Fox History Fox Genealogy and links Fox Lines The Fox Septs Pictures from September 2000 Fox News Fox News
February 22, 2005
Dates are set for the next Fox Clan Gathering, Sept 23, 24 and 25 in Tullamore, County Offaly, Ireland, For more info click on Fox Events above.
(Click HERE for earlier updates)
January 2, 2001
Belated News in the New Year - 2001
Report on the Fox Clan Gathering from September 2000. Apologies are in order for those visitors to our site who have not yet seen any reporting from the September gathering. The delay was unavoidable, but finally we are ready to report on the event.
The gathering took place Friday Saturday, and Sunday, September 7-9, mainly at the excellent facilities of the Offaly Historical and Archaeological Society. It was a small gathering, with about 38 people attending all together, and this included local Foxes as well as Foxes from other parts of Ireland, Australia, the USA, New Zealand, and England. Despite announcements in a local newspaper as well as radio time, the local turnout was much lower than we expected. There was a lot of speculation regarding the reasons behind this, but as it turned out, the smaller turnout was not a disadvantage since it allowed people to get to know each other better and gave us some opportunities which would not have been offered to a larger group.Friday afternoon was registration and an introduction to the clan organization, as well as a short presentation on some sites we were to visit over the next few days. After a light dinner catered dinner at OHAS by the Courtyard Restaurant, we set out in a small convoy to visit some Fox sites while it was still light. The first site we visited was in a farming area called Clochatanny, a badly anglicized phonetic attempt at the Irish words Clogh an tSionnaighe - Rock of The Fox ("The Fox" refers to the Fox chief). The rock itself is found in a field belonging to a local farmer, and it is known to be the rock upon which Fox chiefs were inaugurated into their chief position over the centuries. It it estimated it has been in use for that purpose from approximately 1100. We were joined by the elderly Joe Keenan from a nearby farm, whose mother was a Fox, as well as another local farmer, Fred Geoghegan. Fred's ancestors, the Mageoghegans, and the Foxes, lived in neighboring territories over the centuries, and when they weren't battling each other, they were marrying or signing agreements - so it seemed fitting for a Mageoghegan descendant to once again hook up with the Foxes. From there we moved to an adjacent field to the site of a cairn (burial mound) which is mentioned in some of the very old sources as a Fox burial site. With darkness coming on quickly, we drove to a tower-house ruin which had been inhabited by Foxes for several generations, and was last occupied by Hubert Fox, who was Fox Chief, in the mid 1600s. (to see pictures from an earlier visit click here)
Saturday morning at OHAS two talks were given, the first by Fox Clan Convenor Mary-Jane Fox giving a historical summary of the Sionnach Fox line. This was followed by a presentation by Seamus Fox from Mitchelstown, who explained the important differences betweent the Sionnach Fox line and the De Bosc Fox, the latter of which is Seamus's heritage. The catered lunch was followed by an offer from OHAS Secretary Michael Bryne to take us behind the scenes through their excellent library collection. For a short while, these generally closed sources were made available to the Foxes who wanted to pursue some research. Afterwards time was spent going through each other's genealogical lines or family trees to see if any connections could be found among the people present. Although there were some leads, no direct connections were made. Saturday evening we gathered at the Tullamore Court Hotel for some very fine food followed by Dearbhail Finnegan playing the Irish harp. County Councillor Michael Fox was also present as our guest, and he had a short talk where he expressed his interest in and appreciation for the gathering, and offered to be of assistance for future gatherings.
The final day, Sunday, we met at OHAS and then convoyed back to the tower-house ruin we visited on Friday night. Since it was almost dark when we arrived there Friday evening, it was arranged for us to return there Sunday, when it turned out that the weather was perfect. No one, it seemed, could get enough of that particular site, Finally we reassembled and drove to the grounds of Durrow, a site with which the Foxes and their ancestors have long had association. Meeting us there to tell us a little more about the cemetary and the site in general were Brother Keenahan and Helen Bracken from OHAS, both of whom have a particular interest in Durrow. Of particular interest, besides the High Cross, were two grave slabs from approximately 950AD with the names of two Fox ancestors on them. Afterwards we returned to OHAS for our final meal together, where postal and email addresses were exchanged, some new Foxes appeared, and various good-bys filled the room.
All in all, for our first gathering it went quite well. The next gathering is under discussion, but not yet planned, and will not take place before 2002. Hopefully this will allow enough time to encourage more local Foxes to take part, and time will be spent in the coming year to that end. The Tullamore Tribune did write an additional follow-up story, and another longer article is presently being worked on. Any Foxes who have any thoughts on the future gathering - such as opinions on time of year, length of time, costs, etc, are most welcome to email us at this site and let us know what you think.
April 22 2000
Fox Gathering 2000 - September 8, 9 and 10
in Tullamore, County Offaly, Ireland.
There has been a healthy response from Foxes and Fox descendants who areinterested in attending the September gathering, with people coming fromthe US, Canada, New Zealand and Australia as well as Ireland itself. FoxClan Convenor MJ Fox will be traveling to Ireland in ealry May to finalizeplans for the September gathering. The final schedule will be entered ontothe website by mid-May. However, any questions or comments in the meantimeare most encouraged, and should be sent to Fox Clan email address
Fox Clan now also has a box number in Cork for Foxes residing in Ireland.The box number has been arranged most specifically in regard to theupcoming clan gathering in September of this year. For those of you with Fox relatives with little to no access to internet, they can write to thefollowing address for information in regard to the gathering:
Fox Clan
Box 241
Cork City, Ireland
December 15 1999
Clan Gathering 2000 Arrangements are now underway for a clan gathering in September 2000.
The specific dates are September 8, 9, and 10, (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday), and September has been selected since international airfare prices change just before that date, and we would like Foxes from around the globe to be able to participate too.
The location will be the town of Tullamore, in County Offaly, some of it taking place at the conference facilities of the Offaly Historical and Archaeological Society. Tullamore is on the edge of the area which was once called "Fox's Country". From Dublin, Tullamore is easily reached by bus or train, and driving by car would take less than 90 minutes.
The gathering will include the following:
* slides of and visits to some historical Irish Fox sites
* a genealogical afternoon of finding your relatives
* talks on the history of the Foxes (Irish AND Norman Foxes)
* a dinner on Saturday evening, which will include a performance by an Irish harpist, as well as other entrtainment
* arrangments for other meals during the three days are being made
* an opening night you won't forget
Fox Musicians
A young woman near Tullamore, whose grandmother is a Fox, has been delving into local songs. Apparently she has found one which is said to have been "composed" by some members of a Fox family at that time. It seems they made up a rather "colorful" song about a local woman who, unfortunately for them was well-liked by the local people. These Foxes were apparently run out of town for their artistic endeavor, and settled in present-day Rahan, which is just a few miles west of Tullamore.Fox Clan Board
An organizational board is currently being created for the clan, and it will have a wide range of representation, When the board has been established, names and other related information will be reported here.
October 4 1999
Fox Gathering at Cashel & a Visit to Fox Country MJ Fox - Fox Clan Convenor
For photos from the trip, go to: Fox Sites in Ireland
The Gathering: The Fox Clan gathering took place on September 11, 1999 in the town of Cashel. Lasting from 2:00 PM - about 7:30 PM, it was attended by about 45 people. The hours were divided up into presentations, group sessions, an open discussion, and dinner. It had been originally planned by Seamus Fox from Mitchelstown, County Cork. Before he and I had ever made contact, he had already taken the initiative of investigating Foxes in his own area, and planned to have a Fox gathering in Cashel at Fox's Pub, which belongs to his brother. Seamus and most of the Foxes in his area are De Bhosc Foxes, the descendants of most likely the Cambro-Normans who entered Ireland in the late 1100s with Henry II of England. Although we anticipated few if any Sionnach Foxes (that is, Foxes of Irish-Gaelic ancestry from the Midlands), I was asked to be prepared to give about a 20 minute talk on the Midlands Foxes. One of the Sionnach Foxes attending was Michael Fox of Donegal, formerly of Tullamore, County Offaly, who has since been asked to take on the position of Fox Clan Historian for the Sionnach Foxes (see Fox News for more on Michael).
