McMahon clans
McMahon or MacMahon (older Irish orthography: Mac Mathghamhna reformed Irish orthography: Mac Mathúna) is an Irish surname. The surname arose separately in two areas: in west County Clare and in County Monaghan. The County Monaghan (Airgíalla) MacMahons are not related to the County Clare (Thomond) MacMahons.
Thomond
The Thomond MacMahons were part of the great tribal grouping, the Dál gCais, and claimed descent from Mahon O'Brien, grandson of Brian Ború. The last chief of the name was killed at the battle of Kinsale in 1602, and the chiefly line became extinct.
After the defeats of the native Irish in 17th century, many of the Clare MacMahons emigrated to serve in the Irish Brigade of the French Army. John Baptiste MacMahon, descended from the MacMahon female line, took on the surname of MacMahon and was the son of one of the original members of the Irish Brigade. He was made Marquis d’Eguilly by Louis XV. He had wanted to marry into a noble family but had to prove he was a noble. The name was changed through the female line because France recognised the line through a female, unlike Ireland to this day.
His grandson, Patrice de MacMahon (1808–1893), was created Duke of Magenta, became a field marshal and later the French president. The MacMahon family are still prominent in France; the family home is the Château de Sully outside Bordeaux.[1]
Oriel
The Oriel (Anglicisation of Airgíalla) MacMahons were based in the barony of Truagh in the north of County Monaghan and ruled the kingdom of Oriel between the thirteenth and the sixteenth centuries. Their last chief, Hugh Oge MacMahon, who had become a lieutenant-colonel in the Spanish army, was beheaded by the English in 1641. A separate McMahon family in County Fermanagh is descended from Mahon Maguire, a grandson of Donn Carrach Maguire. Today, although widespread throughout Ireland, MacMahon remains most common in the two ancestral homelands of Counties Clare and Monaghan.[2]
John O'Hart notes that the MacMahons (sometimes there O'Mahons) were earlier chiefs of the over-kingdom of Ulaid, which then bordered Airgíalla.[3]
Motto
The motto of the Thomond sept of McMahons is "Sic Nos Sic Sacra Tuemur", which means "Thus We Defend Our Sacred Rights".
People
"McMahon" is the family name of the following people:
Chieftains
- Niall McMahon (Ladrannaibh, or the bandit), (early 12th century)
- Ross Bui McMahon (late 16th century)
- Brian Mac Hugh Og of the Dartrey MacMahons (late 16th century)
- Raymond McMahon of the Killyleen Mc Mahons (late 17th century)
- Nicholas McMahon of the Cluaincoinin Mc Mahons (early 19th century)
- Patrick McMahon of the Cluaincoinin Mc Mahons (late 19th century)
- Martin McMahon [Motto] of the Cluaincoinin Mc Mahons (early 20th century)
- John McMahon [Jack Martin]of the Cluaincoinin Mc Mahons (late 20th century)
Politics
- Sir Henry McMahon (diplomat) (1862–1949), British soldier and High Commissioner in Egypt
- Jim McMahon (politician)
- Michael McMahon, former New York City Councilman and current United States Congressman from the 13th district of New York State
- Marshal MacMahon (Patrice de Mac-Mahon, Duke of Magenta (1808–1893)) the first president of the Third Republic of France, from 1875 to 1879.
- Sir William McMahon (1908–1988), politician, 20th Prime Minister of Australia, father of Julian McMahon
- Michael McMahon, former Deputy Attorney General and current lawyer from Little Silver, New Jersey
Culture
- Andrew McMahon (born 1982), of the rock bands Jack's Mannequin and Something Corporate
- Bernard MacMahon, Irish Bishop
- Bryan MacMahon, Judge High Court (Ireland)
- Ciarán Mac Mathúna (1925–2009), Irish broadcaster
- Éabha McMahon (born 1992), Irish singer
- Ed McMahon (1923–2009), American entertainer known for his work on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
- Ella McMahon, British singer better known as Ella Eyre
- Geraldine McMahon, British-born harpist and singer of Irish descent
- Gerard McMahon, English singer-songwriter known for the gothic rock anthem "Cry Little Sister" recorded for The Lost Boys film
- Heber MacMahon, Irish bishop of Clogher, General of Confederate Ulster-Army in 1650
- Hugh MacMahon, Irish bishop of Clogher
- Ivor McMahon (1924–1972), English violinist
- Jennifer McMahon (born 1968), American novelist
- Julian McMahon (born 1968), actor, son of former Australian Prime Minister William McMahon
- Kevin McMahon, (born 1953), industrial rock musician
- Séamus mac Pilib Mac Mathghamhna (died 1519), Bishop of Derry
- Sonia McMahon (1932–2010), Australian socialite, wife of former Australian Prime Minister William McMahon, mother of Julian
- Tony MacMahon (1939-), an Irish button accordion player and radio and television broadcaster.
