The Carmody Genealogist

Carmody - O Cearmada

Various sources indicate that the name Carmody is a very ancient Irish personal name evolving from "son of Cearmaidh". The name is actually a combination of two Gaelic words ciar (black) and madha which is an older form of the word "madhra" meaning hunting dog or retriever and has been in existence since the 9 th century.

In Ireland, the clan system was well established in pre-Christian times and led to the early use of family names in the country. The Carmody name, although quite old, is not the oldest name as some surnames were actually in existence prior to the 7 th century. Surnames were widely established before the end of the 13 th century in Ireland and much later in the rest of Europe.

The earliest reference to a specific Carmody is contained in "The History of County Clare". In 1619 the Earl of Thomond (seat was Bunratty Castle) conveyed the lands of Clondrinagh and Birrin to Donogh, son of Conor O'Carmody. Donogh O'Carmody, who died in 1630 leaving his son James his heir-in-law, mortgaged the lands of Clandrinagh to Sir Daniel O'Brien. It is also written that under Tulla Lower, Clonlea Parish, that the proprietor in 1641 was Earl of Thomand Daniel O'Carmody to whom disposed of: Earl of Inchiquin; Earl of Thomand; Henry Ivers; Peter Crains borough; and Murtagh Carmody who afterwards sold his part to Henry Ivers.

The Carmody lands mentioned in the previous paragraph appear in "The Dictionary of Irish Family Names". Between 1653 and 1654, during the rebellion against the English, 7 members of the family were transplanted to Connacht and deprived of their lands. These were Donnogh and Elizabeth Carmadie, Honora, Donnogh, Murtagh and Philip Carmady, and Margaret Carmody.

In 1659, seven Carmody families were living in the Barony of Bunratty and eight families in the Barony of Tulla. The name Carmody is given as a principal name of County Clare in the 17 th century and remained so into the 20 th century as noted in "Families of County Clare". The name exists in counties Limerick and Kerry as well.

One other source of early references to Carmody are contained in "Index to Irish Wills" which is a listing of the wills destroyed in the fire at the Public Records Office in 1921. Although copies of the wills do not exist, we have a list of four Carmody's who were alive in the early 18 th century and the counties in which they called home:

Edmund Carmody, Cork 1734

Connor Carmody, Aherinagh, Clare 1724

John Carmody, Garryno, Limerick 1720

Simon Carmody, Listowell, Kerry 1790

In "Irish Provincial Directories" by Richard Lucas, a Dennis Carmody is listed as living on Gaol Street in Ennis, County Clare in 1788. His occupation is noted as watch and clock maker. Patrick Carmody, a tobacconist is listed in "A General Directory of the Kingdom of Ireland, 1788" as living on John Street in Limerick.

Perhaps the name itself implies something about the "original" Carmody - the very first one to bear a name resembling its current form. Did that first Carmody have an affinity for dogs? Maybe he raised Irish Wolfhounds - the large black hunting dog used to run down Irish Elk. The Gaelic origins of the name, although lost in the mist of time, may actually tell us of our ancestor's occupation at the beginning of the first millennium. With the origins of the name centralized only to Counties Clare, Kerry and Limerick in Ireland, there is strong evidence to suspect that each and every Carmody descends from one particular individual.

 The Carmody Genealogist