Ceallachán of Munster Society

O’Callaghan of Munster Clan

An affiliated society of The Council of Irish Clans

Who are we?

We are an online affiliated society of The Council of Irish Clans co-founded by Professor Joseph O’Callaghan (RIP) the author of the book "Clan Callaghan: The O Callaghan Family of County Cork". The society was created to serve as an online community for people who, somewhere in their ancestry, share one of the many variations of surnames that stemmed from Ceallachán of Caisil, the formidable Chief of the Eóganachta tribe and King of Munster in Ireland from AD 935 until 954 and, additionally, who can trace their lineage back to Munster (ie counties Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary & Waterford). Amongst the many famed accomplishments of Ceallachán of Caisil, he is said to have defeated the father of Brian Boru of the Dal gCais in battle and subdued the Vikings. As part of the latter, he captured Caisil (now known as Cashel in Tipperary), the historical capital of Munster, leading to him to be called Ceallachán of Caisil or more commonly, Ceallachán Caisil. See Book of The Callaghan by Chris O'Callaghan for a more detailed description of his life and deeds.

Over the 1000+ years, since Ceallachán walked this earth, numerous variations of the name have evolved, including O’Callaghan, Callaghan, O'Callahan, Callahan, O'Kallaghan, Kallaghan, Kallahan, Kalahan, Keelaghan, Kealahan & Keelan etc. This clan society has been called after Ceallachán of Caisil with the intention of, whatever variation of the surname you have inherited, making you will feel at home and welcome in this society.

Also, by way of additional clarification, it is important to understand that DNA testing reveals that the descendants of Ceallachán Caisil’s clan, as with other Irish clans, while being descended from a historic shared fraternity, are composed of more than one bloodline. Thus, in simple terms, if you or your ancestors were from Munster and bore one of the many variations of surnames that stemmed from Ceallachán of Caisil, you are part of the clan and eligible to be a member of this society.

Clans versus Clan Societies

Clearly, the world has moved on from the times when, being a clan member was key to preserving one’s life, in the face of marauding enemies; thus, a key question for these times is, what is the role of a modern clan and what are the benefits of joining this society? First, it is important to understand that a clan society, is distinct from the clan itself. The reasoning behind that is, that clan membership is something that most Irish people are born into (ie by virtue of a person’s Irish family heritage, they are de facto members of a given clan). For example, people carrying the name O’Callaghan whose ancestry was rooted in Munster are, by birthright, members of the O’Callaghan of Munster Clan, whether or not they are engaging with clan activities as part of their current life! In contrast, this clan society is something you can choose to join, or not.

So, with that explanation behind us, let s move on to look at the benefits of joining this society by describing it goals.

What are the Society’s Goals?

The aim of the Ceallachán of Munster Society is to build and maintain an online clan society that is run by the members, for the members which has the following goals¹:

1. To be a focal point (or shared platform) for descendants of the Munster Ceallachán clan (ie people whose Munster ancestors bore some variation of the surname ‘Callaghan’).

2. To foster and facilitate a clan spirit, friendship and social connection amongst clan members via enabling members to connect with each other, either online or in-person (eg gatherings).

3. To preserve the history, folklore, and traditions of our clan.

4. To support member led projects.

Note 1: We have not included personal ancestry research or advice in our goals, because we are focused on the broader social and historic nature of Irish clans, plus such activities are better served by existing ancestry research forums such as ancestry.com, familytreedna.com and reddit.com Ancestry etc.

Is There a Membership Fee?

No. The society is run by volunteers (its members) for its members; thus, there are no membership fees.

Am I Eligible for Membership and How Might I join?

If you share our goals, and your ancestors bore any of the variant names derived from Ceallachán, either now or sometime in the past², plus those family members originated from Munster in Ireland, then this is the Clan society for you. To express your interest in joining this, or any other of The Council of Irish Clans, begin by writing an email (click to open email client).

Note 2: For example, the way inherited names work, the female line loses their paternal surname, but clearly, they remain genetically part of the clan as much as any male, and thus, would be very much welcomed into this society.

Managing the Society?

As mentioned above, the society is run by members, for members. While the vast majority of members can simply enjoy the society’s benefits, for this society to function, it would be helpful if some members participated in running the clan. We are open to suggestions as to the roles members might volunteer to take on but some suggestions include:

· Writing Team (members who write occasional short articles about Callaghan history, genealogy or family research for our member newsletter)

· Media Team (members who help the society with publicity, social media postings etc)

· Website Team (members who maintain and expand the society’s webpages)

· Welcome Team (first point of contact for potential and existing members etc)

· Managing Team (akin to "Ceann Fine" & "Tánaiste" - being the public figurehead & overseeing operations)

Roles would not be permanent fixtures, rather formed and changed to fit people’s ever-changing life (ie as they juggle jobs, family and other commitments).

Could I Be Involved in Managing the Clan Society?

Yes, absolutely, we are always looking for people to volunteer their services in running this society. To enquire, begin by writing an email (click to open email client).

Further Information about the Ceallachán of Munster Clan:

· Joseph F.O Callaghan, "Clan Callaghan: The O’Callaghan Family of County Cork", 302 pages, publisher Genealogical.Com, Inc, published 23 Nov 2020 (revised edition), ISBN: 9780806359168, 2020 (revised)

· Chris O'Callaghan, Book of The Callaghan, 396 pages, Co. Cork, Ireland, 2013, 2014, 2017 & 2020, ISBN: 978-0-9565354-2-9 (provides an in-depth factual account of Ceallachán of Caisil). Click on Chris O'Callaghan to get a free download version of his book.

· Callaghan Info Webpage, discusses the history of the Munster based clan (inclusive of all variations of the surname), explaining and illustrating its Coat of Arms, together with providing numerous links to a multitude of interesting related clan information.

· Wikipedia O’Callaghan Website, Provides general information on all O’Callaghan clans, together with a list of notable clan members.

Finally, we hope you can join us on this journey, for what will surely be an interesting new adventure for our clan,

Professor Joan O’Callaghan-Castella

Professor Victor Callaghan

Contact: To enquire about this, or any other of The Council of Irish Clans begin by writing an email (click to open email client).

Our thanks to Dr Mike Fitzpatrick and Proinsias Mag Fhionnghaile, of the Council of Irish Clans, for their valuable guidance in creating this web page.