Clare Genealogy: Family Histories - Donated material: The Delahunty Family History: Chapter 1 - The History of the Delahunty Surname (Ireland)

Chapter 1: The History of the Delahunty Surname (Ireland)

Edward MacLysaght, in the book “Surnames of Ireland” 5th edition 1980, published by the Irish Academic Press, states:
“Delahunty is one of those true Gaelic Irish surnames which have a foreign appearance. This name, which has been also anglicized Delahunt and Dulanty, is O Dulchaointigh in Irish. Old forms in English are O’Dolleghenty, O’Dulleghyntie and many other somewhat similar variants, under which persons of the name appear frequently in the Ormond Deeds from 1441 onwards as well as in the Tudor Fiants and other mediaeval and early modern Irish records. In the “census” of 1659 the spellings are Dullahunty and Dullchanty, the former being one of the principal names in the barony of Crannagh, Co. Kilkenny, and the latter in the barony of Ballybrit, Co. Offaly (then called King’s County). In the same decade there were 27 families of the name included in the Hearth Money Rolls of the adjoining County Tipperary, and twenty years later we find three officers so called in a regiment of James II’s Irish army.

In the King’s Co. Book of Survey and Distribution (c. 1670) the spellings are Dolochanty and Dulohonty. The sept was always closely associated with that part of the country and was of the same stock of the famous O’Carrolls of Ely O’Carroll. A branch migrated to Co. Kerry in the sixteenth century but the name is seldom found there now, the Ely O’Carroll country being still their principal habitat.”

Co Clare, Ireland
From the book “Surnames of Ireland” Edward MacLysaght:
Doolaghty: A Clare Name (O’dubhlachta)
Dubh: - the majority of names beginning with “Dubh” or “Duibh” in them, are derived from the adjective “dubh” - “black”. The surnames derived from these names usually speculative being within forenames.
From the book “Dictionary of Irish Surnames” by Patrick Hanks and Flavia Hodges:
Delahunty: (Anglicized from the Gael) (O’Dulchaointeach) A descendant of Dulchaointeach. A byname comprised of the elements (dul=satirist, caointeach=plaintive). Variants are O’Dulchonta, Delahunt, Dolohunty, Dulanty, Dulinty.
Drumdoolaghty: O’Doolaghty’s hill, the family name still exists - (also elsewhere Doolaghta’s hill (man). - James Frost “Co Clare Local Names Explained”, Limerick 1906.

In 1712 the Earl of Thomond made a Lease Forever with James Sexton for Dromdoolaghta. Rates £1.15s.

In the Book of Forfeitures and Distribution 1641: Townland of Sunnagh North, Inchicronan Parish, Bunratty Upper, Co. Clare, a Roger Delahunty, together with the Earl of Inchquin, and Donogh MacNamara is listed as being one of the new owners of the forfeited townland. (A townland is the smallest administrative division in the country of Ireland and all other territorial divisions are collections of townlands. The majority of these small land units were named at an early period and marked out the place where people lived and the location of the lands they owned).

In 1758 a Laurence Delahunty was given the Freedom of the Borough of Ennis. Thomas Delahunty and Laurence Delahunty are shown on the Voters Lists for Clare in 1832.

In the Tithe Books 1825 for the townland of Drumdoolaghty, Parish of Doora, Co Clare, we find a Roger Doolaghty occupying 10 acres. In the Griffiths Valuation Books 1855 for the same townland a Thomas Clancy occupied a house, leased from James Hynes, rateable value was six shillings. There is some evidence that Thomas Clancy was married to a Bridget Doolaghty and the Parish Registers of Doora RC Parish show a Mary Clancy in 1872 acting as sponsor at baptism of Peter. In 1879 John Doolaghty and his wife Elizabeth were occupying a dwelling on Drumdoolaghty and it appears that the Doolaghty family had some links to this townland. However owing to the scarcity of early records this fact is unable to be proved with 100% accuracy.

The Doolaghty Surname also appears five times in the Tithe Books for the Clooney/Quin Parish, Co Clare. Thady Doolaghty occupied 23 and a half acres in Quin, and John Doolaghty 11 acres, in Church Lane, Quin.
Montrose Delahunty (not believed to be of our family) is listed in the Tithe Books, 1825 for the townland called Maryfield, in Doora Parish, Co Clare.

The Doolaghty Surname appears five times in the shipping lists to Woollongong, (Sydney, Australia) Co Clare Lists, 1858 and 1862. From Quin, Michael (26) and Elizabeth (18), a brother and sister, Parents: Michael and Elizabeth; from Caher (2), and from Doon (1).