Index of Names in Irish Annals: Giolla Bhallach

by Mari Elspeth nic Bryan (Kathleen M. O'Brien)

Masculine Given Names: Giolla Bhallach

Spellings:

What we know as a set of Irish Annals are manuscripts that were each compiled during a particular time period, usually using older material as sources. For example, when the Annals of the Four Masters were written from 1632 to 1636, they covered events that occurred centuries and millenia before (including legendary history). So, when an entry in this set of annals refers to a person who lived in the year 738, the spelling used for that person's name is very likely not using the spelling that would have been used in 738.

Standard forms of this name (based on spelling systems of different periods) would be:


Early Modern Irish Gaelic (c1200-c1700) nominative form:	Giolla Bhallach
Early Modern Irish Gaelic (c1200-c1700) genitive form:	Giolla Bhallaigh
Early Modern Irish Gaelic (c1200-c1700) patronymic form:	mac an Giolla Bhallaigh

Frequency & Dates:

Number of men found in the annals with this name: 3

Found in Years: 1412, 1493, 1532

Research Notes:

NOTE: This name began as an appellative - it was used in place of the given name, not actually as a given name.

The name literally means 'freckled boy'. Because of this meaning, and the grammar construction of the phrase, it usually appears in byname phrases with the definite article. So, the normal form seen in the annals uses the construction mac an Giolla Bhallaigh meaning 'son [of] the freckled boy'.

Sources:

Further information about the name Giolla Bhallach may be found in:

The Sources page lists the Annals referenced below. Information about secondary sources is included on that page as well.

Raw Data

In the table below, I have separated individuals with a blank line. That is, when there are multiple entries in the annals that refer to a single person, those entries are grouped together.

Within the list of entries refering to a single person, I have sorted the entries primarily by orthography when it is obvious that what I am seeing is the same entry showing up in multiple annals. The entries that tend to use older spellings are listed first.

Special factors which may affect name usage are marked in the context column.

AN indicates a member of an Anglo-Norman family

AS indicates an Anglo-Saxon

N indicates a Norseman

P indicates a Pict

R indicates a person holding a religious office

S indicates a person from Scotland

NOTE: The Annals referenced below under the code letters A, B, C, E, & F tend to use later spellings than the other Annals. In some cases, the spellings listed in these Annals may not be appropriate for the year referenced in the Annal entry.

In some Gaelic scripts, there is a character that looks approximately like a lowercase f, but without the crossbar. This character (represented by an underscored , e, in the entries below) sometimes represents e and sometimes ea depending upon the context of the text.

[Standardized form of this man's name]

Annals Entry Context Citation (formatting preserved)

(d. 1412)

Co 1412.11 Mac Lochlaind h. Ruairc, frisi raiti in Gilla Ballach, meic Dondchada meic Lochlaind ["The son of Lochlainn (called the Spotty Boy) son of Donnchad son of Lochlainn O Ruairc"]

(d. ?)

U3 U1493.1 Mairgreg, ingen Meg Uidhir, .i. ingen Tomais Oig, mic an Gilla Dhuibh Meg Uidhir, .i. bean Mic Gilla Ruaidh, .i. Domnaill, mic Mail t-Shechlainn, mic an Gilla Bhallaigh Mic Gilla Ruaidh ["Margaret, daughter of Mag Uidhir, namely, daughter of Thomas junior, son of the black Gillie Mag Uidhir, that is, wife of Mac Gilla-ruaidh, namely, of Domnall, son of Mael-Shechlainn, son of the freckled Gillie Mac Gilla-ruaidh"]

(d. 1532)

U3 U1532.2 in Ghilla Ballach, mac Enrí Buidhe Mic Gaffraigh

E M1532.18 imón n-Giolla Bhallach mac Enri Bhuidhe mic Gofraidh

Kathleen M. O'Brien's articles are hosted by Medieval Scotland, which is published by Sharon L. Krossa (contact). Shopping online? How you can support this site. (Jan 2006)
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Number of men found in the annals with this name:	3
Found in Years:	1412, 1493, 1532

AN	indicates a member of an Anglo-Norman family
AS	indicates an Anglo-Saxon
N	indicates a Norseman
P	indicates a Pict
R	indicates a person holding a religious office
S	indicates a person from Scotland

[Standardized form of this man's name]
Annals	Entry	Context	Citation (formatting preserved)

(d. 1412)
Co	1412.11		Mac Lochlaind h. Ruairc, frisi raiti in Gilla Ballach, meic Dondchada meic Lochlaind ["The son of Lochlainn (called the Spotty Boy) son of Donnchad son of Lochlainn O Ruairc"]

(d. ?)
U3	U1493.1		Mairgreg, ingen Meg Uidhir, .i. ingen Tomais Oig, mic an Gilla Dhuibh Meg Uidhir, .i. bean Mic Gilla Ruaidh, .i. Domnaill, mic Mail t-Shechlainn, mic an Gilla Bhallaigh Mic Gilla Ruaidh ["Margaret, daughter of Mag Uidhir, namely, daughter of Thomas junior, son of the black Gillie Mag Uidhir, that is, wife of Mac Gilla-ruaidh, namely, of Domnall, son of Mael-Shechlainn, son of the freckled Gillie Mac Gilla-ruaidh"]

(d. 1532)
U3	U1532.2		in Ghilla Ballach, mac Enrí Buidhe Mic Gaffraigh
E	M1532.18		imón n-Giolla Bhallach mac Enri Bhuidhe mic Gofraidh