Conway

Name Origin

Conway is found across two distinct Gaelic families — an Ulster bardic family and a Connacht sept from Mayo and Kerry. Both trace their name to the Irish word for hound.

Historical Background

Conway in Ireland represents two distinct families with different Gaelic origins. The more numerous Connacht Conways descend from Ó Conbhuidhe — the yellow hound — a sept of the Uí Fiachrach who held territory in County Mayo. The Ulster Conways, concentrated in County Tyrone, descend from Mac Conmidhe, meaning son of the wise or middle hound, and were hereditary poets to the O'Neills of Ulster.

The Mac Conmidhe poets of Ulster held an important position in Gaelic culture — as bards to the O'Neill dynasty, they composed formal praise poetry and preserved genealogical records. The most famous was Giolla Brighde Mac Con Midhe, one of the greatest Irish poets of the thirteenth century, whose work survives and is considered among the finest examples of Classical Irish poetry.

In Kerry, Conway appears as a distinct variant — some families there represent a separate Gaelic origin, while others may be later migrations from Connacht. The name was anglicised consistently as Conway across all variants.

Norman and later history

It is worth noting that Conway also arrived in Ireland as an Anglo-Norman surname — from the Welsh place name Conway (now Conwy) in north Wales. Some Irish Conway families trace not to Gaelic origin but to Norman or Welsh settlers who came with the conquest. The genealogical research challenge is distinguishing which line you belong to.

The Famine

Mayo was one of the counties most devastated by the Famine — a county where the population fell by more than a third. The Conway families of Mayo dispersed widely to America, principally to New York and the industrial cities of New England. The Kerry Conways followed similar routes to Boston and New York.

Conway in the Diaspora

In the United States, Conway is found across all major Irish-American communities. The name achieved national prominence through General James A. Conway (US Marine Corps Commandant), Tim Conway the comedian and actor (of Irish descent), and various political figures in Boston and New York.

In Australia, Conway appears in the colonial records of Victoria and New South Wales, brought by Famine-era Mayo and Kerry emigrants. The name is also well represented in Canada, particularly in Ontario and Nova Scotia.

Notable Conway Families

• Giolla Brighde Mac Con Midhe — 13th-century Ulster bardic poet, one of the greatest in Classical Irish
• Tim Conway — American actor and comedian, of Irish descent
• General James Conway — 29th Commandant of the US Marine Corps