Spanish surnames of Irish Origin

[omblod]

I'm aware that several modern Spanish surnames have their orgins in Ireland. The names of Irish mercenaries fleeing to join the Spanish Army were often changed into Spanish versions, e.g. Kennedy - Quenedy, O'Neill - Onel, O'Donoghue - O Donoju. Does anyone know where I could find information on these Hiberno-Spanish surnames? Cheers.

[keithtoo]

This won't answer your question directly, but it is more likely that Spanish names became Irish than vice versa. It is fairly well established that the early Irish came to Ireland by way of Spain. Hence the Hibernians (Irish) are derived from Iberia (Spain/Port.). Also, the provence of Galicia in NW Spain, is a point of origin/reference for the Gaelic language.

[omblod]

Thanks for the reply Keithtoo. I am aware of the theory that the mythical Milesian Invasion of Ireland was in fact a folk memory of actual prehistoric immigrations from Spain but I was referring to Irish names that entered into Spanish from the 16th century onwards. A certain Cathal O'Neill of Tyrone is recorded in the histories of the Spanish army as Carlos Onel di Tirone, for example. Names such as Kennedy (an epithet of a son of Brian Boroimhe) can be shown to have originated in Ireland and not from Spain or any other Celtic region. There may well be many names in Irish that derive from prehistoric or Iron Age Celtiberian origins but it would be difficult to prove any such derivation given the antiquity of the names involved. Many Celtic and therefore, Gaelic names share a common Celtic origin, (such as Lugh, Lleu, Lugos) and it would be difficult to pinpoint a geographical origin for any particular name. My particular interest is in the names of Irish mercenaries who joined the Spanish (and French) Army after the Tudor plantation of Ireland.