Irish

The McCourt Name

Name in Gaelic: Mac Cuarta and Mac Cuairt (Son of Cuairt meaning visit)

McCourt, is a surname of ancient origin, being first recorded in Oriel in the 9th century. Colla Uais, their ancestor, was King of Ireland from 322 to 326. Kinsmen of the O'Carroll Princes, they were Chiefs of a considerable territory in the north of County Louth near the Armagh border. As a result of the Anglo-Norman in the late 12th century, their patrimony was greatly diminished, but most remained in or near their homeland. A branch of the family who settled in County Tyrone, gave their name to the village of Cappagh (in Gaelic, Ceapach Mhic Cuarta) near Dungannon. As early as the 16th century, the surname was recorded as far south as Munster, where in several County Cork

documents, it was equated with Rothe, i.e. a lease dated 1584, listed Elias Rooth, alias Mc Cuarta. Others of the sept are found in the Hearth Money Rolls of Armagh for 1664, under the spelling MacQuorte, and father Ronan, in his Irish Martyrs, gives the anglicized form as MacWorth. The name has gained a permanent place in the leterary history of Ireland, due to James MacCourt or Seamus MacCuarta (1647-1732), whose poems were collected and published by Rev. L. Murray. Known as Courtney as well as McCourt, he was a friend of Turlough O'Carolan; and he has been described as "the greatest of the northern Gaelic poets."
In Northeastern Ulster, some McCourts may descend from the MacMhuircheartaigh (Son of the sea ruler) family. A sept of the powerful Clan Stuart of Bute, from the west of Scotland. Their surname, in addition to McCourt, has become McCurdy. Brought to Ireland by the Stewarts when they arrived at Ballintoy, having lost their lands in Bute in the mid 16th century, the name is now numerous in the glens and north coast of Antrim.

* Brian Moro for Celtic Crafts, LTD.

The McCourt Coat of Arms

While I don't put much stock in companies and individuals who promote a Coat of Arms for profit, it is a general consensus that the Coat of Arms to the left is that of the McCourt clan. A description of the symbols (charges) and their meaning follow:

The style of the shield is that of the 'chief' shield, indicating dominion, authority, wisdom and achievement in battle. The blue band represents strength and loyalty while the gold color of the three oak leaves stands for generosity. In Ireland, the oak tree was the most noble of the chieftan trees and the oak leaves represent antiquity and strength. The crossed battle axes stand for military duty. The helmet above and its ornamentaion are strictly for decoration.

County Armagh
Learn about the Irish County the McCourt's were from. This site contains interesting facts and beautiful pictures about County Armagh.

Lurgan
Hometown of the McCourt's in County Armagh. This site is maintained by the local newspaper, Lurgan Mail, and contains an interesting panoramic view from the city's business district.