Ó hÁdhmaill is a Gaelic Irish clan from Ulster.[7] The name is now rendered in many forms, most commonly Hamill. The clan are a branch of Cenél nEógain (specifically, Cenél mBinnigh), belonging to the Uí Néill; they claim descent from Eochu Binneach, the son of Eógan mac Néill. Their descendants in Ireland are found predominantly across Ulster, and County Louth, Leinster.

Ó hÁḋmaıll
Ó hÁdhmaill
PronunciationO'Hamill
GenderMasculine
Other gender
FeminineNí Ádhmaill, Bean Uí Ádhmaill, Uí Ádhmaill
Origin
Language(s)Irish
MeaningDescendant of Ádhmall (quick, ready, active)[1]
Region of originRuled a territory in South Tyrone[2][3] & Armagh, now found across Ulster and Louth
MottoEsse Quam Videri
To Be Rather Than To Seem
Other names
Variant form(s)Ádhmall, Áḋmaıll, Ui hAdhmaill, Ó hÁḋmaill, Ó hAdhmaill, O'hAdhmaill, Ui hAghmaill, Ó hÁghmaill, Ó hAghmaill,[4] O'hAghmaill,[5] O'Hamill, Hamill, Hamil, Hammill, Hammil, O'Hamell, O'Hammell, Hamell, Hammell, Hammel, Hamel, Homill, Hommill, Homil, O'Hammoyle,[6] Hamall, Hammall, Hamaill

Clan was noted for being poets and ollovs (learned people)
Ua hAghmaill are hereditary chiefs of; Teallach Cathalain, Teallach Duibhbrailbe and Teallach Braenain / Glenconkeine, barony of Loughinsholin

In Irish if the second part of the surname begins with a vowel 'Á', the form Ó attaches a h to it, this is the h-prothesis mutation. In this case Ádhmaill becomes Ó hÁdhmaill. The other forms effect no change: Ní Adhmaill, (Bean) Uí Adhmaill.[8][9]

Capitalized as: Ó hÁDHMAILL or Ó ʜÁDHMAILL, the first 'h' should always be either lowercase, or a smaller 'H' font size.

House Male Meaning Anglicised Wife Daughter Examples
Ó/Ua descendant of O' Peadar Ó hAdhmaill, Aoife Uí Adhmaill (Aoife wife of Peader), Róisín Ní Adhmaill (Róisín daughter of Peader)

Motto and Coat of Arms

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The Motto is Esse Quam Videri, translated as To Be Rather Than To Seem.[10]

The Slogan (battle cry) is "Vestigia nulla retrorsum", translated as No backward steps.[11]

The Coat of Arms is described as being; A shield azure field with two horizontal bars of ermine fur. On top of the shield is a ducal coronet. Atop the coronet is the figure of a leopard in profile, sitting with its face to the viewer's left.[10][11]

History

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One of the leading clans of the Cenél mBinnigh, Cenél nEógain a branch of the Northern Uí Néill. They are descendants of Eochach Binnich mac Eógain, son of Eógan mac Néill, son of the fifth-century Néill Noígiallaig (Niall of the Nine Hostages), founder of the Uí Néill dynasty. Cenél mBinnigh where the first clan of the Cenél nEógain (Cenél nEóghain)[12] to advance from Inishowen.

The O'Hamills continued to move from North Ulster with the Northern Ui Neill's, and ruled territory in County Tyrone and County Armagh, South Ulster.[3]

  • Hereditary Chief or Clan chief; Ua hAghmaill (O'Hamill), Teallach Duibhbrailbe.
  • Cinéal (Kinship); Cenél nEógain (Cinel Eoghain).
  • Finte (Clans); Ua Brolaigh, herenaghs of Tech na Coimairce and Clongleigh.
  • Branches;
    • Cenél mBinnig Glinne in the valley of Glenconkeine, barony of Loughinsholin
    • Cenél mBindigh Locha Droichid east of Magh Ith in Tirone (County Tyrone)
    • Cenél mBindigh Tuaithe Rois and one branch of the Ua Brolaigh, east of the River Foyle and north of the barony of Loughinsholin
Family tree
  • Niall Noi nGiallach - Néill Noígiallaig - Niall of the Nine Hostages
    • Eógan mac Néill - Eoghan mac Niall (Cenél nEógain - Cenél nEóghain - Cineál Eoghain)
      • Eochach Binnich mac Eógain - Och Binnigh mac Eoghan (Cenél mBinnigh - CineálnBinnigh)
        • Ua hAghmaill - Ó hÁdhmaill - O'Hamill

