Breathnach (meaning ''Welsh''), or Bhreathnach (feminine form), is an Irish surname, indicating an ancestor who was Welsh. It is the Irish-language version of surnames such as Brannagh, Brunnock, Brannick,
Walsh
Walsh may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Walsh (surname), including a list of people and fictional characters
Places Australia
* Mount Walsh, Mount Walsh National Park
Canada
* Fort Walsh, one of the first Royal Canadian Mounted ...
,
Wallace
Wallace may refer to:
People
* Clan Wallace in Scotland
* Wallace (given name)
* Wallace (surname)
* Wallace (footballer, born 1986), full name Wallace Fernando Pereira, Brazilian football left-back
* Wallace (footballer, born 1987), full name Wa ...
, and Wallis.
However, it does not necessarily mean that the ancestor concerned was from modern-day
Wales
Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
; Robert Bell notes that Wallace was a surname indicating a
Briton
British people or Britons, also known colloquially as Brits, are the citizens of the United Kingdom, the British Overseas Territories, and the Crown dependencies.: British nationality law governs modern British citizenship and nationality, w ...
native of
Strathclyde
Strathclyde ( in Welsh language, Welsh; in Scottish Gaelic, Gaelic, meaning 'strath
alley
An alley or alleyway is a narrow lane, footpath, path, or passageway, often reserved for pedestrians, which usually runs between, behind, or within buildings in towns and cities. It is also a rear access or service road (back lane), or a path, w ...
of the River Clyde') was one of nine former Local government in Scotland, local government Regions and districts of Scotland, regions of Scotland cre ...
or any part of the Latin name Wallensis meant just that. It can also refer to the
Cambro-Norman
Cambro-Normans (; "Wales", ; ) were Normans who settled in southern Wales and the Welsh Marches after the Norman invasion of Wales. Cambro-Norman knights were also the leading force in the Cambro-Norman invasion of Ireland, led by Richard de ...
s (later
Hiberno-Norman
Norman Irish or Hiberno-Normans (; ) is a modern term for the descendants of Norman settlers who arrived during the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland in the 12th century. Most came from England and Wales. They are distinguished from the native ...
s) that were of
Norman
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 9th and 10th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norma ...
origin, but came to Ireland via Wales. The name appears in twelfth-century records of Ayrshire and Renfrewshire, parts of the old Strathclyde kingdom ... Wallace has also been used as a synonym of Walsh." (Bell, p. 244). The best known bearer of the name from the area was Uilleam Breatnach (
William Wallace
Sir William Wallace (, ; Norman French: ; 23 August 1305) was a Scottish knight who became one of the main leaders during the First War of Scottish Independence.
Along with Andrew Moray, Wallace defeated an English army at the Battle of St ...
).
John de Courcy
Sir John de Courcy (c. 1150–1219) was an Anglo-Norman knight who lived in Ireland from 1176 until his expulsion in 1204. He conquered a considerable territory, endowed religious establishments, built abbeys for both the Benedictines and the ...
(1160–1219) planted significant numbers of Britons of
Cumbria
Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial county in North West England. It borders the Scottish council areas of Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders to the north, Northumberland and County Durham to the east, North Yorkshire to the south-east, Lancash ...
during his lordship of
Ulster
Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...
. Gaelic-Irish sources such as
Dubhaltach MacFhirbhisigh
Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh (), also known as Dubhaltach Óg mac Giolla Íosa Mór mac Dubhaltach Mór Mac Fhirbhisigh, Duald Mac Firbis, Dudly Ferbisie, and Dualdus Firbissius (fl. 1643 – January 1671) was an Irish scribe, translator, histor ...
concur, referring to such people as ''breatnaigh'', denoting a Briton (see
Old Welsh
Old Welsh () is the stage of the Welsh language from about 800 AD until the early 12th century when it developed into Middle Welsh.Koch, p. 1757. The preceding period, from the time Welsh became distinct from Common Brittonic around 550, ha ...
) (''Medieval Ireland'', p. 514).
Bearers of the name
*
Breandán Breathnach
Breandán Breathnach (1 April 1912 – 6 November 1985) was an Irish music collector and uilleann piper. In addition to collecting Irish music, he is known for his ''Ceol Rince na hÉireann'' (Dance Music of Ireland) series.
Life
Breathnach gr ...
Edel Bhreathnach
Edel Bhreathnach is an Irish historian and academic and former CEO of the Discovery Programme.
Bhreathnach was a Tara Research Fellow for the Discovery Programme from 1992 to 2000. In 2005 she was appointed Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Mícheál ...
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sports, amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional Irish sports o ...
(GAA) sportsperson
*
Gearóidín Bhreathnach
Gearóidín Bhreathnach () is an Irish singer that originally grew up in Rannafast, in the Rosses, County Donegal; she now lives in Ardveen, also in the Rosses.sean-nós singer
* Lucilita Bhreatnach,
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin ( ; ; ) is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The History of Sinn Féin, original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffit ...
politician
A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...
*
Maire Breathnach
Marie Bheag Breathnach is an Irish actress.
Breathnach played the part of Mo Gilmartin on the Irish language drama, '' Ros na Rún'', from 2002 to 2021.
She is a native of Cnoc Leitirmullen, in Galway
Galway ( ; , ) is a City status ...
, actress
*
Máire Breatnach
Máire Breatnach () is an Irish fiddle, violin and viola player. She also sings in Irish on some of her albums. Since the early 1990s, she has recorded five solo albums, participated in many collaborations, and developed didactic material fo ...
, musician and educator
*
Mícheál Breathnach
Mícheál Breathnach (1881 – 27 October 1908) was an Irish writer.
Breathnach was born at Cois Fharraige, County Galway, and worked for some time as a Secretary of the London Branch of the Gaelic League. He later worked as headmaster of the ...
Niamh Bhreathnach
Niamh Síle Bhreathnach (; 1 June 1945 – 6 February 2023) was an Irish Labour Party politician who served as Minister for Education from 1993 to 1994 and 1994 to 1997.
She served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dún Laoghaire constituency f ...
Paddy Breathnach
Paddy Breathnach (born 1964) is an Irish director and producer. He has directed ''Man About Dog'', ''Blow Dry'' and '' Shrooms''. He was also involved in the production of ''The Mighty Celt'' and ''Ape''. Since 2022 he's been directing the comed ...
Seán Bán Breathnach
Seán Bán Breathnach (born 1949) is an Irish radio and television broadcaster and personality. He broadcasts primarily in the medium of the Irish language.
Early life and career
Born in the Connemara area of County Galway, Breathnach moved to ...
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army (Provisional IRA), officially known as the Irish Republican Army (IRA; ) and informally known as the Provos, was an Irish republican paramilitary force that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland ...
and
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin ( ; ; ) is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The History of Sinn Féin, original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffit ...
Bhreathnach Bhreathnach is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Edel Bhreathnach, Irish historian and academic
* Gearóidín Bhreathnach, Irish singer
* Linda Bhreathnach (born 1983), Irish television actress
* Niamh Bhreathnach
Niamh Sí ...
References
* ''The Book of Ulster Surnames'', Robert Bell, 1988.
* ''Walsh:Breathnach'', Dáithí Ó hÓgáin,
Gill & Macmillan
Gill is an independent publisher and distributor based in Dublin, Ireland.
History
In 1856, Michael Henry Gill, printer for Dublin University, purchased the publishing and bookselling business of James McGlashan, and the company was renamed Mc ...
, Dublin, 2003
* ''Welsh Influence'' in ''Medieval Ireland:An Encyclopedia'' (2005), ed. Seán Duffy, p. 514.