McLoughlin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

McLoughlin is the English name of three different, inter-related Irish families, all of whom claim royal descent. The name is also spelled M'Loughlin, MacLoughlin, McLaughlin.

The Ulster family crossed the North Channel and established the Clan MacLachlan (also spelled McLauchlin, McLauchlan, and so forth). The actor Victor McLoughlin or McLaughlin changed the spelling of his name to 'McLaglen," so that people would pronounce it correctly. As a Celtic name, not an English one, the 'gh' is never pronounced "f" but is always a hard 'gh', like the 'ch' in "Loch Lomond" or, failing that, the 'gh' in "spaghetti."

1 McLoughlin of Meath
2 McLoughlin of Ulster
3 In Scotland
4 McLoughlin of Galway
5 The Canadian "Father of Oregon"
6 Famous People named McLoughlin

[edit] McLoughlin of Meath

Original name in Old Irish: ó Máeilsheáchlainn (masculine) and ní Máeilsheáchlainn (feminine); translated to Norman French and Middle English, O’Melaghlin; name in Modern English: Melaghlin, M'Loughlin, McLoughlin, and (rarely) O'Loughlin; name in Modern Irish, ó/ní Máoilsheáchlainn.

The McLoughlins of the old Kingdom of Meath (presently the counties of northern Leinster, from Dublin west/northwest-ward) are descendants of the Southern Branch of the Uí Néill Dynasty, founded by Niall Noígiallach in the fifth century, through High King Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill (reigned 988–1002 and 1014–1022; reign interrupted by Brian Boru).

[edit] McLoughlin of Ulster

Original name in Old Irish: Mac Lochlainn (related to people name Lochlainn/Lochlan, Loughlin and ó Lochlainn/O'Loughlin [of Ulster]).

The McLoughlins of Ulster are part of the Northern Branch of the Uí Niall Dynasty. As an ordinary family, they effectively ruled the modern counties Londonderry and Donegal, in the Ulster Province—some sources trace a connection to this family from the current British royal family, usually through the Scottish line of the late Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. As a royal family, this wing of the Northern Uí Niall contributed High King Domhnall Mac Lochlain (1083–1101), during the Great Civil War, more commonly known as the period of "Kings With Opposition."

[edit] In Scotland

This family has a Scottish branch, the Clan MacLachlan, whose chief's arms and crest are identical or nearly identical to those of the original Ulster family. Otherwise, the first mention of the family is of one Feregall McLoughlin in the year 1002.

[edit] McLoughlin of Galway

Original Irish name, Lochnaidh; translated to English as Loughney, rarely as MacLoughney, and very rarely as McLoughlin.

Per tradition, this McLoughlin family is more properly called "Loughney," but tradition also holds the Loughney's are distantly related to the other two McLoughlin families. Supposedly, whereas the Meath and Ulster families descend from Niall Noígiallach, the Loughney's/McLoughlins of Galway descend from his brother, Fichre, so they are Uí Fiachra, whereas the other two McLoughlin families are Uí Niall.

[edit] The Canadian "Father of Oregon"

One of the best-known McLoughlins in North American history is Jean-Baptiste McLoughlin, aka John McLoughlin (1784–1857), who is considered by many to be the Father of Oregon. Born in Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec, of nixed Irish and French-Canadian ancestry, he became a physician and, later, a partner in the Hudson's Bay Company. The Company made Dr. McLoughlin its chief factor of the Columbia District in the Oregon Country, which at that time was a joint British-American condominium that included what are today Oregon, Washington, part of Idaho, and the southern half of mainland British Columbia. That was in 1823.

Mount McLoughlin, a dormant volcano in southern Oregon, is named after Dr. John McLoughlin.