Irish-English Hamill

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Prior to the middle of the 20th century, Irish was usually written using the Gaelic typefaces, in this case the surname appeared as Ó hÁḋmaıll. The dot above the lenited letter (ḋ) was replaced by the letters dh from the standard Roman alphabet changing it to Ó hÁdhmaıll. Also the Irish language makes no graphemic distinction between dotted i and dotless ı so at the same time it changed to Ó hÁdhmaill.

As the dh is silent, the pronunciation is similar to spelling it as O'Hamill which is how it came to be spelt when it was phonetically anglicised,[13] over time the spelling lost the O' and changed to Hamill,[14] giving us the modern Irish-English spelling of Hamill.

Notable people include

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Community

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  • Tara Uí Adhmaill, Educator, specialising in the teaching of Irish to adults with expertise in raising children with Irish and Co-Founder of Glór Mológa, an Irish language community group based in Dublin South Central.

Historic

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  • Giolla Criost Ó hAdhmaill, taoiseach of Clann Adhmaill[15] who fought with the last King of Ulaid, Ruaidhrí Mac Duinnshléibhe against John de Courcy in 1177.
  • Ruarcan O'Hamill, chief Poet to O'Hanlon[16][17]

Professional

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Sport

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Military

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  • Peadar Ó hÁḋmaıll, Peter Hamill, Na Fianna Éireann 1st Brigade, 4th Northern Division, No. 5. Sec.,[24] Dún Dealgan[25]
  • Thomas Hamill[25] (1878–1955), Irish Volunteers, 4 Battalion, Cycling Corps and Irish Republican Army, 1 Brigade, 4 Northern Division, Dundalk[26]
  • Thomas Hamill, Dunleer[25]
  • Thomas Hamill, Irish Volunteers and Irish Republican Army, Dublin. Served in 1 Battalion, G Company, Dublin Brigade.[27]
  • Thomas Hamill, Na Fianna Éireann, 1st Battalion Belfast Brigade[28]
  • William Hamill, Na Fianna Éireann, 3rd (Armagh) Brigade, 4th Northern Division, Armagh City Sluagh attached to Armagh City Batt.[29]
  • Barney Hamill, Na Fianna Éireann, 3rd (Armagh) Brigade, 4th Northern Division, Derrytrasna Sluagh attached to Lurgan Batt.[29]
  • George Hamill, Irish Republican Army (1919–1922), Lurgan Battalion, B Company Lurgan[30]
  • James Hamill, Irish Republican Army (1919–1922), Lurgan Battalion, C Company Derrymacash[30]
  • Thomas Hamill, Irish Republican Army (1919–1922), A Company, Dungannon Battalion, No. 1 Brigade, 2nd Northern Division[31]
  • James Hamill, Irish Republican Army (1919–1922), A Company, Dungannon Battalion, No. 1 Brigade, 2nd Northern Division[31]
  • John Hamill, Irish Republican Army (1919–1922), B Company, Dungannon Battalion, No. 1 Brigade, 2nd Northern Division[31]
  • James Hamill, Irish Republican Army (1919–1922), C Company, Dungannon Battalion, No. 1 Brigade, 2nd Northern Division[31]
  • John Hamill, Irish Republican Army (1919–1922), C Company, Dungannon Battalion, No. 1 Brigade, 2nd Northern Division[31]
  • Patrick Hamill, Irish Republican Army (1919–1922), D Company, Dungannon Battalion, No. 1 Brigade, 2nd Northern Division[31]
  • Arthur & Patrick Hamill, Irish Republican Army (1919–1922), D Company, Dungannon Battalion, No. 1 Brigade, 2nd Northern Division[31]
  • Michael Hamill, Irish Republican Army (1919–1922), F Company, Dungannon Battalion, No. 1 Brigade, 2nd Northern Division[31]
  • Francis Hamill, Irish Republican Army (1919–1922), G Company, Dungannon Battalion, No. 1 Brigade, 2nd Northern Division[31]
  • Sáir Seán Ó hÁmaill (sic), Sgt. John Hamill (died Cyprus 7/4/1965), Memorial: Irish Army United Nations Service, located Section 40, South Section (E) of Glasnevin Cemetery.[32]

