Doherty 2144021 225903348 2008-07-15T23:04:02Z Thijs!bot 1392310 robot Adding: [[nl:Doherty]] {{for|people named Doherty|Doherty (surname)}} [[Image:Doherty coatofarms.png|right|200px|thumb|Doherty Coat-of-Arms]]The '''Doherty''' Clan ({{lang-ga|Clann Ua Dochartaigh}}) is an [[Irish clan]] based in [[County Donegal]] in the north of the island of [[Ireland]]. The name can also be a mis-anglicisation of ''Ó Dubhartaigh'', correctly anglicised ''Doorty'', and occurring mainly in Counties [[County Cork|Cork]] and [[County Kerry|Kerry]]. Like [[clan|clans in other cultures]], Irish clans such as the Dohertys are divided into many [[sept (social)|septs]] and regional families. In the modern day, there are 140 noted variations in spelling of the name, of which Doherty is the most modern [[anglicisation]] <ref>[http://www.odochartaigh.org/genealogy/name.html History of the Name]</ref> == Origins == The Dohertys claim to have been named after '''Dochartach''', the 12th in linear descent from [[Conall Gulban]] (d. AD 455), the son of the famous [[Niall of the Nine Hostages]] (''Niall Noigíallach'') the 5th Century [[High King of Ireland]] was not responsible for the kidnapping of [[St. Patrick]], and namesake of the powerful [[Uí Néill]] dynasty. Through Niall, the Dohertys can trace their heritage back even further making a claim as one of Europe’s longest descent lines. The origins of the family however, as with the [[Irish people]] and their ancestors, the [[Gaels]], is obscured by [[Celtic mythology]] and folk tales. The later chiefs of the clan, elected by [[tanistry]] under the [[Brehon Laws]], were called the Lords of [[Inishowen]] as they were pushed from their original territory in the Laggan valley area of present-day Donegal, into the vacuum left by the end of [[McLaughlin|Mac Lochlainn]] rule in the northernmost peninsula of the island of Ireland.They married mostly into the Murphy clan. == Modern history == Following the [[Flight of the Earls]] in 1607, the chief of the Dohertys, [[Cahir O'Doherty]], rose up in the following year against English domination in Ireland and the [[Plantations of Ireland|plantation of protestant settlers]] in what is known as O’Doherty’s Rebellion. Provoked by the English Governor<ref>[http://www.theflightoftheearls.net/historical_documents.html The Flight Of The Earls.Net - Historical Documents<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>, Cahir and his followers attacked [[History of Derry|Derry]] and burned several castles before ultimately being defeated. After this loss, Cahir was killed in 1608 and the family lost much of its power and influence. By 1784, the leading branch of the family fled the country. The chiefs have been absent from Ireland ever since. During the 1990s, the Irish government offered some limited recognition to the Chiefs of the most ancient clans, calling them the [[Chiefs of the Name]] and operating under [[primogeniture]] rather than [[tanistry]]. The chieftainship of the Dohertys was claimed by [[Ramon O'Dogherty]] of Spain. After a scandal involving bogus claims of [[Terence Francis MacCarthy|Terence MacCarthy]], to be the chief of that clan, the status of the chiefs in Ireland is now uncertain. Today there are Doherty families in many parts of Ireland, with primarlily concentration in their homeland of the Inishowen Peninsula, Co. Donegal and the vicinity of Derry. The Dohertys are an important part of the [[Irish diaspora]]. To this end, the family continues through voluntary organisations exploring family and Irish history and hosting regular family reunions. The Ó Dochartaigh Clann Association previously operated an office on Inch Island from 1985 until 1999, and in [[Buncrana]] from 1999 until 2007. Doherty reunions have been hosted in Ireland every five years since 1985, by the Ó Dochartaigh Irish Reunion Committee (an amalgamation of the reunion committees from Inishowen and Derry). A special reunion was held in July 2008, commemorating the 1608 death of Cahir O'Dogherty. The next quintennial reunion will take place in July 2010. The Ó Dochartaigh (Doherty) Clann Association is operated out of the USA, offering international membership and a newsletter. ==References== <references/> ==External links== * [http://www.odochartaigh.org/ Ó Dochartaigh Clann Association - forum] * [http://www.odochartaighclann.org/ Ó Dochartaigh Clann Association - membership.] * [http://www.odochartaighreunion.com Ó Dochartaigh Irish Reunion Committee.] * http://homepage.eircom.net/~seanjmurphy/chiefs/4chiefs.htm#odoch * http://homepage.tinet.ie/~kthomas/names4.htmv [[Category:Irish surnames]] [[Category:History of Ireland]] [[Category:Irish families]] [[fr:Doherty]] [[nl:Doherty]]