Following on from the great interest we have had in Irish Surnames,  we bring you the latest Irish name O’Doherty again kindly supplied by Eddie from Araltas.

Doherty is an example of a surname in which the resumption of its prefix 0 during the recent century has been very marked. Comparing the statistics of 1890 with 1955 we find that in the former year in Ireland out of 465 births registered only eight i.e. less than two per cent were O’Doherty: at the present time the proportion is approximately fifty per cent. i.e. those calling themselves Doherty and 0′Doherty are about equal. Alternative spellings such as Dogherty and Dougherty are rarely met with nowadays.

In Munster Doherty is often not Ó Dochartaigh but Ó Dubhartaigh: this is more correctly anglicized Doorty in west Clare.

In Oriel Dorritty is an occasional synonym.

Many Irish surnames in their anglicized forms present problems in regard to their origin. Doherty, however, is simple and straightforward. In Irish O Dochartaigh, which is said to be derived from the word dochartach meaning obstructive, this large and powerful sept is of the same stock as tbe 0′Donnells. Originating in the barony of Raphoe, Co. Donegal, the 0′Doherty chiefs extended their territory till they became Lords of Inishowen in the fourteenth century, but they were greatly reduced as a result of the ill-timed rebellion of Sir Cahir O’Dougherty in 1608. The great majority of the present day bearers of the name live, or at least were born, in Donegal or the areas adjacent to that county. Their numbers give them the fifteenth place in the list of the commonest names in Ireland.

However you choose to spell Doherty, and there are at least half a dozen versions apart from with or without the O, it remains a Donegal name. It is believed to be one of the oldest hereditary surnames, and translated from the Irish it is thought to mean obstructive. Ranking fifteenth in the list of 100 most common Irish surnames, the motto on their coat of arms is Ar nDúthcas (for my inheritance). According to the O Dogherty pedigree of 5 November 1770 in the Genealogical Office in Dublin, they are descended from one of the eight sons of Niall of the Nine Hostages, the legendary chieftain who was killed jousting in France in AD 405. Nial is reputed to be responsible for bringing the young Patrick to Ireland as a slave. Four of Niall’s sons settled in Meath. The eldest, Laogarius, was Ireland’s first Christian monarch, surely the very king who saw Patrick light his Pascal fire on the Hill of Slane. Niall’s four younger sons went north to Ulster and were known as the Hy Nialls. They reigned there for over 600 years until 1002, when Brian Boru assumed the high kingship. The names of the descendants of Niall are renowned in Irish history. They include the O Neills who were princes and earls of Tir Eogan, the O Donnells, princes and earls of Tirconnell, and the O Melaghlins, kings and princes of Meath. The O Dohertys who descend from Niall owned the Inishowen Peninsula until, to quote their genealogical document, “the accession of King James I to the throne of England and Ireland in 1603, at which period six counties of Ulster were escheated to the Crown and granted to Scotch Planters”. From the eighth to the seventeenth centuries there was a constant power struggle between the clans and in the twelfth century, against the English invaders – few Normans penetrated as far as Ulster. For a while the O Dohertys maintained good relations with the English. Cunningly they used them to play O Neill against O Donnell. Many times they preserved their land, or their lives, by pretending allegiance to Henry VIII, or Elizabeth I.Thus they acquired their knighthoods.

Shane Mor O Doherty was knighted in 1541. His son, Shane Og, who was knighted in 1585, was the father of Cahir, the most notorious of all the O Dohertys. Cahir O Doherty (1587 – 1608) was only 14 when his father died and there were many family quarrels before Cahir was finally acknowledged as Lord of Inishowen. He has been described as extremely tall and handsome and very brave in battle. Still only in his teens, he was knighted by Mountjoy for military bravery and, in 1603, was invited to visit the Court in London. On his return to Ireland he was made an admiral of the new city of Derry. Intrigues enmeshed him and he was accused of treason, which provoked him, catastrophically, into the madness of attacking Derry, which he mercilessly burned. Retribution came swiftly; a strong Crown force was dispatched and he was killed, and his head was sent to Dublin to be exhibited.

