|
I am researching the surnames KISSANE
ALPERS
BELKE
BOYLE
BUCHWALD
CONNELLY
DIETRICH
DILLON(Dillane)
MULVIHILL
O'CONNOR
SOKOLOSKI
SCULLY
WALSH
WITZ
My Great Grandfather Michael Dillon KISSANE was born in Kilgarvan, Ballylongford, Co. Kerry, Ireland in the 1860's. He moved to Chicago, Illinois where he married Johanna MULVIHILL. Johanna was born in Duha, Listowel, Co. Kerry, Ireland in the 1860's. They had 9 children. Michael was shot to death on October 15, 1927 in Chicago while being held up.
I am also related to Msgr. Edward KISSANE(Fr. Ned) 1886-1959. He was President of Maynooth College and wrote several books. I am not certain of my relationship. I have a photo of him with members of my family.
Any information would be appreciated. I am also willing to share the information that I have.
************************************************************
The English name "Kissane" is a phonetic anglicisation of the Gaelic name "Ó Cíosáin", where the "O", the first "i" and the "a" all have acute accents to broaden the vowels.
The name is a composite of three Gaelic words...
Ó (or O accent) means "son of".
Cíos (or Cios - accent on i) means "rent".
Áin (or Ain - accent on A) means "the act of driving", e.g. driving cattle.
Combined into Ó Cíosáin, the name means "Son of the Rent Driver". In olden days, subjects of the local Chieftain were required to pay rent, normally in the form of livestock, to their Chieftain who leased them land to farm. The original Kissanes were employed by the Black Valley Chieftain at one time to collect this rent. Seemingly, the Kissanes at that time were taller and bigger than other families and therefore better suited to extracting the rent from the Chieftain's subjects. Rent was normally paid in sheep or cattle and the Kissanes had to collect the cattle and sheep and drive them back to the Chieftain - hence "driving the rent"!!
|