Since both types of Foxes are currently covered under the umbrella of the Fox website and many people simply aren't sure which type they are, a talk on each type of Fox seemed like a balanced thing to do. As it turned out, many people who assumed they were Sionnach Foxes were in fact De Bhosc Foxes. The reasoning behind this is simple: in Irish school records, student names are written in English first and then, often in parentheses, the name in Irish. Since Irish independence, when the Irish language was all but wiped out and many teachers hardly knew Irish. student names which were listed as "Fox (De Bhosc)" were often automatically changed to "Fox (Sionnach)" since many teachers were more familiar with "Sionnach". One older man, for example, reported that when he was in school all the Fox boys were recorded as De Bhosc and all the girsl as Sionnach. Suffice to say that between Irish independence and the present, there has been a lot of confusion. Seamus reported that he always thought of himself as a Sionnach Fox, but in looking back over his own school records he found in early years he was recorded as De Bhosc. A little more investigation proved De Bhosc to be correct! Some teacher had changed it without understanding the difference between De Bhosc and Sionnach.
Several people hooked up with other related Foxes whom they had never met before or only lightly knew, which was one of the purposes of the meeting. There were several good questions during a general group discussion, or question-and-answer session, and someone proposed Seamus Fox as the chief of the De Bhosc Foxes, something which he quickly declined! Seamus asked a former teacher, Dennis O'Dwyer, to give the after-dinner speech, which was excellent. O'Dwyer stood up and began the talk in boldly-spoken Irish - that seems to be the only way to describe how he spoke out into the room - and, switching then to English, talked about how the three strands of Foxes in Ireland over the centuries - Irish, Norman, and English - mirrored the same three strands of influence in the town of Cashel over the centuries. For those of you who have not visited the Rock of Cashel, which is probably one of Ireland's most outstanding sites, it should certainly be at the top of your list!
This meeting which began at 2 PM extended well into the evening, since many people stayed on after the dinner was finished and Fox talk spilled over into some local pubs. The next morning I began the second leg of my short stay in Ireland, a visit to Offaly-Westmeath, and the territory which was once called Teffia and later, Fox's Country.
Fox's Country: I have chosen to use the term "Fox's Country" to describe this leg of the journey since this is indeed what the area I was about to explore was often referred to on maps until the land confiscation of late 1600s. It was also referred to as the Barony of Kilcoursey. Located in Counties Offaly and Westmeath, along a part of the northwest border of those two counties, Fox's Country comprised an area of approximately 25 square miles (84 sq. km.) and sometimes even more. The area, I knew, was rich with Fox-related sites, and I intended to go to the main ones. Before driving all the way to Tullamore, the area's main town, I stopped for a few hours at Clonmacnoise, where I spoke with the on-premises archaeologist. He was well aware of the historic Fox connections to Clonmacnoise, and that the burial stone of an important Fox ancestor, Tadhgan, is located there (see Fox Genealogy). Several Fox ancestors also had been monks and even abbots there over the centuries as well. Tadhgan's burial stone was not one of the ones out on display - I was told there had been several thefts in recent years, and many of the burial stones now needed to be kept in a vault. I have since contacted head archaeologist for the site about getting hold of a catalogued photo of Tadhgan's grave slab.
Prearranged, at 10 the next morning I met up with Michael Fox and two other people at the Offaly Historical and Archaeological Society. One of those people was a man named Jim Kenny, who is on the board of the historical society, and the other, an old Fox "neighbor", Fred Geoghegan, a man whose family held the territory adjacent to the Fox's for centuries...when reading through the various Irish chronicles one can often notice that when the Foxes and MacGeoghegans weren't killing each other they were marrying each other and signing agreements! Aha, I thought - meeting an old neighbor.