Cahir O Doherty earned himself the title “that audacious traitor” and his actions opened the floodgates for the plantation of Ulster and the tragedy which continues into the twentieth century. Cahir’s was the end of the O Doherty lordship of Inishowen. The year before his death, the northern earls had sailed away from Lough Swilly to spread their battered wings all around Europe. Cahir’s brother Sean O Doherty soon followed, and his descendant, Dr Ramon Salvador O Doherty, who lives in Cadiz in Spain, is 11th in direct line from the Lords of Inishowen. In July 1990, he was ceremonially inaugurated as 37th O Doherty chieftain.

The Keep, all that remains of the fine castle built by the O Dohertys in 1430, still stands at Buncrana, in a ruggedly charming area of Donegal between Lough Swilly and Lough Foyle. A glance in the telephone directory will confirm that the O Dohertys continue to thrive around Inishmore. Across the sea in Scotland, where they fled to escape the persecutions following the plantations, there are also many of the O Doherty name. Following the disaster of Derry, many of them went still further afield.

John Doherty (also sometimes Dougharty) (1688 – 1755), settled in Worcester in England, where he had a school for over fifty years. Mathematics was his speciality and his many published works include A Way of Finding Mean Times of the Moon’s Phases and Eclipses. A man of some distinction, he is buried in the cloisters of Worcester Cathedral.

Thomas Doherty (d. 1805) was a lowly countryman who went to England and found work clerking in a legal o6ice. During his sixteen years there he studied law, and made an important collection of precedents and notes on legal cases which were so remarkable he was made a member of Gray’s Inn, the legal institution in London. He devoted himself so obsessively to his vocation, and to editing a series of books on the duties of the Crown Court Assistant, that he utterly neglected his family, a nineteenth-century example of a workaholic.

John Doherty (1783 – 1850) graduated from Trinity College, Dublin, and in the course of time reached the eminence of Chief Justice of Ireland. His reputation as a judge was surpassed by his performance in the House of Commons in London, where his impressive appearance and sharp Irish wit were much appreciated. So also was his connection, on the maternal side, with a former Prime Minister, George Canning. Although John Doherty and Daniel O Connell were in accord as regards the granting of Catholic emancipation, politically they frequently differed bitterly. When the House of Lords was almost within his grasp, over-optimistic investment in the railway industry lost him his fortune and closed his career. Kevin Izod O Doherty (1823 – 1905), while studying medicine in Dublin, wrote articles for the Nation, mouthpiece of the Young Irelanders the protagonists of Home Rule. He was tried for treason and was deported to Van Dieman’s Land (Tasmania). He was eventually pardoned and he returned to Dublin where he completed his medical studies. In 1862 he returned voluntarily to Brisbane, Australia, where he practised successfully for 23 years and was also a member of the Queensland legislative assembly. On a visit to Ireland he was so well received that he was elected Member of Parliament for North Meath, but when he returned to Brisbane three years later he found his medical practice had disappeared. He died a poor man.

William James O Doherty (1835 – 68) was a Dublin-born O Doherty who made a name as a sculptor in London. He had the good fortune to begin his studies in the Royal Dublin Society, with its government-sponsored school of art. He soon abandoned painting for sculpture and progressed so rapidly that by 1857 he was exhibiting in London’s Royal Academy. He transformed his name to Dogherty, altering the spelling several times. His works were commissioned by the nobility and various institutions. He went to Rome to execute an important commission and to study but, alas, while on a visit to Berlin his promising career was cut short by an early death at the age of 33. The Dohertys were certainly varied in their pursuits.

At the beginning of this century, Reggie and Laurie Doherty were stylish tennis champions who graced the centre court at Wimbledon and wrote about the game.

