Ancient Hanley History

  The Irish surname Hanley is an anglicized form ot the Gealic surname O'(h)ainle.  This surname may itself be derived from either the Gaelic word "aluinn", meaning "beautiful", or from the word "ainle", meaning "a swallow".  It is found today principally in - indeed it is almost confined to - two areas, Roscommon and Galway, where it is usually spelled Hanly, and in County Cork and adjacent districts, where the spelling is Hanley.

The ancient  sept of O'Hanlys were originated on the banks of the Shannon in County Roscommon where the place name Doohyhanly perpetuates their connection with that district.  These O'Hanlys were tributaries of the royal house of O'Connor.  Their establishment in County Cork was comparatively late:  their name is almost entirely confined to County Roscommon in the census of 1659 and in earlier records.  A family closely allied to the O'Hanlys of Connacht are the Hallys of County Clare whose name has a similar derivation.

Since the end of the seventeenth century Henley, Henly, Hendley, Henely have been used in Munster, especially in county Cork, as variant forms of Hanley.  Donald O'Hanley was Bishop of Dublin from 1085-1096 and Samuel O'Hanley the same from 1096-1111 when the bishopric became an archbishopric.

Blazon of Arms         : Derk, a boar pisant argent armed hoofed and bristled or, between two                                      arrows   barway of the second headed and of the third, that in chief                                      pointing to the dexter  and that in base to the sinsiter.

Crest                         : Three arrows sable flighted argent pointed or one in pale the other two                                     barways.

Motto Translations : Saigheadoir collach abu.    (The valient archer for ever.)

(As copied from The Historical Research Center files.   Note:  some terms are poorly translated into English.)