The Name MULQUEEN – (Gaelic – Uí Mhaolchaoine)
O’ Mulqueeny, Mulqueeny, Mulqueen, Mulqueeney, Mulquin, Mulquine, Mulkeen, Mulligan.
A bardic family of Thomond (Eire)
It is thought that originally Mulqueen was the Anglicized version of the Gaelic O’ Maolchaoin meaning ‘The male descendant of the Gentle Chief’.
Whilst O’Mulqueen/Mulqueeny may be from the equally ancient O’ Maolchaine,” translating, it is said, as “The male descendant of the follower of St Caoine”.
The name’s epicentre is the village of Ballymulqueeny near the town of Ennis, although the centres of recordings for Mulqueen is Askeaton, in County Limerick, and for Mulqueeny, the villages of Ennistmon, Kilkee and Kilrush in County Clare.
The “Mulqueen’s” were recorded as a bardic tribe in the annals of the Dal Cais in the 10th century and in the “Annals of the Four Masters” 1096 (known also as “The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland”) a recognized history of Ireland.
The Mulqueen’s who came to Bendigo, Australia were from County Clare Ireland and their births registered there under the surname MULQUEENY. It seems that in the 1880’s the family in Ireland decided to remove the ‘Y’ from the spelling for reasons yet to be uncovered.
The “Bendigo” Family traces its ancestors to the area or “Townland” known as Doorus, near the villages of O’Callaghan’s Mills and Broadford in County Clare, approx. 20kms east of Ennis, in the Parish of Killuran (today the parish is known as O’Callaghan’s Mills – Kilkishen).
Their Parents in Ireland; Michael & Catherine (nee Lynch) Mulqueeny.
I have not been able to clarify if this is in fact a valid, authorised MULQUEEN Coat of Arms – The Lynch Coat of Arms certainly appears to be legitimate.
