Quote Originally Posted by slohairt View Post
SWEENEY The original Gaelic form (whether Irish or Scottish) is Mac Suibhne. (Pronounced MAC SWIN-EE or MAC SWIN-yA) This translates to son of Suibhne, a personal name meaning peaceful or tranquil. The aspirated form of the name is Mac Shuibhne (pronounced MAC HWIN-EE or MAC HWIN-yA) This is where M(a)cQueen is derived from. Just another bad Anglicisation, really. MacEwen is an unrelated name, the original Scottish Gaelic forms are Mac Eobhainn or Mac Eoghain.

The MacSweeneys came to Donegal (from Scotland) as gallowglass (mercenaries) long before Bannockburn, and served the O'Donnell of Tirconnell. If I remember correctly, there are three MacSweeney clans in Ireland: MacSweeney of Donegal, MacSweeney of Fanad and MacSweeney of Muskerry.
Thank you. Your contributions to this thread...all 35 pages worth...are invaluable and very interesting, not to mention educational. I wish I had your command of the Gaelic. I don't know any.