Notable people with Anglicised variants include

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Places

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Variations

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While Hamell in Irish is spelt Ó hÁmaill,[33] it is often incorrectly used as the Irish version of Hamill.[23][32]

Unrelated names – same spelling

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There are several surnames that are spelt the same but are unrelated:[34][35][3][36]

  • Some Scottish Hamill's are of Norman origin and are named after a location; Haineville or Henneville in Manche, France. Which itself was named from the Germanic personal name Hagano and the Old French ville for 'settlement'.
  • The English Hamill's of Saxon origin are named after a nickname from Middle English, and the Old English "hamel".
  • The English/Scottish Hamilton's are named after a location; the village of Hamilton, Leicestershire, England.
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References

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  1. ^ Library of Ireland, Ó hÁdhmaill
  2. ^ Hamill households in mid–19th century Ireland
  3. ^ a b c "Ulster Ancestry Hamill". www.ulsterancestry.com. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  4. ^ Library of Ireland, Ó hÁghmaill
  5. ^ Library of Ireland Ancient Irish Sirnames, O'h-Aghmaill
  6. ^ The Book of Irish Families, Great & Small, By Michael C. O'Laughlin, 2002
  7. ^ Annals of the Four Masters, M1166.11
  8. ^ Ó hÁdhmaill Foras na Gaeilge
  9. ^ Ó hÁdhmaill Sloinne Surname
  10. ^ a b "History of Hamill Name". www.oocities.org. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  11. ^ a b Jordan, John W. (2004). Colonial And Revolutionary Families Of Pennsylvania. Genealogical Publishing Com. ISBN 9780806352398.
  12. ^ "The great Cineál Eoghain | ONeills of Ulster". ancientclanoneill.com. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  13. ^ Anglicisation of Irish Surnames
  14. ^ Why are there so many English Surnames in Ireland?, Mike, 2013
  15. ^ Mac Carthaigh's Book, MCB1178.1
  16. ^ Annals of the Four Masters, M1376.8
  17. ^ Annals of Loch Cé, LC1376.4
  18. ^ [1] Judges of the court service of Ireland
  19. ^ UCC Programme Director Voluntary and Community Sector Management
  20. ^ BBC Cormac Ó hAdhmaill
  21. ^ BBC2 Cuisle Irish language arts series
  22. ^ ROSG Fíor Scéal produced for TG4
  23. ^ a b Tomás O’hAmaill, incorrectly spelt by GAA
  24. ^ Military Archives - 1 Brigade, 4 Northern Division, Dundalk
  25. ^ a b c Bogan, Alan; Agnew, Pádraic; Howard, Marcus (2016). The Louth Volunteers 1916. Dundalk: The Write Space Publishing. p. 328. ISBN 9781911345381.
  26. ^ Military Service Pensions Records, File Reference: MSP34REF16105
  27. ^ Military Service Pensions Records, File Reference: MSP34REF8931
  28. ^ Military Archives - 1st Battalion Belfast Brigade
  29. ^ a b Military Archives - 3 (Armagh) Brigade, 4 Northern Division
  30. ^ a b Military Archives - Lurgan Battalion
  31. ^ a b c d e f g h i Military Archives - 2nd Northern Division, 1 Brigade (Tyrone), 2nd Battalion (Dungannon)
  32. ^ a b Sáir Seán Ó hÁmaill, incorrectly spelt on Irish Defence Forces U.N. Service Memorial
  33. ^ Sloinne, Foras na Gaeilge; Ó hÁmaill
  34. ^ US About Family Education
  35. ^ Forebears English/Scottish Hamill Surname Meaning
  36. ^ Dictionary of American Family Names