The Paddy-Owens and the Donegal Gallowglass

The inspiration for this web site came from my own genealogical research, which began in 2011 following the death of my grandfather.  My grandfather was an Irish native and immediate members of his family still reside today on land in northern Co. Donegal that has been in McFadden hands for generations.  Despite the advantage of knowing exactly where my Irish roots lie, information for which many Irish-American genealogists would give an arm and a leg, the lack of records available in Ireland means I haven’t been able to discover anything about my McFadden line that was not already contained in oral family legend.

That legend holds that my fourth-great-grandfather Owen McFadden was born in Laracus at the foot of Muckish Mountain. From there, he moved to the townland of Killoughcarron near Creeslough.  He had a son, Patrick, and Patrick’s descendants have been fairly well-documented.  They are known in Creeslough as the “Paddy-Owen” McFaddens.  Nothing is known of Owen’s wife or any other children.

It is also said that my McFaddens supposedly came to Donegal from Scotland.  Many families in Ulster with Scottish roots trace back to the Ulster Plantation. This is unlikely to be the case for my line though, as my McFaddens are Catholic and families of Plantation origin are almost uniformly protestant.  Instead, my ancestor or ancestors were likely among the Scottish mercenaries known as the Gallowglass.  McFadden is a surname associated with the Gallowglass, but I’m still seeking original sources for this information.

There is an “Owen McFaddin” listed in Killoughcarron in the 1825 Tithe Applotment Books and I think it is safe to assume he is my fourth-great-grandfather.  This is the oldest physical record I have of my McFadden line.  However, I recently discovered that the 1663 Hearth Money Rolls list an “Owen M’Padein” in Killoughcarron.  Owen is not exactly a rare name, but it would seem a strange coincidence that an Owen McFadden would live on the same land that my fourth-great-grandfather Owen would settle on 150 years later if there was no relation.  No other McFaddens are listed in Killoughcarron in the Hearth Rolls or the Tithe Applotment Books.  I think it’s a possibility that the family legend of Owen McFadden coming to Creeslough may be slightly skewed and that the Owen who made that move was not specifically my fourth-great-grandfather, but simply an Owen from previous generations.  No way to know for sure.

Faced with the possibility that additional records on my McFaddens may not exist, I began to take an interest in the surname itself.  I was fascinated that the name was so localized. Griffith’s Valuation shows that in the mid-1850s, the five adjacent parishes of Tullaghobegly, Raymunterdoney, Clondahorky, Kilmacrenan and Mevagh along the northwest coast of Donegal contained more than 200 McFadden households altogether, or around 35 percent of all McFaddens in Ireland.

Clearly that stretch of coastline is something of a ground zero for McFaddens in Ireland.  I don’t think it’s a coincidence that that same area was once the domain of the Mac Suibhne/Mac Sweeney clan, who were the most prominent of the Scottish Gallowglass.  But, to this point, I’ve been unable to find anything specifically linking the Sweeneys and McFaddens.  I’ve actually had a hard time finding much of anything about the pre-17th century history of the Donegal McFaddens.  The earliest mentions of the name I’ve found so far are an “Edm. M’Padyn,” who was among the followers of Rory O’Donnell who were pardoned in 1602, and seven McFaddens who were among those pardoned for their participation in O’Doherty’s Rebellion in 1608.

I think it’s strange that a surname with such a specific concentration in the northwestern corner of Donegal by the time of the 1659 Census would have no mention made of it in prominent 16th century documents, especially if the family arrived in the 14th or 15th century with the Gallowglass.  I wonder if maybe McFadden is actually a sept of one of the other, better-documented Donegal families.

If the Donegal McFadden line does come from another family, that connection is provable through comparing Y-DNA test results.  But it will take a much larger sample size than the one we currently have to be able to make any assumptions.  And there you have my reason for starting this project.  It will take time, but hopefully enough curious McFaddens will stumble in out of the cold for us to eventually make some discoveries.

EDIT: With the creation of the message board, comments on blog posts have been disabled. The message board can be accessed by clicking the link at the top of the page or by going here: http://themcfaddenproject.com/phpbb/index.php

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Posted in Donegal McFaddens
8 comments on “The Paddy-Owens and the Donegal Gallowglass
  1. Bill Kennedy says:

    My mother’s maiden name was Owens. Her ancester, Peter Owens and his wife Sussanah, left Donegal in 1821. He was born circa 1777. We will be in Ireland in September in the Tipperary area and are planning to drive up to Donegal to do further research. Do you have any information on where the Owens originated, specially parish churches?

    • Richard jj duffy says:

      I was always told by my Parents on both sides that we were conected to the McFaddens(Muckish) and Sweeneys,Shields,Boyce of Creeslough and Kilmacrenan,My Mothers Maiden Name was Boyce,her Mothers Maiden name was Collins(Husband Antony Boyce his Brother was Patrick Columba killed in the WW1,he came over from Scotland(Glasgow) to enlist in Ireland,aged 15/6.My fathers Name Duffy his conection is to the McSweeneys or Sweeneys,also were I live this present day there is McFadden Familys who hail from Creelough,I live now in Strabane Co.Tyone.

  2. Noreen Taylor Greenslade says:

    I too am frustrated by lack of historical data available on McFaddens prior to 19th century. Both sides of my family tree are populated by McFaddens whom I can trace back to 1870s before hitting a blank. As to their origins on the N.W. coast I’m baffled. Scandinavian ancestry has been found in my DNA which makes sense – though as to why these invaders implanted themselves on this inhospitable coastline doesn’t. Carrigart and the townland of Myra, Falcarragh are where my ancestors lived until 1950s when emigration to Philadelphia, Tacoma and Glasgow,Scotland virtually emptied all houses.

  3. Tab McFadden says:

    Several family members will be visiting Ireland next September. We are located in Pierce County, Washington. We have been told that Donegal is where our family originated from. I am not sure where that information came from but this is just starting to ramp up, so I hope to get more specifics as it all comes together. Part of our trip will include a visit to Donegal. I would like to meet up with McFaddens at that time if it works out. If anyone is interested, send me an email and lets see if it works out. Thanks. Tab McFadden

    • Rob says:

      Hi, Tab. Ireland is a beautiful place and I’m sure you’ll have a great time. I’m actually hoping to head back there next year as well. Donegal in particular has some amazing scenery (such as the photo on the front page of this site, which I took myself). McFadden is a very common name in Donegal, especially in the northwest corner of the county. If you go up along the coast there, anywhere near Muckish Mountain, you’re bound to run into some McFaddens.

      If you’re hoping to find out where exactly your McFaddens are from, I’m happy to help. I’m a bit of a genealogy nut and I’m familiar with Irish records.

      Rob McFadden
      rob@themcfaddenproject.com

  4. John McFadden says:

    I spent a brilliant day in Creeslough learning about the McFadden family, on my dad’s side. Thanks to my cousins, I was directed to McNulty’s pub on Main Street in Creeslough. The owner, John, knows all about the McFadden clan. He was able to fill in the gaps of information about our relationship with the O’Donnell’s, McSweeny’s, McGee’s, McHugh’s and McNulty’s. I was able to visit our original homestead on Crockatee Mountain in Faymore (adjacent to Creeslough), learned about the landowners who lived on Arda estate (now subdivided and where the Franciscans have an Abbey), and visited my great grandparents and great uncle’s grave (Thomas, Rose (née McGee) and Denis. I highly recommend a stop at McNulty’s pub – for a pint (or two), McFadden stories, and all around good craic! Enjoy…

  5. Patrick McFaddan says:

    In regard to Patrick McFadden ( possible relation?? to the Owen’McFadden line)born 1824 or 1828 Donegal (disputed) and died in February 1901 in Canton, Illinois. He named his first born sone ( in New York in 1858) James, second son ( by a second marriage) Charles Francis, other children of two marriages names Mary A., Ellen, Mary.

    He joined the US navy in October 1852, served aboard the USS Vandalia, sloop of war, was present at the Commodore Matthew G. Perry visit to Tokyo and other Japanese bays. Served eleven months in the US Consulate in Shanghai in 1855 (?) as a security contingent for the Consulate. He returned to Kittery Maine in October 1856 where he received his honorable discharge.
    After 1875, with his second spouse Grace ( Gallagher, From Cork)removed to Canton, Fulton County, Illinois, and died in February, 1901.” He began life working on the sea…” stated one obituary. There was a close relationship to the Fagans in New York, and they share grave plots in the Calvary Cemetery, Queens with deceased children and his first wife, Margaret McFadden( maiden and married name the same. Margaret was from Killybegs Parish.

  6. darryl Smith says:

    My grandmother was born Bridget Helena McFadden, and she was born 1918 in Aghalatty,Carrickart Donegal. Her father was Donald McFadden, but I don’t know much about him. He married Hannah Sheils/Shiels born 1885 and in the 1901 census he isn’t listed as part of the household, however he is listed as the owner of the land and next to his name it says (Scotland). I’ve heard that some of the family moved to Glascow. They were all Catholics. I’d like to learn more about the McFaddens and the Shiels/Sheils/Shields.