BRANIGAN Family History

Recorded as Branigan, Brannigan and Brangan, and originally O' Branagain, this is a famous Irish clan surname. It originates from a region which was formerly known as Oriel, and which in modern parlance constitutes the counties of Armagh, Monaghan and Louth. It is said that about the year 1400 some of the clan migrated west into County Galway, where they became known as the O'Brangan and O'Branigan. However they do not appear to have retained the Gaelic O' prefix for long, as in only 1497 Henry Branigan was recorded as being the warden of Galway.