Re: Origin of Irish Battle Name
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In reply to:
Re: Yankee Battle lines - Ire>NY>NJ
9/04/00
Dear Gerald:
RE: ORIGIN OF THE IRISH BATTLE NAME
Rev. Patrick Woulfe, the recognized authority on the origin of Irish family names says, in his book: Sloinnte Gaedeal is Gall, (M.H. Gill & Son, Dublin, 1922): "The second class (of Irish surnames) comprises names formed by the union of two nouns, the first of which governs the second in the genitive case, as: cu-cata (hound of battle). (Page 2). On the following page - 3 - he continues: "Cu, a hound, and figuratively a warrior or chieftain, enters largely into the composition of names of this class."(Footnote: there is a dot over the ‘t' in Cata which apparently gives it almost the sound of ‘th' in English, or a ‘t' with a slight ‘h' aspirant sound after it - but I'm no scholar of the Irish language).
Woulfe says elsewhere that the Irish were the first peoples North and West of the Alps to adopt patronymics but that "Surnames in the modern sense were unknown in Ireland before the tenth century." Somewhere else I read many years ago that it was King Brian Boru who defeated the Danes (and died) in the Battle of Clontarf in 1014 A.D. who had decreed that all Irishmen should adopt a surname and that many families formed surnames from the names of an illustrious ancestor which, in the case of the Battle family was Cu-Cata. I would not vouch for the historical accuracy of the fact that it was King Brian Boru who caused the Irish to adopt patronymics, but it's as likely a story as any other.
On page 66 in Woulfe's book, in a list ofIrish names and their modern equivalents, he lists: Mac Concata, MacEncaha; Battle, Battles." Woulfe's magnum opus was, however, a larger book entitled: Irish Names and Surnames (M.H. Gill & Son, Dublin, 1923 and later reprinted by The Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore, MD. In this wok Woulfe comments (page 337) as follows: Mac Concata, M'Conchaa, M'Encaha, Battle, Battles; "son of Cu-Cata" (hound of battle, warhound); the name of an old Sligo family who were living at the end of the 16th century in Coolaney. It is now always absurdly ‘translated' Battle or Battles. MacConcahy would be the proper angl.form."
In the mid-1960's I got a copy of Dr. Edward Maclysaght's recently published work: Irish Families: Their names, Arms and Origins,(Hodges,Figgis; Dublin, 1957) in which he equates the name Battle with "Duncahy". I wrote Dr. Maclysaght, then Chief Herald of Ireland and Chairman of the Irish Manuscripts Commission, a respectful letter questioning the accuracy of this attribution and, in a series of letters to me, after admitting that the reference to Duncahy in connection with the name Battle was, in fact not correct, he made the following comments:
"There is no doubt that Woulfe is correct in giving the Gaelic-Irish form Mac Choncatha as the original in Co. Sligo of Battle. In a Fiant of 1585 Marriannus, Fergallus and John MacConchaa of Coolaney were among the inhabitants of Co. Sligo who obtained "pardons"; In 1593 William MacEncahe and Moriertagh glass MacBrien MacEncahe of Collooney in the same county and Mulroney and Ferrall MacEnchae of Coolany were also so recorded. Owing to the lack of uniformity in the spelling of place names at the time, it is possible that these men all belonged to the same place; but there are in fact two such place names in Co. Sligo, in the adjoining baronies of Tirerril and Leyny. Ballymote lies in the barony of Corran which is contiguous to both Tirerril and Leyny. Another man called MacEncaigh (probably another variant of the same surname) was among the followers of Rory O'Donnell when he migrated from Co. Donegal to the North Connacht in 1603."
At some time during the ‘60's someone suggested to me that the Battle clan had been a sept of the Macdonagh clan. But I cannot now find this reference in my files (lousy scholarship on my part) and so it remains conjecture. But the Battles and Macdonaghs have had close ties in Canada, acting as witnesses at weddings for each other and standing as godparents for each others' children.
I have lots more good info on Battles which I will try to list in a future posting for you and others who may be interested, for instance, maps of baronies, parishes and poor house districts in Co. Sligo, emigration to North America, the Battles of Mount Pleasant (their origins in Quebec), a photocopy history of "St. Henry's, Vernon, Rosebush, Michigan", and referrals to a person who has done extensive research in this area. In the meantime you can also go to the Ballymote site on the web for a bit of local coloring, etc.
All the best,Justin Battle: e-mail address: [email protected]
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