The Rock of the Foxes : The first place we headed for was an area outside the little towns of Clara and Ballycumber called Cloghatanny, an anglicized perversion of the Irish "Cloch an tSionnaighe" - Rock of the Foxes....the reputed place where Fox chiefs was inaugurated over the centuries. We found the driveway of the property on which the Rock is situated, a house which has been uninhabited for a few years, and was purchased by a local farmer to extend his grazing area. We walked about 300 yards up the hedge-lined driveway to the abandoned house, and after some searching, finally found the Rock, having to go through brambles, nettles, thorn bushes, what-have-you, to get close to it, only to find 45 inch high sheep fencing and two rows of barbed wire on top of it to prevent us from getting right next to it. Fred found a way for us to go through the fence, and once we got up to it, we could appreciate its size: about 7 feet high, perhaps 6 feet by 10 feet oval, and dolman-like in structure. It was suggested that I climb to the top, which I did, and Fred Geoghegan and Michael Fox climbed up there as well.
We also investigated a close-by site of which Michael had seen mention: a mound which reportedly was even more important than the stone, and underwhich three Foxes had been buried. We found a large mound in an adjacent field, and noted how the base of it seemed to be dotted with large boulders. I later was told by a Brother ? from the Offaly Historical Society that the Foxes buried there apparently were buried in a standing or upright position.
From there we passed through a large farming area called Clonshanny, also an anglicized distortion of the Irish words for Fox's Meadow, and then headed for the town of Clara, and Lehinch or Kilcoursy Castle ruins. It was apparently the last home of the 17th century Fox chief Hubert Fox before his property was confiscated. Situated on a high hill at the beginning of the Clara-Kilbeggan road, the ruin at the top could hardly be seen due to the dozens of large old trees ringing the hill about half-way up. Finally we got to the top, and it appeared to be a Norman-style 15th or 16th century tower-house design, once perhaps about 4 stories high, now about 2 and a half. It was heavily covered in ivy. Fortunately and unfortunately, the building is not protected, and anyone can enter it. Built on a slope so that you could enter it from one level on one side and another level on the other side, the building overall is, as said before, at the top of the hill. What you don't notice until you get there, however, is that while on one side you approach the building from a relatively gentle slope that leads to the top, on the other side, which is where the lower entrance is, is a very steep, almost vertical drop - clearly the defensive side! Fred explained that the entrance on the lower level, which was also on the defensive side, was the doorway to the stable. Inside you could see where log beams had once been, and there were narrow window openings too - just wide enough to see through and shoot one's bow and arrow. The stone walls were blackened, and we wondered if there once had been a fire on that level. The ceiling of course was no longer there, but you could see up to the ceiling of the next level...possibly a hayloft or storage area - and the ceiling there was of "barrel-vault" construction, meaning it was a particular kind of an arched ceiling.
At the entrance on the higher level it was clear that at one time you could enter and walk straight into the storgae or hayloft area mentioned above, or you could immediately turn left and walk up a very old and narrow flight of stone steps to the next floor, and from there you could look through the openings and see for yourself the surrounding countryside which previous Foxes used to see. There was also, behind some more ivy, another set of stairs, and Fred and I went up those step to the next level. From there is an even better view of the former Fox's Country. Being in such a place makes you reflect again and again how you are in the very place where other Foxes have gone before you, where they lived and cooked and talked and raised children. I found out later the next evening that the place also has an underground passageway which was likely used as an escape route. I was told it was found on the other side of town some years ago when sinking goal posts for a new soccer field and the posts went right through. They discovered the tunnel went all the way to the tower-house.
We went to Durrow Abbey ruins and cemetary, a place where Foxes and MacGeoghegans are buried, the land of which was given to St Columkille in the 6th century by a Fox ancestor. It is located on the grounds of a local estate, and though there is a sign indicating the grounds are private, you can still have legal access to such sites. As we walked down the driveway Fred reminded me of some problems there had been in the past with the former owner regarding access, and relates that the Geoghegans have been farming the same land since 1280. I well recall reading, and then Fred reminded me, about an archery contest which took place in the 1400s, on the feast day of St. Columkille. The contest turned into a brawl, and several Foxes and Geoghegans were killed. To know that it happended somewhere very close to where we, a Fox and a Geoghegan, were walking and talking......
