Kearey Clan

Kearey Clan has been researched and recorded, to afford those of the same name, family, those related, and others interested in ancient Ireland, to dwell on its beginnings, and way forward. The chief research material has been John O’ Harts, Irish Pedigrees, 1824-1902, an Irish genealogist. John Grenham gives a very fair criticism and positive feature to this work. The aim of this site is to do exactly what John O’Hart initially set out to do… to find and trace his ancestors. To accomplish this: Ciardha/Kearey, Kilkeary History, Saint Ciar, and History, Heroism and Home have been written, printed, and placed on-line. To give an indication of family interest and attachment an application for Grant of Arms has been made and accepted. The task to get this far has been, fascinating, frustrating and fraught. Welcome and best wishes.

After writing the main subject matter, I read the latest findings, gleaned from ‘The Origins of the Irish’ by J.P. Mallory, first printed in 2015, updated 2017, reprinted 2018. From this, Peter Woodman’s published review in 2015, for Quaternary Science Reviews, the following analysis - that it was perhaps 10,500 BC that “some hunters crossed the sea to become Irelanders during the Upper Palaeolithic period.” Mallory adds, “Ireland has experienced three palaeogenetic phases: (1) from southwest Europe (2) an influx from the Near East (3) and the last from distant steppelands of the Ukraine and southern Russia, altogether constituting 80% of the population belonging to the male haplogroup R1b. This male group being from Iberia and southern France after the last ice-age. As for the language, Mallory suggests the Celtic languages originated from the earliest farming communities in southwest Europe.

The Grant of Arms has been recommended and accepted by the Chief Herald of Ireland based upon my descent from Thomas Kearey 1791-1860 who appears in the London 1851 census as married to Ester Pepler, being residents of 20, North Row, Kensington and listed as born in Ireland. Considering ancient Irish traditions and the generally accepted origin of the Kearey name in the Irish word ‘Ciar’ combining this with heraldic devices and limited colours (charges and tinctures) that tell a story throughout the ages since 1791, in the wider context of the name. A reference in the heraldic design to that part of London settled in north of the Thames (Kensington and Paddington), their occupations and skills, (the smelting of ore, particularly gold and silver refining, and shaping of metal), their rank, and loss of four brothers, during the first world war, with particular reference to volunteering, and bravery awards to Albert Edward Kearey of the Kensingtons.

The O’Ciardha (Keary) history in Ireland is very much based upon times between the 5th and 12th centuries. An Irish sept (clan) claiming descent from Coirpre mac Neill ruled a barony of north Tethbae call Cairpre Gabra which today correspond to the barony of Granard, Co. Longford. Cairbre Gabra is a corruption of Irish meaning Coirpre (Cairbre) Ua (son of) Neill who was the eldest son of Niall of the Nine Hostages (nine clans owed him a favour) an ancestor of the southern Ui Neill (a high king of Ireland). It is believed Coirpre married a Fir Bolg princess named Mulreany who ruled all of north Longford, land near Lough Erne, and the Carbury barony in Sligo. A branch of the Ui Neill called Cairpre Gabra (Irish Cairbre Ua Ciarrdha (Keary) – descendants of Coirpre mac Neill) settled around Granard and Lough Sheelin in north Tethbae. It is further believed a section of the dynasty were introduced as lords of Carbury in Kildare in a 12th-century. Ua O’Ciardha (O’Keary) were established as lords of Carbury from this group at the time of the Anglo-Norman invasion in the 12th century. (See Wikipedia ‘Cairpre Gabra.’

The Rev. Patrick Woulfe in his work on the origins of Irish surnames acknowledged that O’Ciardha was derived from ‘Ciar’ or ‘black’, and was the name of a family of the Southern Ui Neill who were lords of Cairbre until the Anglo-Norman Invasion’ his view, according to Donal Burke, Herald, was that they then disappear from history.’ He then goes on to give different anglicised versions of O’Ciardha as O’ Kirry, Keary, Keery, Karey, Carey, etc.’ An aspect of the difficulty in being definitive with regard to whether one branch as opposed to another based on spelling may be seen from the example given by Rev. Woulfe when referring to Mac Giolla Ceire, which he states has been anglicised ‘Keary, Carey, and earlier Kilkeary’. Once a common name in Ireland, especially in County Cork’ according to Woulfe, ’but now disguised under Keary, Carey, and Carr.’ Burke in his Genera Armory simply gives the arms associated with O’Carrie or O’Carry.’ He describes this as ‘a sept of Clan Cathail, of the Race of Cathail, second son of Muireadhach Muileathan.’ O’Hart turns to the arms attributable to Keary of Fore, County Westmeath, but The Herald will only accepts that if one could show verifiable documented descent from a particular individual recorded as bearing those arms in the Herald’s Register of Arms - that would be acceptable. But of course they cannot. So The Grant of Arms is to be based on my descent from my great-great grandfather Thomas Kearey who appears in the 1851 census records as married to Ester, resident at 20 North Row in Kensington. From that heraldic point of view, based on those documents the Irish word of ‘Ciar’ and combining this with heraldic devices that will tell the story of my own immediate family starting with Thomas born in 1791 in that way including my family arms in the wider context of the name. Family ancestors have settled north of the Thames, their occupations and the family involvement in the armed forces is important. A reference to ‘Ciar’ the origin of the name, the smelting of gold and silver, a reference to the occupations of the earliest two Thomas Keareys, father and son and their location around Kensington, Paddington etc. The family’s connection with the armed services in two World Wars, their rank, distinctions, and directions, and loss of four brothers in The First World War. Not having documentation of births, deaths, marriages, and census has limited the family tree. The form of spelling the name back beyond 1791, 230 years, requires ‘on the spot’ detective work mainly through church records. The Dublin Four Courts fire, at the start of the Irish Civil War, June 1922 destroyed centuries of historic documents is being reconstructed, to be completed, as far as it can be, by next year.

Family Trees available to download:

Kearey Family Tree

Collins Family Tree