Learn more on how you can visit the places of your ancestors on one of our many excellent ireland vacation packages or read more on the O’Doherty name at Araltas

I just came across an article from USA-Today from May 21st where they name Ireland in the Top 5 Bargain Destinations for Summer 2010.

Ireland is the only European destination to make the list and is included in the Top 5 along with California & Myrtle Beach in the USA, Quebec City in Canada and the Bahamas.

There is exceptional value available for Ireland Vacations this year, with hotel prices at the lowest they have been for many years. This combined with the 20% fall in the cost of a Euro in US$ since its peak earlier this year makes Ireland especially good value for visitors from the USA. For example, our basic, go-as-you-please package now starts at $349 compared to an average $499 last year.

We can testify to the resonance this is having with US tourists here at myguideIreland. With the volcanic eruptions in Iceland now in the past, enquiries for 2010 vacations and the exceptional value available, enquiries are growing strongly. Our advice? Book as soon as possble before the most popular areas get booked out!!

myguideIreland have just compiled a list based on our Guest’s feedback as to the top 10 places to visit in Ireland for 2010.

We’d love to hear what you think…

We have just launched an initiative that sees the US Dollar jump in value by 10% when you book a vacation to Ireland;

At myguideIreland, we always pride ourselves on putting our Guests first and are always looking for ways to offer better value without compromising the service we deliver. As you are well aware, the dollar has recently hit annual lows against the Euro and many of our Guests and potential Guests have expressed their concern. With myguideIreland, you don’t have to worry.

Behind the scenes, over the last six months, our Finance Director has been applying great foresight in currency management so we are now in a position to provide our vacation products at a great value exchange rate. Resisiting the temptation to profit from this currency hedging, we are now offering an exchange rate of just $1.35 per Euro to any US Guest booking a vacation to Ireland. This “turns back the clock” to May of this year before the recent sharp declines in the Dollar’s value.

We buy all our accommodation, rental cars, activities, tours etc in Euros so why pay $1.50 when you can book & pay now and get Euro priced products for just $1.35. We can only guarantee the exchange rate until Novemebr 14th at which point we will revert to the prevailing retail bank rate.

Here at myguideIreland we take great pride in providing a professional and personal service to our Guests when they travel to Ireland.  We hear about great experiences almost daily from our Guests and we just wanted to share (ok maybe show off) one of our latest responses to a wonderful Ireland vacation provided by one of our most experienced Ireland guides,  Genevieve .

Genevieve – Diana and I returned last Friday from our trip to Ireland (already filled out my survey from myguideIreland on line) and I wanted to send you a quick thank you note.
We had a wonderful time and the weather was perfect (which I will give you full credit for!). All of the travel details worked out from getting the car to the B&Bs and Ballyseede Castle.  Ballyseede was a wonderful experience, I am really glad we stayed there two nights. We stayed in the Coghill room and it was amazing. We ate at the bar the first night and then in the dining room for dinner our second night – all of the food including the breakfasts was delicious.

We stayed at White House B&B in Blarney – excellent and the best overall B&B; Dromcloc House near Bantry – beautiful location and very nice folks; Purple Heather near Killarney which was nice but we probably wouldn’t stay there again and Roncalli House in Galway which was very nice (tiniest bathroom but it worked!).
We visited Waterford Crystal, Blarney Castle, Kinsale, Bantry, Healy Pass in Beara Peninsula, Killarney with a trap ride through the Gap of Dunloe and a boat trip to Ross Castle (perfectly wonderful!), Dingle Peninsula which was amazing, Cliffs of Moher and Galway.
Your advice and support was outstanding and I am heartily recommending myguideIreland to all of my friends and family – don’t know how our trip could have gone any better. Thank you again for helping make our 30th anniversary everything I hoped it would be.
Please pass this note along to your coworkers who also helped us.
Dennis Slevin

 While we look at at the uncharacteristically heavy rain this August, I came across this youtube clip that reminds us just why an Ireland Vacation is just so popular: