McMahon
McMahon or MacMahon (older Irish orthography: Mac Mathghamha reformed Irish orthography: Mac Mathúna) is an Irish surname. The surname arose separately in two areas, in west Clare and in Co. Monaghan. The Co. Monaghan (Airgíalla) MacMahons are not related to the Co. Clare (Thomond) MacMahons.
Thomond
The Thomond MacMahons were part of the great tribal grouping, the Dál gCais, and claim 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 the seventeenth 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, son of one of the original members of the Irish Brigade in the French army was made Marquis d’Eguilly by Louis XV. he had wanted to marry into a noble family and he had to prove he was from nobility, thus the reason of name change through the female line, because in France they recognize the line through a female where in Ireland and up to the present they don't recognize the female line. His grandson, Edmonde Patrice MacMahon (1808–93) was created Duke of Magenta, became a Field Marshal and President of France. The MacMahon family are still prominent in France; the family home is the Château de Sully outside Bordeaux.[1]
Oriel
The Oriel MacMahons were based in the barony of Truagh in the north of Co. 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 Fermanagh are 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 Clare and Monaghan.[2]
John O'Hart notes that the MacMahon (sometimes there O'Mahon) were earlier chiefs in Gaelic Ireland's Ulidia, which then bordered Oriel, which was from earlier times also known as Airgíalla.[3]
Motto
The motto of the Thomond sept of the 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 McMahons (late 17th century)
- Nicholas McMahon of the Clouncuneen McMahons (mid 19th century)
- Patrick McMahon of the Clouncuneen McMahons (late 19th century)
- Martin McMahon [Motto] of the Clouncuneen McMahons (early 20th century)
- John McMahon [Jack Martin]of the Clouncuneen McMahons (early 21st century)
Politics
- 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 Henry McMahon (diplomat) (1862–1949), British soldier and High Commissioner in Egypt
- Michael McMahon, former New York City Councilman and current United States Congressman from the 13th district of New York State
- Sir William McMahon (1908–1988), politician, 20th Prime Minister of Australia, father of Julian McMahon
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
- Collin McMahon (1967-) Screen Writer, Novelist
- Ed McMahon (1923–2009), American entertainer known for his work on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
- 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
Science
- Brian MacMahon, epidemiologist
- James McMahon, American amateur astronomer
- Jennifer McMahon, biologist
- Lee E. McMahon, American computer scientist known for his work on the early Unix operating system and on the McMahon system tournament
Business
- Ken McMahon (1927–2011), Australian Mining Engineer
Sports
- Brian McMahon (rower) (born 1961), Canadian coxswain
- Brigitte McMahon (born 1967), Swiss triathlete
- Damien McMahon former Wicklow senior footballer
- Daryl McMahon, Irish footballer
- Doc McMahon (1886–1929), Major League Baseball pitcher
- Don McMahon (1930–1987), Major League Baseball pitcher
- 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
- 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
- The McMahon Line, border between Tibet and India agreed to at the 1914 Simla Convention
- 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
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