The Friel family is an ancient Irish family, with origins dating back to the 6th century. The name Friel is an Anglicized form of the Irish name Ó Frighil, which means "man of valor." The Friels are descended from Eoghan, son of Niall Noígíallach, the most prolific warrior in Irish history.
The Friels were originally from the kingdom of Tyrconnell (modern-day County Donegal) in Ulster. They were a powerful and influential family, and held the hereditary position of coarbs (chief abbots) of Kilmacrennan Abbey.
In the 17th century, the Friels were dispossessed of their lands by the English during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. Many Friels were forced to flee Ireland, and settled in other parts of the world, including Scotland, England, and North America.
The Friel family has produced many notable people throughout history, including:
- Brian Friel (1929-2015), Irish playwright and novelist
- Bríd Ní Fhinn (1895-1981), Irish poet and writer
- Con Friel (born 1970), Irish Gaelic footballer and manager
- David Friel (born 1950), American politician
- John Friel (born 1958), American television writer and producer
Today, the Friel family is still one of the most common surnames in Ireland. There are also significant populations of Friels in Scotland, England, North America, and Australia.
Genealogy of the Friel family
The following is a simplified genealogy of the Friel family:
- Eoghan (son of Niall Noígíallach)
- Fergal (son of Eoghan)
- Fearghil (son of Fergal)
- Ó Frighil (descendants of Fearghil)
- Friel (Anglicized form of Ó Frighil)
The Friel family is a complex and diverse one, and there are many different branches of the family. It is difficult to provide a comprehensive genealogy of the Friel family without knowing more about the specific branch of the family that you are interested in.
If you are interested in learning more about your own Friel ancestry, I recommend that you do some research on your family tree. There are many resources available to help you with this, such as Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org.
No comments:
Post a Comment