Failte/ Welcome!
This is the official site for all members of the O'Dubhda Clan. The original Gaelic name meaning "descendant of the Dark One", had changed over the centuries as different spellings have been used, however, anyone with the names O'Dowd, Dowd, Dowds, Doud(e), Doody, Duddy or any other of those mentioned in Variations, is descended from the 10th century King of Connacht, Aedh Ua Dubhda (died 982), who was the first to use the surname.
Aims of the Site
There are several reasons behind the creation of this site:
1. It will serve as a source of information about the activities of the Clan Association and its members, in particular it will furnish details of the triennial Clan Rallies.
2. The History of the O'Dubhda Clan, from earliest times to the present, will be outlined in a series of pages that will be added to periodically.
3. Legends and Stories associated with the Clan and its territory will be recited,and details provided of the Sites where these events took place.
4. Hopefully, it will become a means for clansmen and women to contact each other, and assist in genealogical research - although this will depend upon the information that members can provide.
5. Finally, it is hoped that the site will stimulate interest and pride in our heritage.
Hostings/Clan Rallies
There are rallies, called "hostings" in the past, held every three years in Enniscrone, County Sligo, Ireland, to which all members of the Clan are most welcome. These are quite informal gatherings whose main purpose is to allow members of the O'Dubhda Clan to meet each other, socialize and talk (we are particularly good as the last!) While each rally has a character of its own, there is a formal (well, almost!) Clan Council meeting that is open to all attending, and which, in addition to dealing with clan business, has the task of electing the Tanaiste. Since 2000, there has been the inauguration of the Taoiseach (Chieftain) and Tanaiste (Heir), according to the ancient Brehon system. A trip to sites of historical interest is usually arranged and, although optional, they have proved to be very interesting in past years. It had become customary to end the week-end rally with a banquet at Belleek Castle in County Mayo, although other venues may be considered from time to time.
The next rally is scheduled for September 2009, and details will be posted in Latest News nearer the time.
Origin of the Name
The name O'Dubhda and its variants comes from the 9th century King of Connacht, Dubhda, meaning "the Dark One." The description most likely refers to his black hair, or his dark complexion, although it could simply be a nickname! Dubhda had an older brother, Caoimhin, but succeeded to the throne in preference to him. A later story attributes this to the intervention of St Gerald of Mayo (See Legends), although under the Irish system the eldest son did not always succeed the father.
The first to use the surname wasa Dubhda's grandson, Aedh (Hugh) Ua Dubhda, the King of Connacht that the annals say "died an untroubled death" in 982, making this one of the earliest surnames in Europe. As the use of surnames became common in the 11th and 12th centuries, the descendants of Aedh continued to use the name O'Dubhda to distinguish their royal lineage from that of other families.
Variations
The following is a list, in chronological order from 1297, of the various spellings of the original O'Dubhda name. The differences result partly from the difficulty experienced by non-Gaelic speaking clerks with the Gaelic pronunciation of the name, and partly from their attempts to render the name in Latin, or English, or French, or German. In addition, it is important to remember that English spelling was not standardized until the late 18th century, and Conor MacHale cites instances of the same individual being mentioned several times in a single 17th century official document, and his name being spelled differently each time!
Doude, O'Duda, Odubda, Odibda, Oduba, Otopta, Otuta, O'Duba, Odubhda, O'Dode, O'Dowobey, O'Dowdy, O'Dowd, O'Doude, O'Dobowey, O'Dowde, Doowda, Dowdall, Dowdy, O'Dowey, O'Douda, Dowde, O'Dooda, Dowda, O'Dowdae, O'Dwda, O'Dowda, O'Dondey, O'Dowdie, Dodd, Dowd, Odowda, O'Dovd, Odout, O'Doud, Doody, Dowds.
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