​Promoting Clan Renewal

Historical background

In ancient times Ireland had a quasi-democratic form of political leadership by chiefs and chieftains of clans, many considered as kings in their own right, under the Gaelic Brehon laws. Even before the completion of English conquest in the 17th century, for its heraldry, kings of arms existed since 1392. The Ulster King of Arms was established on 2 February 1552 by King Edward VI, who recorded in his diary: There was a King of Arms made for Ireland, whose name was Ulster, and his province was all Ireland; and he was fourth King of Arms, and first Herald of Ireland. Sometime after independence a century ago, Genealogical Office and the position of Chief Herald of Ireland were created on 1 April 1943, and were pivotal in reviving the Gaelic Clans heritage of Ireland. While the office of Norroy and Ulster King of Arms continues under the College of Arms in London for Northern Ireland and England north of the Trent, the Chief Herald of Ireland absorbed Ulster’s functions and role in the newly independent Ireland, and the contents of that office, including all the Registers of Arms, were absorbed by the State. They are now an invaluable resource for the study of our genealogical and heraldic heritage, whilst the College of Arms also maintains further detail on armigers’ family members.

About a hundred years ago, Constance Countess de Markievicz in her pamphlet “What Irish Republicans Stand For” evoked Padraig Pearse’s vision of an Ireland “not merely free, but Gaelic as well”, and James Connolly’s invocation of “an ardent Irish patriot in his lavish expression of admiration of his Celtic forefathers, who foreshadowed in the democratic organisation of the Irish Clan, the more perfect organisation of the free society of the future”. She credited historian Alice Stopford Green with being “the great pioneer” of the work of scientifically “bringing to light all that she had gleaned from the old documents that survive the systematic destruction of the records of Ireland’s greatness by the English”.

The revival of the various Clans and their democratic ethos was to stand against the overly hierarchical “feudal” nature of the imposed social order that devastated Gaelic society centuries before. But this required bringing forth the prominence of leaders who could be regarded as stewards of our vestigial Gaelic heritage, i.e. by the only practical means of identifying the premier surviving lineages, and recognising their contemporary heirs. This led to the gazetting in Iris Oifigiúil of the then-known/traced principals, i.e. those whose genealogical seniority seemed proven sufficiently for them to be recognised as “Chiefs of the Name”. But this was only to be the social catalyst for revival. Once those rare nominal chiefs had been identified, the challenge of rebuilding clans remained, requiring not only the mobilisation of prospective members, but the legitimisation of chiefs by recourse to elective tanistry, i.e. the nominal chief still had to be inaugurated in the traditional manner by acclamation of a putative derbfine and the wider clan. For that, the members of the inner circle, the elective derbfine (or indeed as wide as indfine), and a prospective assembly of the clan Oireacht had to be mobilised.

This led to the first Rally of the Clans, with the O’Donnell Clan in premier place: it was the last to fold to English domination, and would be the first to arise phoenix-like. Thus the O’Donnell Clan Association was born out of the O’Donnell Clan Rally at the Rally of the Clans under the auspices of An Tóstal, in Donegal, at Easter 1954. At the time, this was under the patronage of the Lord Bishop of Raphoe, whose own appointment used to be subject to the Jus Patronus of the O’Donnell kings and princes of Tyrconnell. The sanctifying role of the Church had always been a crucial element of inaugurations. Thus after 350 years, a new Chief of the Clan John O’Donel of Monkstown, was inaugurated in 1954 with the derbfine concurrence of Count Gabriel O’Donell von Tyrconnell, et al. and having been already gazetted as Chief of the Name in 1945. This is the legacy we now renew, and mark for its 70th anniversary this year. Back in 1954 a similar inauguration, of Geoffrey O’Donoghue of Enniscorthy, took place in Killarney, County Kerry, in the shadow of Ross Castle.

Revival, new Constitution, and new Council

The ODCA has been re-formed and renewed again in 1989, and in 1997, and again in 2024. Following consultations between the historic principal branches of the O’Donnell Clan, and several others who had manifested continuing commitment to its renewal, agreement was reached in early 2024 on a way forward.

This included renewal of the membership of the ODCA in the encompassing Clans of Ireland organisation, following negotiations with that body. Accordingly  the ODCA membership in Clans of Ireland was been renewed in February 2024 and again in 2025, after an extended hiatus of absence. During the past years since the passing of the late Vincent O’Donnell in 2021, the ODCA had effectively ceased to function. This was partly due also to the decease of former members of its “Committee”, and other factors.

An ODCA Interim Council was formed, in early 2024 to replace the former ODCA Committee. As it turned out, for the first time, it included most representatives of the principal branches, i.e. not just a “Derbfine” but wider circles of agnatic kinship (i.e. as in the 17th century), Iarfine and Indfine. The Interim Council held its first meeting online on 5 April 2024, the International Day of Conscience, and, based on the mandate given at the ODCA Gathering in Donegal on 8 August 2013, namely to develop a new Constitution, adopted the new Constitution of the ODCA, with minor modifications, and subject to ratification at the Extraordinary General Meeting scheduled for 9 June 2024, St. ColmCille/Columba’s Day.  In due course, the Interim Council stood down, upon the elelction of a new Council and ratification of the new Constitution on 9 June 2024 in Lough Eske Castle. 

The reformed clan association aims to sustain the global community of Irish and diaspora kinship around the heritage of the O’Donnells of Tyrconnell, building on its previous iterations in 1954, 1989 and 1997, and provide a platform for Clan community renewal and promotion, including establishment of chapters in Ireland and in the diaspora, cultural events, and publication of a new news bulletin and annual journal.

​For the latest developments and new ODCA News Bulletin, click the blue button here:  

The  O'Donnell  Clan  Renewal 

For a detailed family historical perspective of the Revival of the O'Donnell Clan, Clann Dálaigh, and emergence of the O'Donnell Clan Association in various iterations since 1954, in 1989, 1997, and up to recently, including , gatherings, and activities, see the article "The O'Donnell Clan Revival" in the Journal of the Genealogical Society of Ireland, 2021:  click on this link: