Irish Coats of Arms, Crests, Family Tartans, Heraldry

[segano1]

Now what we need is truth about Irish history, otherwise the Irish are just going to look like cheap rip offs of Scotland.

I wouldn't fall for the Celtic romanticised rubbish either, a lot of later rubbish was written about that also.

Thanks to the seminal works of Simon James (1999) and Brian Sykes (2006) the term Celtic with all it's redefined modern definitions can now be understood for the Victorian romanticised idiocy that it is, time to stop the romance a bit now people and be true now.

[Mickthebridge]

The office of the Chief Herald in Dublin, Ireland is one place to look for Arms of record. You can also go to the old heraldic works from centuries past (Burke, Kimber, etc...), many of which are available today. Be aware not all families have individuals who were issued coats of arms. I went back several hundred years and included all I could find in the 'Irish Book of Arms' a few years back. (pictured in this video short).

[AngelBiLove]

if there is such a thang

the fact that americans need to learn about european hiraldry from youtube (which probably is the peak of their studying at that) is a sad commentary even on itself...

[Jedimindtrickitis]

all Gaels wore great kilts but the plaid idea comes from the scots most eires wore a mustardy yellow flat colour great kilt that could also be used as a robe.

[Mickthebridge]

The Irish did not have family Tartans, ( plaids ), never did. Tartans are a Scottish custom. Some folks selling tartan cloth have tried to assign tartans to Irish names, which is entirely fabricated.

[mavenGamer]

your wrong actualy.

Kilts were worn by the irish. and when the gails went over to scotland. and than united all the scotish groups. the kilt was warn because the gails where teh leaders. and they brought it over from ireland.

[systemisdisturbed]

Murphy proud

[systemisdisturbed]

Murphy proud

[atomtraffic]

your monniker suggest you are a bigot. why would he complain, I would say him and his family all pay tax into the system and so are entitled to the same nhs etc as everybody else.

[EnglandOwnsYou]

Yes exactly, but don't go complaining about the British, because after all, its the British who pay the most taxes allowing for those unemployed in Ireland to get free treatment.

[atomtraffic]

fair play to you, you stick to it, don't let anyone take that away from you, its yours. I'm the same, born here of Irish parents.

like you, I AM IRISH, its about the blood and the ancestory, not which town you were born in.

good on you

[Lphalo3]

my is the lehan but it was lehane in ireland but now in america it is lehan

[EnglandOwnsYou]

if you was born in Glasgow then you're Scottish. You have Irish relatives and that is all..

[gaelicscots]

The irish never wore kilts. Irish kilts are a modern invention for the american market.

[Mickthebridge]

That is just what the video says about Irish family tartans - a commercial endeavor...

[MrThingy3]

God there must have been a booming Iirish American Kilt market 150 years ago :)

[gaelicscots]

MrThingy, the irish americn kilt market was developed in the 60s by the scots. The irish do not wear kilts and I am dumbfounded as to why you are so desperate for the irish to be associated with the kilt. Why you keep perpetuating false histories.

[MrThingy3]

The Irish American Kilt market may have been invented in the 60's but the tradition of the Irish kilt goes back as far as the 1850's.

[gaelicscots]

"the tradition of the Irish kilt goes back as far as the 1850's. "

The saffron coloured kilt ws developed for the ulster scots in the british army.

Padraic Perse attempted to encourage his comptriats to dopt the kilt but it never took off.

The english royal family have worn kilts in scotlnd for 200 yers, that does not mean the english have a tradition of kilt wearing.

The kilt is uniquely scottish and the irish view it as such.

[MrThingy3]

Irish Nationalists developed the Saffron kilt and it was later adopted by British Army units of the line as well as the Irish Army and Air Corps, the South African Army, the Canadian Army and various Police Forces with Irish connections over the years. The English Royal family aren't the entire population of England.

Face it the Irish solid kilt is seen as Irish. Go and invent a time machine to change history if you like, until then that's the way it is.

[kingdomofdalriada]

@MrThingy,

The saffron solid kilt was NOT developed by Irish naitonalists. Your claims are fantastical, preposterous and absurd. The Saffron kilt was devised by the British Army for the Ulster Scots. I would advise you consulting historians and experts at 'xmarksthescot' for further clarification.

[MrThingy3]

The Saffron kilt was actually developed by the Scots and over time became a symbol of Ireland by the usage of Irish nationalists and the British Army. The Saffron kilt was devised for the Ulster Scots, I think it is you who is deluded. For the record I am a member of the Irish Kilt Society, if you are trying to say that you have more knowledge on the subject that the Kilt Society and the various historians from various backgrounds, then I think you are surely either ignorant or stupid...!

[sweetsummertea]

can anyone give me info on "mcwain" or "mckuhn"?

[seonidh]

as far as I know its MacWeain a scottish name.

[sweetsummertea]

macweain?

my last is spelt mcwain.

[seonidh]

The origin of the name McWain is Anglicized form of the Gaelic personal name Beathan, meaning life. Found at least in record in in Ayrshire Scotland in 1124. Varients include McBLAYNE, McBLAIN, WAIN, WAYNE, WAINE, McBEATHAIN and McVAIN. The name is actually now found prodominently in Scotland and some in Ireland as settlers went there in the 17th century from Ayrshire and the protestant Plantation of Ulster.

[seonidh]

Surnames here (Scotland and Ireland) can be confusing as their are no defined spelling for a given name. You'll find with the varient of spelling the "Mc, or Mac" as an example can be found in both Scotland (McPhee) and (MacNamara) in Ireland so its no indication of a surname being Irish or Scottish it can be both used in both places.

Confusing if families think Mc is only Irish and Mac is only scottish. Your a mixture of both somewhere along the line.

[sweetsummertea]

wow :]

thank you so very much

[WyattKaldenberg]

Nice video.

[irishoforiel]

If anyone who sees this video can fully translate the motto into Irish I would be grateful.I olny know part of it.

[irishoforiel]

And the crest has a half-helmet and above it a naked arm holding a sword piercing a fleur-de-lis.The half-helmet means we were nobility.The naked arm means an industrious person and military honour.The sword means we were warriors.The sword piercing the fluer-de-lis was meant as a warning to English Normans who were invading,as the fluer-de-lis was often used as their symbol.Also is our family motto which is Here Is The Fist For The Dark Blooded.

[irishoforiel]

Us McMahons of Monaghan have a very rare one.A black ostrich on a silver shield.I found out the black ostrich means stomachs of iron and argent (white or silver)means constancy,grief,and vengance.And the ostrich has a gold horseshoe in its beak meaning luck.

[brandonpcv]

I had no idea that there were so many family arms! Colorful and black & white.

The Irish Book of Arms is a fantastic resource - it has thousands of documented arms.

It really is a fascinating subject to explore.