Maher surname history

Maher, and its principal variant Meagher, are the anglicised versions of the Irish O Meachair, from meachar, meaning "hospitable". The surname originated in Ikerrin near the modern town of Roscrea in north Tipperary, where the family retained their traditional lands right up to the modern period, resisting the encroachments of the Norman Butlers. The name remains very strongly linked to the traditional homeland, with the bulk of present-day Mahers living or originating in Co. Tipperary. Formerly pronounced as 2 syllables, as the Irish original would suggest, the name is now more often pronounced as a single syllable.

With 203 births in 1890, Maher was one of the 100 most common names in Ireland, ranked 85th, with the bulk of the births recorded in Tipperary and the adjoining county of Kilkenny. . Today it stands at number 78.

Captain John Meagher was one of the most famous casualties of the seventeenth century wars in Ireland. Having taken to a life of outlawry, he was finally captured and hanged in 1690. Thomas Francis Meagher (1823-1867) was one of the founders of the revolutionary "Young Ireland" movement. Transported to Australia, he managed to escape to the U.S., where he became Brigadier-General of the Irish Brigade of the Union Army during the civil war, and was later Governor of Montana

T.J, Maher (1922 - ) , a prominent public figure for more than 20 years, he has been president of the Irish Farmers? Association, the Irish Co-op Society and a member of the European Parliament.

Lory Meagher (1899-1973) was considered one of the best hurlers of all time.. He won 3 All-Ireland medals with his county, Kilkenny, in 1932, 1933 and 1935.