McMahon & MacMahon Irish Family Gifts & Heritage

McMahon and MacMahon both come from the Irish Mac Mathghamhna, “son of Mathghamhain,” a personal name meaning bear. Two great families carried it. The MacMahons of Oriel became lords of Oriel after the decline of the O’Carrolls in the thirteenth century and ruled from County Monaghan into the reign of Elizabeth I, still holding considerable lands there at the time of the Cromwellian wars. In the fourteenth century one of their principal residences stood on a crannóg at Convent Lake in Monaghan town.

The MacMahons of Thomond were a branch of the royal O’Briens, named for Mahon, son of Murtagh More O’Brien, King of Ireland. Their patrimony was Corca Bhaiscinn, the baronies of Moyarta and Clonderlaw in south-west County Clare, and from this line came Marshal Patrice de MacMahon, Duke of Magenta and President of the French Republic. The Oriel family gave the church three successive archbishops of Armagh in the eighteenth century, among them Hugh and Ross Roe MacMahon.

The range honors both spellings: McMahon and MacMahon woven blankets and accent mugs on the Irish National Tartan, a McMahon printed throw, a MacMahon garden flag, a framed McMahon Christmas ornament and a McMahon Celtic harp T-shirt. Follow both families in our McMahon and MacMahon surname history.