The Ancient History of the Distinguished Surname Geary

The history of the distinguished Irish family name Geary belonged to the green valleys and mountains of the Emerald Isle from very ancient times.

Documentary evidence in the books by notable historians O'Hart, McLysaght and O'Brien, the Four Masters, baptismals, parish records, and ancient land grants, were researched by historians and they found that the family name Geary was first revealed in county Sligo where they had been seated from very ancient times.

Variations in the spelling of the name were found. The surname was from time to time spelt Geary, Gara, O'Gara, O'Geary, Gearie, Gearey, Garah, and these changes in spelling frequently occurred, even between father and son. Also translations from the Gaelic varied, and there were preferences for different spelling variations usually from a division of the family, of for religious reasons, or sometimes for patriotic reasons. Church officials and scribes spelt the name as it sounded, sometimes several different ways in the lifetime of the same person.

Traditionally, the ancient Kings of Ireland were descended from King Milesius of Spain, the grandson of Breoghan (Brian), King of Galicia, Andalusia, Murcia, Castile and Portugal. Milesius, a great general/king, was instrumental in defending Egypt from the King of Ethiopia. Milesius turned his attention northward to Ireland to fulfill an ancient Druidic prophecy. He sent an army to explore this fertile island. On finding that his son had been murdered by the three resident Irish Kings (the Danans), Milesius gathered another army to take his revenge on the Irish. He died before he embarked on the trip. His remaining eight sons conquered Ireland.

Heremon, eldest son of Milesius, reigned in Ireland for fourteen years, along with his brothers Heber, Ir and Ithe. They named the land Scota or Scotia, their mother's name, the land of the Scots. This name would later be taken by the Irish King Colla in 357 when he was exiled to Scotland, leaving the name 'Ir-land', land of Ir, youngest of the four sons of Milesius, to the Emerald Isle. The four Irish kingdoms eventually broke into five separate nations under the High King, of Ard Righ. These royal lines would later produce such great kings as the 4th century King Niall of the Nine Hostages who died in France while cutting off the retreat of the Romans from Britain, and King Brian Boru who died in the Battle of Clontarf in 1014, finally expelling the Vikings from Dublin and Ireland.

This great Gaelic family Geary emerged in later years in county Sligo. The Geary surname also spelled Gara, O'Gara, and Gerry is descended from Tiachleach, Lord of South Leyney who was killed in 946 A.D. The Geary family was closely associated with the O'Haras from an early time and the chiefs of the two septs alternated as rulers of Luighne. The Leyney territory in Sligo was the early center for the family and by the 13th century the O'Garas, as they were then called, had possessed themselves of the eastern part of the barony of Costello in Mayo county. Their castle was Moygara on the shore of the lake still called Lough Gara. Two Archbishops of Tuam in Galway were O'Garas. A branch of the Mayo sept moved to West Munster and there the name became Geary. Notable amongst the family at this time was Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts Bay (now the Commonwealth of Massachusetts), signer of the American Declaration of Independence.

A succession of invasions troubled the Irish people. Stongbow in 1172, Cromwell in the 17th century and then the devastation of the great potato famine in 1845, all caused continued widespread misery and poverty, and the exodus from Ireland began, first a trickle, then a flood. Fifty years after the famine, the last straw, the population was reduced to less than half.

Irish clansmen joined the armada of sailing ships which sailed form Belfast, Dublin, Cork Holyhead, Liverpool, and Glasgow, many bound for the New World, some to Australia.

In North America some of the first migrants which could be considered kinsmen of the sept Geary of that same family included John Geary who landed in Pennsylvania in 1682; Eleanor Geary landed in America in 1744; Mary Geary landed in New York State in 822; Jeremiah, John, Michael, Patrick all settled in Philadelphia Pa. Between 1773 an 1858; Robert Geary settled New Castle Co. Del. In 1853.

In the New World the Irish played an important part in building the nation, the railroads, coal mines, bridges and canals. They also moved westward with the wagon trains, and settled the mid west, some trekking as far as the west coast.

During the War of Independence some were loyal to the cause, others, were loyal to the Crown, and moved north into Canada, becoming known as the United Empire Loyalists and being granted lands on the banks of the St. Lawrence and the Niagara Peninsula. During the American revolution many Irish formed the Irish Brigades in the great struggle, Union versus South.

Meanwhile, the family name Geary produced many prominent people Major Benjamin Geary, the Sergeant-at-arms for the Ontario Legislature.

This Coat of Arms is the most ancient recorded for the family surname Geary.