There are several different variations on the spelling of the name - McGrorty, McGroaty, McRorty, McGorty, McCroarty are some. In earlier times when people could not read or write, they often signed "X" on official documents against a name which may have been spelt incorrectly by the official completing the form; this wrong spelling then became perpetuated as the name of that branch of the family. For the present, at least, I have concentrated on people of the names "McGroarty" and "MacGroarty" with a very occasional "McGrorty" where it seemed to be an obvious mistake.
St. Columcille (otherwise known by his Latin name "Columba") was a great visionary who founded many monasteries including Iona and is widely held to be instrumental in the Christianization of Europe. Before local tribal chiefs, nobles and kings adopted permanent surnames associated to their immediate family, the monastic "familia" of Columba realised that a surname was important. It helped them to identify an individual and to assign hereditary rights essential in the passing down of the founder's relics. Thus they initiated and recorded the first surnames in Ireland.
One "familia" was entrusted with the care and safekeeping of Columba's relics and termon lands, which had been important monastic sites from the time of St. Patrick (440 AD). They took the name Robhartaigh (pronounced ro-ar-tee, "bh" and "gh" are effectively silent) to identify them as Columba's relic keepers and genealogical descendants.
For over a thousand years this family were the hereditary heirs of these lands and the "Keepers" of one of the greatest collections of ancient manuscripts and relics in Western Europe (Great Cross of Columcille - Columcille's Bell - The Cathach).
[The Cathac is very important; more detail about this and other interesting history is to be found in the letter from Fr John MacGroarty - see Historical Stuff]
Meaning of: Robartach, Robhartaig, Robartaig, Robhartaigh,
Robartaigh, Roarty, Magroarty, McGroarty.
| Ro |
Intensive prefix, - "Very", "Great", or "Most" in titles of religious. |
| bar |
Hand - palm of hand. |
| tach |
Region or Kingdom - family, line of descent, house of. |
| Robhartach |
The Great Hand of the House or Kingdom .
|
[Some sources give the derivation as being related to a "flood-tide" or "spring-tide". I mention this for completeness, but I am not sure of its relevance or accuracy. - JG]
The coat of arms below was granted to Greg McGroarty by the Chief Herald of Ireland - The Latin inscription roughly translates to "Keeper of Columba's Books". Alternative designs can be found on some commercial websites which offer family histories, scrolls etc., but I am not sure of their validity - I think they may just be pure invention.
From the website of the Chief Herald of Ireland.
A grant of arms made to an individual extends to his or her descendants of the name, not to a family as such.
A grant of arms constitutes a license to use the arms, which allows the grantee, according to the traditional formula, to display the arms 'on shield or banner or otherwise according to the Laws of Arms'. The copyright in a grant of arms resides with the Board of the National Library of Ireland. A grant of arms does not confer any rank or title, or have any effect on the right of the person concerned to any other property, real or personal.
Armorial bearings, or coats-of-arms, originated during the late medieval period as a means of recognition on the battlefield and at the tournament. They were soon employed also to attest documents and identify property. Clearly, a system of identification, to be effective, required regulation because use of the same arms by more than one person would result in confusion. Specialists, known as heralds, were therefore employed to keep the necessary records and advise on all related matters. Such officers of arms have functioned for Ireland since 1382. The post of Ulster King of Arms, Herald of all Ireland, was created by the Crown in 1552 and continued under the name until 1943 when the Office of Arms was transferred to the Government of Ireland and renamed the Genealogical Office. Since then, the Office has operated as a branch of the National Library and under the direction of the Chief Herald of Ireland.
