MacEniry and McEniry in Irish records
MacEniry and McEniry are documented spellings within an Irish surname tradition associated with County Limerick. Patrick Woulfe records MacEniry under Mac Inneirghe. John Grenham’s McEniry entry includes MacEniry among its indexed forms and connects the name with the area of Castletown Conyers. These sources support treating the two specified spellings together while preserving the form used by each family.
Meaning and the Limerick connection
Woulfe interprets the name as “son of Inneirghe,” explaining the personal name in terms of rising or an early riser. He places the historical family in Corca Muicheat, later Corcomohide, in south Limerick, with a residence at Castletown MacEniry. Grenham likewise locates the tradition at present-day Castletown Conyers. The historical locality is a stronger research starting point than an assumed connection to a similar-looking surname.
How to follow the family name
Keep both MacEniry and McEniry in a search log and compare entries by parish, relatives and dates. Grenham’s record index provides a route into sources carrying these spellings. Record a spelling change when the documents connect the same household; do not force every entry into one modern form. This treatment concerns the MacEniry/McEniry tradition. McInerney has its own history and should be researched separately. A family tree grows from linked people and places, with the Limerick tradition providing context for the records.
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