The McGovern's

Preface

I have included in this work just about everything I could find about the Mc Governs, a process that has taken some 18 years. To my knowledge this is the first time this has been attempted and I think a lot of new historical significance is noted, not only about the McGovern Clan and their ancestors, but about some phases of Irish history as well. For instance, Archbishop (Primate of all Ireland) Edmund Magauran (1548-1593) may now take his proper prominent place as Irish Hero having been designated by the British themselves as their "chief enemy" in Ireland in the mid-1500's (and losing his head to them on the battlefield in 1593). The McGoverns were far more prominent in Irish history than previously has been written, but thanks largely to the research of brothers Joseph Henry and the Rev. J. B. McGovern, who first suggested that Aidan, seventh King of Scotland was a McGovern---and the translation of the BOOK of MAGAURAN in 1947 by Rev. Lambert McKenna, 5 J., new McGovern historical connections have been brought to light.

I am indebted to many sources. They include: Siobhan de hOir of the Royal Society of Antiquaries, Dublin; Father Patrick O'Gallagher, Derrygonnelly, N. I.; Rev. Lambert McKenna, S. J.; The Breifne Historical Society; Historians John Dalton, Philip O'Connell, Michael O’Duigeannain, Eugene O'Curry, Eoin MacNeill, Seamus P. O'Mordha, Joseph Henry McGovern, Rev. J. B. McGovern, Eoin McKiernan, P. W. Joyce; The Annals of Ulster and the Four Masters; O'Cleary's Genealogies; the Glangevlin Guild, Frank McGovern of McGovernOnline.com, Encyclopedia Britannica and other sources such as "Notes and Queries."  Research on this project has not been without its difficulties. Ancient Irish and modern Irish seem to be a language apart, spellings of the same names and locations seem to have varied with each author--hut hopefully this has been sifted correctly and the results written here are as accurate as possible. The Irish word spellings with their never-ending '¹ch's" and ~ and 'h's" attached to almost all words will probably seem maddening to the average reader (Americans, at least) but as has been pointed out, most of these names and locations have been passed down orally and were spelled the way they sounded to the individual writer. The thickness of the tongue, the curvature of the mouth and larynx, the hearing and mental condition of the listener--and the talker--all probably contributed to the different spellings.

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