Fathadh mac Aonghus

Fathadh mac Aonghus (fl. 10th–11th centuries)^[1] was an Irish nobleman.

He is the purported ancestor to the Ó Fathaigh/Fahy family of Uí Maine. The first person known bear the surname would appear to be one Cormac mac Maonach (Cormac Ó Fathaigh) who is listed as his great-grandson of the eight generation. However, if it is correct, Fathadh's grandson, Aonghus, or his great-grandson, Flann, would have been its first users. But Fathadh is given as a son of Aonghus mac Lomán, who lived sometime in the sixth, or even fifth, century, hundreds of years before the introduction of surnames in Ireland.

Notable descendants

• Tadhg an tSleibhe Ó Fathaigh, Chief of the Name, fl. 1620
• Anthony Dominic Fahy, Dominican Priest, missionary in Argentina, 1805–1871
• Jerome A. Fahey, Irish priest and writer, 1843–1919
• Pádraig Ó Fathaigh, Intelligence Officer, Irish Republican Army, 1879–1976
• Jim Fahy, RTÉ News Western Correspondent
• Frank Fahey Teachta Dála (TD) for Galway West

Notes

1. Fathadh's floruit is uncertain. He is not recorded in the annals, and the genealogies simply refer to him by name, his father been given as Aonghus mac Lomán.

References

• The Tribes and Customs of Hy-Many, John O'Donovan, 1843
• The Parish of Ballinasloe, Fr. Jerome A. Fahey
• The Surnames of Ireland, Edward MacLysaght, Dublin, 1978
• Irish Kings and High Kings, Francis John Byrne, 2001 (second edition)
• The Fahys - Clanricarde's Opponents by Jim Fahy, in Clanricarde Country, Woodford Heritage Group, 1987
• The Great Book of Irish Genealogies, 328.1, pp. 60–61, volume one, Dubhaltach MacFhirbhisigh; edited, with translation and indices by Nollaig Ó Muraíle, 2003–2004, ISBN 0 946130 36 1
• Annals of Ulster at CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts at University College Cork
• Annals of Tigernach at CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts at University College Cork
• Revised edition of McCarthy's synchronisms at Trinity College Dublin.