MacDonell of Antrim question

**FossilHunter** · 7th November 17, 09:59 AM

Since clan membership is based largely on geography and/or allegiance to a chieftain, who would be a member of MacDonell of Antrim? Anyone whose ancestors lived in Antrim at the time of the clan system?

I’m not asking for myself, I’m simply curious how the system would be applied to territory in Ireland.

**Damion** · 8th November 17, 02:20 PM

McDonnells didn't control Antrim, they controlled a smallish coastal strip made up of several glens. They were part of a larger region that included Islay where the Clan seat was and Kintyre, both in Scotland. Look up MacDonald of Dunnyveg. The biggest family in Antrim at the time were the O'Neills. One of the reasons the clan was at war so often is that the English tried to remove them directly and/or play the Irish against them because they didn't like having a region so close to their lands in Ireland that were subjects of the Scottish crown.
The McDonnells are not related to the O'Donnells of nearby Donegal who come from a Domhnall of the O'Neill.

It raises the question though why the Scots Gaels didn't use O'. The Irish used clann in a similar way but favoured O' over Mac so it seems there was some difference in culture. The O'Neill clan of Clannaboy for example: Clann Aodh Buidhe - clan of blond Hugh.

**FossilHunter** · 8th November 17, 08:23 PM

Originally Posted by Damion

McDonnells didn't control Antrim, they controlled a smallish coastal strip made up of several glens. They were part of a larger region that included Islay where the Clan seat was and Kintyre, both in Scotland. Look up MacDonald of Dunnyveg. The biggest family in Antrim at the time were the O'Neills. One of the reasons the clan was at war so often is that the English tried to remove them directly and/or play the Irish against them because they didn't like having a region so close to their lands in Ireland that were subjects of the Scottish crown.
The McDonnells are not related to the O'Donnells of nearby Donegal who come from a Domhnall of the O'Neill.

It raises the question though why the Scots Gaels didn't use O'. The Irish used clann in a similar way but favoured O' over Mac so it seems there was some difference in culture. The O'Neill clan of Clannaboy for example: Clann Aodh Buidhe - clan of blond Hugh.

Would that mean that there are very few people who could claim to be of that branch outside of the family and retainers of the MacDonnells who controlled and ran that narrow strip of glens?

**Damion** · 8th November 17, 10:26 PM

My knowledge is limited to before the English conquered the region and brought in planters from Britain. I don't know what the McDonnells did during the Elizabethan period, civil war etc. I have a distant McDonnell ancestor from Antrim myself, this one left Ireland in the 1840s but I know very little about them or their ancestors.
Essentially Celtic Ireland ceased after the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Much of the nobility fled and while Irish was spoken by the majority for at least another 150 years, it became a language of the poor.

**MacGrandma** · 2nd March 18, 12:52 AM

Though I am sure families lived near each other in towns.. Most were escaping for religious reasons. Children could not be christened, marriages not allowed in that religion in Scotland. Some were killed, married in forest Convenors gatherings with guards to guard the ministers. It was forbidden to be Presbyterian in Scotland and they moved to Antrim County Ireland. Do you know what county your family was in? Maybe others from your county might know of other MacDonells in that area and the towns they lived? The Clans were in Scotland but a lot of the Clan members especially who would not follow the English religion of that time would hide out in Northern Ireland. If you couldn't christen your children, there was fear their children would not go to heaven if they died and of course Weddings needed to performed to be legit. Really sad times I am finding out the fear and the wars and killings. Kind of why America allowed for many religions because of all the wars. The US separated out into the Colonies by religion.

Quakers in Delaware, Presbyterian Protestants later in North Carolina etc. They even sorted land grants moving westward by state to keep the same religions together in the US.. No Antrim was religious based pretty much I think, not Clan though like I said I am sure families including Clan Families lived near each other.. That is why I was aksing did you know what city in the County of Antrim your family was?

But Clans were mixed up pretty much and found refuge in church and similar religions instead of Clans in Ireland. Though I am sure with hundreds of years of Clan wars.. some were still at it in Ireland lol

**FossilHunter** · 2nd March 18, 09:11 AM

As I said, I do not actually have any Antrim ancestry (that I am aware of).

This thread really came about after seeing a photo of the chiefs of clan donald and wondering about the earl of Antrim and whether he had a clan tartan of his own. Upon reading about him and his clan branch’s history I wondered who would qualify as a member of his clan. It seems that the MacDonnells of Antrim were far more influential at one point in their history (which I guess could be said of all the MacDonald clans).

I believe the earl of Antrim was wearing a kilt in Macdonald of the isles in the photo I saw.