LawlerFamilyOrgin

The Clan Lawlor

Name in Gaelic: O Leathlobhair (descendant of Leathlobhar, an ancient Irish (personal name)
Lawlor and its variants Lalor and Lawler were borne by two distinct ancient Irish septs.

   One family, established in Ulster, was of royal lineage.
They descended from Leathlobhar, Monarch of Ulidia, who died in 871. In the early 10th century, these Lawlors appeared in the "Annals of the Four Masters" as Kings of Ulidia
and Dalradia, a vast area which encompassed the modern counties of Down, Antrim and part of Derry.

   By the year 1100, the sept had dispersed, and many of its members settled in Co. Managhan.

    The most prominent family of the name, like their kinsmen the O'Moores, were one of the "Seven Septs of Laois." Seated at Dysart Enos, near the famous Rock of Dunamase, they were driven from their lands by the Pigotts in 1609.

   The spot where the treaty was concluded which resulted in the leading men of the Seven Septs being transplanted to Kerry is still known as Lawlor's Mill.

    However, most of the family remained in or near their original territory, and today the great majority of Lawlors reside in either Laois or the counties lying east of it.

   Harry Lalor, the best remembered of the surname, is renowned as the hero of Mullaghmast in which innocent Lawlors and other inhabitants of Co. Laois were treacherously slain by the O'Dempseys in conjunction with the English planters of the district in 1577.

   Others of note include Patrick Lalor, a strong Co. Laois farmer and member of Parliament for that County;
James Fintan lalor (1807-1849), the revolutionary, and his brother Peter Lalor (1823-1889), who led the insurgent miners at Eureka, Australia in the year 1854, subsequently becoming Minister and Speaker of the Legislative Council for Victoria.

Lawler Family Origin

    The Lawler family is descended form Milesuius,
King of Spain, through the line of his fifth son, Ir, and
belongs to the Clanna Rory tribe, founded by Heber Donn, son of Ir.
The founder of the Lalor family was the famous warrior, Conal Kearhach, son of Amergin and who gave his name to the tribe in Ulser, B. C. 87.
The ancient name was Lalach, signifying "The Giant".

    The possessions of the sept were located in present counties of Down and queen County, Irelannd.

    The O'Lalors--in Irish Leathlabhair--took their name from Leathlabhor, Prince of Dolaradia, or Ulidia (now the county of Down in the tenth Century), who was their ancestor.

who died in the year 904, was one of the most renowned Irish princes of his age.

    Another family of this name, and also of this race,
was seated at Dysert-Enos, in the present Queens County
. Major General O'Lalor of the Spanish Service, Honorary Companion of the Order of the Bath, and Patrick O'Lalor, Esq.,mex-member of Parliment of Tinnakill, Queens are given by Dr. O'Donovan, writing a few years ago, as belonging to this later family.

There have been many distinguished members
of both branches of the family, both emprevious and subsequent to the Anglo-Norman invasion.

             On the occasion of the infamous massacre
of Mullaghmast, in the year 1577 when some
hundreds of the most peaceable of the Irish gentry were invited on the public faith, and under protection of the Government, and then ruthlessly slaughtered by their supposed hosts, the O'Lalors were one of the families invted for the extermination.

   The few who survived the blood day owed their escape to one Harry Lalor, who, remarking that none of those returned who had entered the fort before him, desired his companions to make off as fast as they could, in case they did not see him come back.

     Lalor, as he as enteringt the fort, saw the bodies of his slaughtered companions, them (sic) drawing his sword he fought his way back to those that survived, with whom he
made excape to Dysart.

    Those murdered at Mullagjhmast on that fatal day were some of the Seven Septs of Leix, some gentleman of the Keathings.

    The "Seven Septs of the Leix" were the O'Lalors, the O'Mores, the O'Kellys, the dovoys (sic),
the Macaboys, the O'Dorans and the O'Dowlings.