The next day on my own I drove to the very old Kilbride cemetary outside the town of Clara, but could not figure out how to get into the place. Some young boys (about age 11, four of them) offered to show me the way. They wanted to know if I was looking for my relatives. Maybe, I told them. What's the name, they asked? When I told them it was Fox, one of them was very quick to tell me that the Foxes "own the town"! Well the Foxes don't REALLY own the town, but there seems to be enough of them known for kids to think they do.
Although I had been to the area before, I had never had the chance to investigate it so thoroughly nor meet so many interesting and interested people. If any Foxes reading this are planning a trip to Ireland and want to visit these and other sites, please do contact me by email and I will be glad to send you more information. There are many many other Fox sites to visit in this region, and I will certainly return to it in the coming months to do more investigating.
It was by far the very best trip I'd ever had to Ireland.
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FOX CLAN HISTORIAN
Just a few weeks before the trip to Ireland I received in the mail a large and heavy envelope from Seamus Fox. A Michael Fox had gotten in touch with him, and sent along about 100 pages of carefully-researched Fox history. Meeting up with Michael in Cashel, I was given an even more recent version of his painstakingly detailed manuscript. Some of this will be used in the Fox History section of this website, though it will not be printed in its entirety. Michael was asked if he would like to become Fox Clan Historian - to which he said yes. Originally from the Tullamore area in Country Offaly (Aharney, to be exact), Michael moved to Donegal many years ago. Although he is not on line yet, he plans to be in the coming weeks. For those of you who would like to send him a letter, his postal address is:
Michael Fox
Hall Demesne
Mountcharles
County Donegal, Ireland
Earlier updates (before October 4 1999)
Who will be Chief?
It was reported in a previous news edition that An Sionnach (The Fox), the hereditary chief of Fox Clan has been contacted by Fox Clan. In his 80s now, but in good health and sound mind, The Fox has decided to focus his closing years on his immediate surroundings, and no longer has interest in his role as chief. According to tradition, the Chief Herald's office in Dublin, and the council of clan chiefs which still exists, he must formally assign a tanist, or inheritor of the position. This does not seem to have been done, though sometimes there is an assumption that it is to be passed on to a son. However, the chiefship of a clan does not necessarily always go to the current chief's son, even though this is often what is practiced. His son, who was also contacted, also does not seem to have an interest in this role, although he reported he thought another relative might.
It seems Fox Clan is in the process of regathering, and doing so without a chief. Just how Fox Clan might proceed from this unusual situation and establish its own chief now is not a simple task. Do we follow ancient tradition? This means no women are eligible, even if they are within the direct line of descent. It also means the only people who are eligible are males who are in the direct line of descent and related to the current chief within four generations (derbhfine). There are some historian-genealogists who argue that this is not historically correct either , and that whoever among a clan wanted the chiefship just took it if he was powerful enough. Bear in mind that in order for a clan to have a hereditary chief who is approved by the Chief Herald's Office means two things:
1) you agree with the "traditional" but somewhat problematic system the Chief Herald's Office is using;
2) you are willing to wait for the time it takes for that Office to "approve" the submitted pedigree of the Clan Chief; it is not a matter of weeks or months.
To make matters more complicated, there is currently a three-way disagreement between one group of hereditary clan chiefs, another group of hereditary clan chiefs, and the Chief Herald's Office in Dublin. Several issues are being called into question. To sample some of the controversy which is taking place just now, you can go to the following website and read about one of the current problems:
http://www.luminet.net/~tiraha/letters/
There is good news, however. There are several people earnestly working on this problem, and it looks like it could be settled some time in the year 2000. It seems in the meantime Fox Clan is best off continuing to regather - after all, we only started the website less than a year ago, in November 1998! By the time of the Fox Clan gathering in Fall 2000, perhaps it is there that decisions on chiefship can be made.
