O'Leary

O'Leary is a common Irish name, an anglicized version of the original spelling 'O Laoghaire' or 'O Laoire.' Early records of the name Lóegaire mac Néill are from Tara where High-King Laoghaire, a member of the Uí Néill clan, became the first Christian king of Ireland in 432 AD.

The Uí Laoghaire clan, today associated with the Uibh Laoghaire parish in County Cork, is considered by scholars to have originated on the south-west coast, in the area of Ros Ó gCairbre (Rosscarbery), of which the O'Leary were hereditary lords. The Annals of Innisfallen (Dublin copy) records St. Fachtna's (Saint Fachanan) death in 600 A.D. as ocurring in "O'Laeghaire of Ross i.e. Corca Laidhe-I-Laeghaire Ruis. The clan traces its lineage to High-King Lugaid mac Con who ruled in approximately 200 A.D. In the 12th century the O'Leary's were recognised hereditary wardens of St Fachtna's monastery and seat of higher learning, the School of Ross. In more recent times(1300-), the clan, of the Corca Laidhe tribe, was pushed north and settled in an area south of Macroom around Inchigeelagh on the River Lee called Uibh Laoghaire (or Uibh Laoire in modern Irish - the 'gh' is silent in the old Irish).

References

People

Arts and entertainment

• John O'Leary (poet) (1830–1907), Irish poet who was imprisoned in England during the nineteenth century.
• Kevin O'Leary (A Dragon on the television show, Dragons' Den).
• Mark O'Leary, Irish guitarist and composer
• Matt O'Leary, American actor
• Michael O'Leary (actor) (born 1958), actor in the long-running American soap opera Guiding Light
• Patrick O'Leary (born 1952), American science fiction writer
• Sean O'Leary (musician) (born 1953), an English singer-songwriter, musician and writer.
• Tim O'Leary, fictional character in the British soap opera Brookside
• William O'Leary (actor), American actor

Journalism, TV presenting

• Dermot O'Leary (born 1973), British television and radio presenter
• Grattan O'Leary (1888-1976), Canadian journalist and Senator
• Jeremiah O'Leary, American journalist
• John O'Leary (journalist), editor of the Times Higher Education Supplement
• Olivia O'Leary, Irish journalist

Politics

• Denis O'Leary (1863-1943), New York politician
• Grattan O'Leary (1888-1976), Canadian journalist and Senator
• Hazel O'Leary (born 1937), former United States Secretary of Energy
• John O'Leary (Kerry) (born 1933), former Irish Fianna Fáil party politician and TD for Kerry South
• John O'Leary (Wexford) (1894–1959), former Irish Labour party politician and TD for Wexford
• Joseph V. O'Leary, NYS Comptroller 1941-1942
• Michael O'Leary (politician) (1936–2006), former leader of the Irish Labour Party
• William O'Leary (Irish politician) (died 1955), Irish Fianna Fáil politician and TD for Kerry
• Sean O'Leary (Irish politician) (born 1941), former Irish senator

Sport

• Charley O'Leary (1882-1941), American baseball player
• David O'Leary, Irish football (soccer) manager formerly of Aston Villa
• George O'Leary (born 1946), American college football coach
• John O'Leary (Gaelic footballer)
• Kristian O'Leary, Welsh football (soccer) player
• Seanie O'Leary (born 1954), Irish hurler
• Tomás O'Leary (born 1983), Irish rugby union player
• Troy O'Leary (born 1969), American baseball player

Other

• Arthur O'Leary (1729-1802), Irish Franciscan
• Brian O'Leary, American "scientist-astronaut"
• Catherine O'Leary (1827-1895), owner of the property in which it was alleged the Great Chicago Fire started
• Daniel Florencio O'Leary (1802-1854), military general under Simon Bolivar
• James Patrick O'Leary (c. 1860-1926), American mobster
• Michael O'Leary (VC) (1890–1961), Irish-Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross
• Michael O'Leary (Ryanair), CEO of the low-cost Irish airline Ryanair

Places

• Dún Laoghaire, Dublin, Ireland - Name means "Fort of Leary".
• O'Leary, Prince Edward Island
• Plaza O’Leary - major square in Caracas, Venezuela. Named for Daniel Florencio O'Leary

See also

• Leary