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O'Gara, (Geary)
The sept of O'Gara, O Gadhra in Irish, is closely associated with that of O'Hara. They have a common descent down to the tenth century, Gadhra, the eponymous ancestor of the O'Garas, being nephew of Eadhra (a quo the O'Haras). From this on they established separate chieftainries, O'Gara taking the territory to the south of the barony now known as Leyney, Co. Sligo, the O'Haras being to the north of them. The association remained close and the chiefs of the two septs frequently alternated as rulers of Luighne. By the thirteenth century the O'Garas had possessed themselves of the eastern part of the barony of Costello, Co. Mayo. However the Jordans drove them out in the next century, pushing them not westwards but eastwards and between 1450 and 1550 they appear as lords of Coolavin.
They have left their mark on the country historically, geographically and culturally. Their castle was Moygara on the shore of the lake still called Lough Gara. Two Archbishops of Tuam were O'Garas. Fergal O'Gara (fl. 1630), was the patron of the Four Masters; Friar O'Gara, O.S.A. (fl. 1670), an exile in Belgium, left a notable collection of Irish poems; Col. Oliver O'Gara commanded the regiment of infantry known by his name in the Irish Brigade in the service of France. Count Charles O'Gara was a millionaire Irishman in Brussels at the time of the French Revolution.
The name has become rather scarce in Ireland in modern times. Most of the survivors of the sept belong still to North Connacht. A branch of it migrated to West Munster in the fifteenth century: there the name O Gadhra became differently anglicized and, disguised under the synonym Geary, is still quite common in Counties Limerick and Kerry. Another Co. Limerick form is Guiry.