A Fox Historian
Seamus Fox of Mitchelstown, County Cork, has sent to Fox Clan Convenor a manuscript written by Michael Fox. Michael, a retired history teacher who, before retirement, lived in traditional Fox territory in County Offaly, has written more than 100 pages of research he has done primarily on the Fox Clan. As a result, in the coming weeks some additional information will be inserted into the historical sections of this site which have already been written. Michael, who has since been contacted by phone, is considering creating a site of his own which will focus on the historical territory and the various clans who inhabited it, including the Foxes. He will be attending the Fox Clan Gathering in Cashel on September 11, and is indeed a most welcome addition to the clan!
Seamus Fox's Cashel Gathering
It is finally upon us! About 50-60 people are expected to attend this "pre"gathering to the year 2000 gathering. Seamus, who has rather admirably been doing his own genealogical research for about 5 years now, began organizing this on his own before he even knew Fox Clan had organized. This one-day gathering has people coming from various parts of Ireland and the US. There will be talks held, a time put aside for displaying genealogical charts and attempting to find some missing links, good food and music. You can go to Fox Events for more contact details if any of you plan to be in Ireland at that time. A report of the gathering will be entered on to this site upon my return.
Revisiting Durrow and Fox Country
While in Ireland for the gathering, I (MJ Fox, convenor) plan to also revisit Durrow one afternoon to clean it up a little bit. In addition, Jim Kinney, who is connected to the Offaly Historical and Archaeolgical Society, has also offered to take me to the "Fox Coronation Stone", "Fox's Meadow" and the site of a battle in 1288 in which the Foxes took part. He has also voluntarily done some inquiring for Fox Clan and been told there is a "rare book" about the Fox family, which I will be able to examine before it is copied for me.
Irish Foxes from New York-New Jersey area
Some members of Fox Clan with immigrant ancestors from the New York- New Jersey area are planning to start a website. A Fox Family reunion is also being considered for the summer of 2000. If you would like to get in on the ground floor of this, email Fox Clan and your emails will be forwarded to the organisers.
An Sionnach Found!
For those of you who are not yet familiar with the meaning of the above heading, "An Sionnach" is Irish for "The Fox". Centuries ago, clan chiefs were not referred to by their common name, but with the equivalent of "the" in front of the family name: ie., The O'Donovan, The MagRaighne, etc. This was to denote that person as "Chief of his Name". There are only 16 Irish families left in Ireland who have had an unbroken line of patrilineal descent (autenticated by the Chief Herald's Office in Dublin), and Fox is one of them. After much searching and finally contacting the current standing head of all the clan chiefs, Fox Clan finally has the address and details of the man who is purported to be a direct descendant of the first Fox, Tadhg O'Catharnaigh, and bears the title "The Fox". We will be contacting him soon, and after we receive a response, the results of it will be found here within Fox News.
Contact with other Irish Fox lines
Two other Fox septs have contacted Fox Clan and will join with us. The first to contact us was Sean Fox, who lives near Limerick, in Ireland. He has been doing genealogical research on the local name of Fox for about five years now, and is certain this Fox line is of Anglo-Norman background. Nevertheless, Sean has been able to trace these Foxes back to the 1400s, and there is even evidence of some nationalist sentiments among them! Bringing Sean's sept on board seemed to be the right thing to do, and there is more on his work in the Other Irish Foxes link.
The other Fox sept comprises the Foxes of Munster, who have the same logo as the O'Catharnaigh Foxes but a different coat of arms (coats of arms will be added to the site shortly) . These Foxes, in fact, never had their name directly and literally translated from Irish Sionnach to English Fox, but instead took on an angicization of their Irish name, and became "Shinnick". They are mainly a genealogical group, and more information about them can also be found in the Other Irish Foxes link.
