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DENNEHY Family History

Recorded as O'Danagher, O'Dennehy, Dennedy, Denedy, Denny, Deeny, and Dennehy, this is an Irish surname. It is usually found in County Cork, and slightly less so in County Kerry, although as Danagher, it was formerly recorded in County Limerick, and as Denedy and Dennedy in County Sligo. However spelt the surname is believed to derive from the ancient pre 10th century Gaelic "duineachaidh", meaning pure, but it has to be said that this is not accepted by many scholars. Unfortunately todate nobody seems to have come up with a better explanation. Many, perhaps the majority of Irish surnames, originated as a nickname for the first chief of the clan, effectively the first nameholder...