chiefs ruled in place of the dispossessed Ossory chiefs. Early in the 
seventh century the ancient chiefs recovered much of their lost possessions, the 
foreigners were overcome, and the descendants of Aengus ruled once more. One of 
the greatest of these was Cerball macDúnlainge, prominent in the ninth century 
and distinguished in the Danish wars. About the eighth century the over-kingdom 
of Laigin (Leinster), with Osraige at its western border, was ruled by the Ui 
Dúnlainge. This sept ruled Osraige in the ninth century, followed in the 
eleventh century by a line of succession of the macGilla Pátraic sept. In the 
twelfth century Ossory was inhabited, among others, by the Gaelic septs of Mac 
Giolla Phadraig (Fitzpatrick), O Braonain (Brennan), O Caollaidhe (Kealy), O 
Faoileain (Phelan), Mac Braoin (Breen), O Maoldomhnaigh (Muldowney), and O 
Cearbhaill (Carroll). 
 
Portions of Ossory were known by various names during its history. The portion 
between the Nore and Barrow was sometimes excluded from the kingdom of Ossory, 
and was anciently styled Hy Creoghain Gabhran, The southern part of Ossory was 
sometimes referred to as Comor na tri uisge, "the high district of the three 
waters." The territory of the Ui Duach comprised much of the north and the 
north-eastern sections of Ossory. The countries of Ely O'Carroll and Hy Carthin 
comprised some of the north-western portion of Ossory. 
 
In ancient times the Kingdom of Ossory was divided under Brehon Laws into Magha, 
a term signifying "plains", of which seven are recorded in early documents, 
though not all of these are coterminous with the present county boundaries. The 
names of these, now doubtful of interpretation and no longer in popular usage, 
were Magh Airgead Rois, northwards from Kilkenny city; Magh Airbh, continuing 
further north-westwards to the Laois border; Magh Chearbaill, on a broad front 
from the Nore to the Barrow rivers, now comprising Gowran Barony (Belach 
Gabrán); Magh Ghabhar Laighean, northwards from the Johnswell Hills into Laois; 
Magh Lacha, west of Kilkenny city to Callan; Magh Feimhin, west of Callan to 
Slievenaman, and Magh Roighne, comprising most of Shillelogher Barony. 
 
At the time of the arrival of the Anglo-Normans (late 12th century) the "tuaths" 
of Ossory were held by various Irish septs, ruled by a dynasty which came to be 
known as Mac Giolla Phadraig (Fitzpatrick). 
 
The lands of the Ua Donnchadha (Dunphy/Donoghue) sept of Mag Máil were in the 
cantreds of Oskelan and Ogenty (in the modern barony of Gowran) They were 
granted to Theobald Fitzwalter (Butler) in the late twelfth century. 
 
At this same time the territory of Callan was home to the Ua Gloiairn (O'Gloiran 
or O'Gloerne) tribe according to O'Haerin's Topographical Poem compiled in 1420. 
Lewis' Topographical Dictionary of 1837 mentions that Callan was the ancient 
inheritance of the O'Glohernys and the O'Coillys or O'Callans. 
 
The cantred of Aghaboe were traditional lands of the Ui Duach. About 1150 A.D. 
the northern section of Aghaboe held the septs of the Ua Dubhslaine (O'Delany) 
of Coill Uachtarach and the Ua hUrachan (O'Hourihan) of Ui Fairchellain 
(Offerlane), while the southern section held the septs of the Ua Faelain 
(O'Phelan) and the Ua Bruaideodha (O'Broe or O'Brody?). 
 
The northern section of the cantred of Galmoy was held by the Ua Caellaighe 
(O'Kelly) in the middle of the 12th century. The central section of Galmoy was 
held by the Ua Broithe (O'Brophy) at this time. The Coveneys (Ua Caibhdheanaigh) 
of Mag Airb are noted in the southern section of Galmoy (modern barony of 
Crannagh) at the time of the Cambro-Norman invasion. 
 
The cantred of Odogh (now the barony of Fassadinin) was part of the territory of 
the Ui Duach tribe until the 10th century. The O Braonain (O'Brennan) clan were 
chiefs in this territory when surnames came into existence around the 10th/11th 
centuries. 
 
The cantred of Knocktopher was said be the center of the Mac Braoin (MacBreen) 
sept of Na Clanna. The O'Phelans are noted in the cantred of Erley at the time 
of the Normans. 
 
The ancient sept of the Ui Dheaghaidh (O'Dea) would appear to have given its 
name to the modern barony of Ida (then part of the cantred of Iverk). The O 
Caollaide (O'Queally / Kealy / Kelly) were in Ida prior to the Norman arrival. 
The O'Kealys of Ui Bercháin occupied an area in the old barony of Ibercon, now 
in the northern portion of the barony of Ida. 
 
An Ua Cearbhaill (O'Carrowill, O'Carroll) sept held territory in the cantreds of 
Kilkenny and Oskelan (northern Gowran). The O'Kellys of Magh Mail (in the 
cantred of Ogenty) occupied an area west of the Barrow, an area now in the 
barony of Gowran. 
 
The Ua Bruadair (O'Broder) sept of Ui nEirc were established in Iverk at the 
time of the Norman arrival. The name of Iverk comes from the ancient sept of 
Uibh Eirc, i.e. the descendants of Erc. 
 
The Siol Ui Luachra, i.e. the descendants of Luachair, would seem to have given 
name to Shillelogher cantred (later a barony). The O'Sheas and O'Clerys were 
noted around Shillelogher in the 12th century. 
 
Following the death of Dermot MacMurrough, the Irish King of Leinster, the 
Anglo-Norman leader Strongbow (Richard de Clare) became the Lord of Leinster 
(which now included Ossory) . Strongbow initiated grants of land to some of his 
followers, including Miles Fitz David (the cantred of Iverk), Adam de Hereford 
(half the cantred of Aghaboe), and Griffin fitz William (cantred of 
Knocktopher). In 1192 William Marshall succeeded Strongbow as Lord of Leinster 
and continued the process of land grants within the province. Most of central 
Ossory was shared among William's knights. Thomas FitzAnthony was given the 
cantred of Kells; John de Erlee in succession to Baldwin de Hamptonsford, the 
cantred of Erley; and William Marshall retained the cantreds of Callan and 
Kilkenny for his own. The other cantreds were divided among a number of lesser 
knights as well as to the bishop of Ossory. The cantred of Shillelogher was 
divided among the families of Grace (le Gros), St Leger, de Valle, fitz Gerald, 
and Avenal. Galmoy was split among the bishop of Ossory, and the families of 
Bigod, Drohull, Fanyn, Syward, Archdeacon, and Smith. The cantred of Odogh went 
to de Rochford, fitz Warin (later Freyne), Devereux, St Leger, and to the bishop 
of Ossory. The structure of the social system in Ossory was changed through the 
infuence of this Anglo-Norman oligarchy by the formation of the 'liberty' of 
Kilkenny, later to become the 'county' of Kilkenny, as well as through the rapid 
establishment of manors, towns and churches. The eventual impacts to native 
Gaelic septs in Ossory included the decrease in land ownership as well as 
political power.