OÂ'Corrigan

Background:  The Corrigan surname is of Irish descent. Translated Corrigan means "Spear". The name is believed to have originated from Coirdhecan of the Cineal Eoghain. It is also believed to be connected to the Maguire clan. The Corrigan surname was popular in the 17th century in County Fermanagh in Ireland. Today, the name is spread out across most counties in Ireland and some of the United States and Canada.

The Irish sept O Corragain who had their stronghold in County Fermanagh, as a branch of the Maguires is in fact, the origin of those named Corrigan, Carrigan, Courigan, Corgan, and Currigan. The early records of the name in the Annals of the Four Masters, indicate that the name was closely associated with clerics and abbots. The name was established in the Middle Ages, going south into Counties Monaghan, Meath, Roscommon and Offaly. From the name Ballycorrigan near Nenagh in County Tipperary, it also appears that the name was prominent in that county.

The great Gaelic family of Corrigan emerged and was first recorded in Ulster, where they were seated from very ancient times, long before the Norman Conquest in 1066. The O’Corrigans, O’Coraidhegain or O’Corragáin in Gaelic/Irish are descended through the Donnellys and the Maguires, Princes of Fermanagh, who in turn descended from the O’Hart, from the ancient King Colla da Criock, King of Orgiall, which was ancient Ulster. Colla da Crioch died about the year 357 AD. At about the turn of the 9th century the sept of Corrigan held territories in the counties of Ulster, and the south in Leinster and Connacht. Corrigans – the prefix O is seldom used – are still in that part of Ulster, but the name to-day is very scattered, being found in most counties, except in Munster. This was already the case in the sixteenth century when it appears in localities as far apart as Offaly, Roscommon, Meath, Westmeath and Monaghan. In the 1659 census Corrigan and O’Corrigan are among the more numerous Irish names in Offaly, Longford, and Fermanagh. The name appears frequently in the “Annals of the Four Masters”, showing many of the family to be ecclesiastics, mostly Abbots. Carrigan was frequently used at this time as a variant. Ballycorrigan is near Nenagh in county Tipperary, giving further evidence of this name’s penetration into many of the southern counties, and there was still a family seated there until the end of the seventeenth century. But during the seventeenth century and the invasion of Cromwell, many of the Corrigans were forfeited of their lands again. Notable amongst the family at this time was the Corrigans of Ulster.

Name Variations:  O'Corrigan, Carchan, Carekin, Cargan, Cargin, Carigan, Carkin, Caroken, Carroughan, Carragan, Carraghan, Carrason, Carregan, Carrigan, Carrigeen, Carrison, Carroghan, Carroocan, Carrookan, Carrucan, Carson, Carsons, Cherson, Chrisham, Chrisney, Coarigan, Coorakan,Cooregan, Corcam, Corcon, Corgan, Corican, Corigan, Corkan, Corkane, Corken, Corkens, Corken, Corkins, Corkmich, Corocan, Corogan, Corragan, Corriagn, Corrican,CORRIGAN, Corrigin, Corrikan, Corrison, Corrogan, Corskin, Courakin, Crackan, Cracken, Crackin, Craggen, Craghan, Craigan, Craqckin, Crawson, Creagan, Creaghan, Creaghane, Creaghmile, Creagmile, Creegan, Creeshon, Cregan, Creggan, Creghan, Creigan, Creighan, Cresham, Cresken, Criagan, Cricken, Crieghan, Criggan, Criggans, Criggeen, Crighan, Crisham, Crishan, Crishim, Crishnahan, Croakin, Crockan, Crogan, Croghan, Crogin, Croken, Crookshank, Crookshanks, Crosenton, Crosin, Croskan, Crosner, Crossan, Crossane, Crossaun, Crossen, Crossin, Crujm, Crushim, Currigan, Curraghan, Curraken, Currigan, Currisken, Cursan, Curson, O'Coraihegan, O'Corragáin.

References:
One or more of the following publications has been referenced for this article.
The General Armory; Sir Bernard Burke - 1842.
A Handbook of Mottoes; C.N. Elvin - 1860.
Irish Families, Their Names, Arms & Origins; Edward MacLysaght - 1957.
The Surnames of Ireland; Edward MacLynsaght - 1957.
The Book of Irish Families Great and Small.
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corrigan_(surname)
Clan Corrigan: http://clancorrigan.ca

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