Science
- Brian MacMahon, epidemiologist
- James McMahon, American amateur astronomer
- Lee E. McMahon, American computer scientist known for his work on the early Unix operating system and on the McMahon system tournament
- Percy Alexander MacMahon (1854-1929), British soldier and mathematician
- Thomas A. McMahon, Professor of Applied Mechanics and Biology at Harvard, accredited novelist
Sports
- Michael McMahon (born 1994), SANFL Footballer for North Adelaide Football Club & Junior at Gepps Cross Football Club
- Brian McMahon (rower) (born 1961), Canadian coxswain
- Brigitte McMahon (born 1967), Swiss triathlete
- Daryl McMahon, Irish footballer
- Doc McMahon (1886–1929), Major League Baseball pitcher
- Don McMahon (1930–1987), Major League Baseball pitcher
- Eddie McMahon, Scottish footballer
- Jim McMahon (born 1959), American football player
- Joe McMahon, Tyrone Gaelic footballer
- John McMahon, Australian-born cricketer who played in England
- Justin McMahon, Tyrone Gaelic footballer
- Kevin McMahon (athlete) (born 1972), American hammer thrower
- Mike McMahon, multiple persons
- Pat McMahon (coach) (born 1953), American baseball coach
- Philip McMahon (1896–1997), Dublin Gaelic Footballer
- Ralph McMahon, alias of Ralph Horween, American football player for Harvard Crimson and in the NFL; centenarian
- Ross McMahon, footballer (Burnley FC)
- Sadie McMahon (1867–1964), Major League Baseball pitcher
- Sean McMahon (born 1994), Australian rugby union player
- Seánie McMahon, former Clare hurler
- Sharelle McMahon, Australian netballer
- Steve McMahon (footballer) (born 1961), English footballer (Liverpool FC)
- Tony McMahon, footballer (Middlesbrough FC)
Wrestling
The McMahon wrestling family of WWE fame:
- Roderick "Jess" McMahon (1882–1954), boxing and wrestling promoter; father of Vincent James McMahon, grandfather of current chairman Vincent Kennedy McMahon, founder of Capitol Wrestling Corporation
- Vince McMahon, Sr. (1914–1984), wrestling promoter and founder of WWE's immediate predecessor company, the World Wide Wrestling Federation
- Vince McMahon, Jr. (born 1945), chairman of the board, CEO and majority shareholder of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (dba WWE, Inc.)
- Linda McMahon (born 1948), wife of Vince Jr. and former CEO of WWE
- Shane McMahon (born 1970), son of Vince Jr. and former Executive President of WWE Global Media
- Marissa Mazzola-McMahon (born 1973), wife of Shane
- Stephanie McMahon Levesque (born 1976), daughter of Vince Jr. and Chief Brand Officer of WWE
- Paul "Triple H" Levesque (born 1969), husband of Stephanie
Ships of the surname
MV Empire MacMahon was an oil tanker converted by the British for WWII service as a merchant aircraft carrier or MAC ship, that is an escort carrier for anti-submarine warfare, an anti-submarine warfare carrier.
See also
- McMahon, Saskatchewan, hamlet in Canada
- McMahon Stadium in Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- The McMahon Act or the Atomic Energy Act of 1946
- McMahon-Hussein Correspondence, exchange of letters during World War I concerning the fate of the Middle East
- McMahon system tournament, tournament pairing system invented for Go competitions
- An electorate area of Australia, NSW
- Mathgamain mac Cennétig
References
- ^ http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/surname/index.cfm?fuseaction=History&Surname=McMahon&UserID=
- ^ http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/surname/index.cfm?fuseaction=History&Surname=McMahon&UserID=
- ^ John O'Hart, Irish Pedigrees; or, The Origin and Stem of the Irish Nation, 5th edition, in two volumes, originally published in Dublin in 1892, reprinted, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976, Vol. 1, p 819