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(O)Lennon, Linnane, Leonard, (Linnegar; MacAlinion

The normal form of Lennon in Irish is O Leannain, or O Lionnain, but confusion arises because these Gaelic names have been anglicized Leonard and Linnane, while the Irish surnames O Lonain (Lenane) and even O Luinin (Linneen) are also sometimes Lennon or Leonard in English. Of these Lennane, or Linane, belongs to the Corca Laoidhe group and was situated near Glandore Harbour. O Leanain in, but not of, Hy Many, is still found in Co. Galway as Lennon, while the same name belonging also to a Hy fiachra sept of Co. Mayo is now usually called Leonard: their position is shown on the Connacht map at the end of the book. Historically O'Lennon of Fermanagh is the only Lennon sept of importance. They were erenaghs of Lisgoole near Enniskillen and produced many distinguished ecclesiastics: no less than six of them are mentioned by the Four Masters as priors or canons of Lisgoole between 1380 and 1466; while to-day the name is closely associated with the church, an unusually large proportion of persons of the name being priests. Apart from these the most noteworthy are John Lennon (1768-1846), whose daring feats with his ship Hibernia are part of American history 1812-14; John Brown Lennon (1850-1923) the American Labour leader; and John Lennon, an outstanding member of the Beatles group, assassinated in 1980, became well known outside Ireland not only as a talented musician but also for his connection with the Peace Movement. O Luinin, mentioned above, also belongs to Co. Fermanagh and is now almost indistinguishable from O Leannain, except where, strangely enough, it has been anglicized Linnegar. Leonard, itself a well-known indigenous English surname, is remarkable in Ireland for the fact that it is used as the synonym or anglicized equivalent of a greater number of quite distinct Gaelic surnames than almost any other. In addition to the three distinct sept names mentioned above, there is the royal family of Mac Giolla Fhinnein - son of the follower of St. Finnian - also anglicized as MacAlinion. From this stock come many of our Irish Leonards, at any rate those associated with West Ulster (Donegal and Fermanagh). they are descended from Giolla Finnein O'Muldory, as are the once powerful family of O'Muldory whose head was chief or lord of Lough Erne. Another family which sometimes, rather strangely, anglicized their name as Leonard was that of MacGiolla Seannain (the saint in this case is St. Senan, not St. Finnian) this name being corrupted in Irish to Maguinn-seanain and usually anglicized as Nugent. The Registrar-General's returns show that, in addition to the foregoing, Lenaghan and even Nanany are found as synonymous with Leonard in English. No person of the name Leonard has distinguished himself in the political, military or cultural life of Ireland (or for that matter in England either).