World-wide Members and a Monster Gathering
There are several people who have emailed Fox Clan and are on a list of members which is being compiled. Due to the wonders of the web, they hail from many different parts of the world, real examples of the Irish diaspora. Perhaps, with a bit of planning, and thinking well in advance, a great gathering could be organized which would allow even those who are farthest away to possibly plan a trip to Ireland. Any thoughts on this from you Foxes out there would be appreciated. Perhaps in Fall 2000 or Fall 2001?
Clans of Ireland Annual Meeting(Update March 17 1999)
Annual meeting
Fox Clan is registered with an Irish organization called Clans of Ireland. On March 27 they will be holding their annual meeting, and Fox Clan will be represented by Fox Clan's convenor, MJ Fox. If you have any suggestions, thoughts, or concerns which might be brought up at this meeting, please email them to us no later than the evening of March 23. MJ Fox, will also take this opportunity to meet with Seamus Fox of the De Bhosc sept and perhaps do a little research.
Honorary Foxes
Several non-Foxes have been invaluable in the very existence and maintenance of this website. As such, they are honorary members of Fox Clan, for without them this regathering would not exist. For your information, then, they are:
Eoin Maghraine - Irish language and culture
Seamus Mac Róibín - Irish language and culture
Hakon Peterson - webmaster extraordinaire
Some Membership Information
Some of you might be interested to know that we have had contact from Irish Foxes from not only Ireland but Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and of course Canada and the Unites States. Some have claimed to have some native American blood in them as well! We are always interested to hear about any usual connections or stories you have.
Red Hair!?
Several clan members have mentioned the presence of carrot red or auburn hair in the family. It has been suggested that Sionnach or Fox was not only used to denote someone who was clever and cunning, but also suggested a certain reddish coloring. Since auburn, for example, is an unusual color and genetically recessive, we are very curious indeed to know how many of you out there have red hair of any shade, and if it appears at all in your family line.
Blazons and Coats of Arms
You might have noticed there is no mention of Fox heraldry here. It appears there might be some mix-up, and perhaps the convenor's trip to Ireland might clear this up. There is a claim that one coat of arms belongs to the Foxes of Munster, or the Shinnicks, and another belongs to the O'Catharnaigh Foxes. This might be worth looking into a bit closer than it has been, since the O'Catharnaigh Foxes were once just as much "Sionnach" as the Shinnicks. For a look at the two distinctively different coats of arms, go to Eddie Geoghan's site and click on to his heraldry link: http://homepage.tinet.ie/~eddiegeo
Family Legends
Three people who do not know each other have written in and reported a "family myth" about being descended from an Irish chieftain. One man reports he was told one of his ancestors was an Irish chieftain, well over six feet tall, and had red hair! Since the Foxes are one of few remaining Irish families which has existed over the centuries in an unbroken line (according to the Chief Herald's Office in Dublin), this is not as unbelievable as it sounds. We would love to collect more of such stories and begin to do some serious historical research in that regard once we have compiled a sufficient amount of information. We are very curious to hear about your family myths and legends, so please so email us!
The Fox, Chief of His Name
A phone call was made to a man in Australia who is the official "chief" of Fox Clan. He is an authenticated descendant of the O'Catharnaigh Foxes (see Fox History), but is getting on in years and not as actively interested in this position as he once was. The position of "tanist" or "chieftain-to-be" will most likely be passed to one of his sons. According to one of Fox Clan's advisors, Eoin Maghraine, this does not have to be automatic, and Brehon law allows anyone related within 5 generations to also claim the chieftainship. This issue has been briefly raised with the current head of all the clan chiefs. Any news on this issue will be reported here.
And Just for Fun...
It seems that Foxes in the past and present have had a tendency to be involved in two aspects of life: civil service and horses! Seamus Fox (see Other Irish Foxes) has provided a list of all the Fox who were mayors, bailiffs, and sheriffs of Limerick City alone from 1435 - 1633!
For you nationalists or republicans out there, you might be happy to know that Edmond Fox, a Catholic who was the mayor of Limerick in 1605,