The MANNING Name

MANN ION:

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Irish Variants: Mainnín

Anglicized Variants: Mannin; Manning

A very old family, the MANNIONs are said to descend from pre-Gaelic Pictish rulers

of the Galway and Roscommon area, where a great number of MANNIONs are still

located. There is also a Mannin Bay near Galway Bay, on the Connemara coast. They

were also a sept of the population group known as the Uí Maine, which included most

of the important septs of Connacht. They were located in the barony of Tiaquin in

County Galway and the headquarters of their chieftain was the castle of Clogher.

Mainnín, King of Sodhan, is mentioned in an Irish chronicle of 1135. Up to the time

of James I (1566-1625) they were still a clan of some importance and their chieftain's

residence was at Menlough Castle, which was later to be taken over by the BLAKEs

who were descendants of the Fourteen Tribes of Galway.

In the seventeenth century the MANNIONs were besieged by the powerful O KELLYs,

who confiscated much of their land.

In 1617, Hugh O MANNIN had to surrender his estates to James I. Later he had them

returned to him. However, a few decades later they were confiscated by the marauding

Cromwellians.

MANNING is a common surname in England, but in Ireland it can also be an anglicization

of Mainnín. The MANNINGs of Dublin and cork could be of English descent.

In the Irish army of James II (1633-1701), John MANNING is recorded as being a

"cornet" in O NEILL's Dragoon.

Frederick MANNING (1812-83) of Dublin followed his father to VAN DIEMEN's Land

(now Tasmania). He was well received by the Maoris and, in time, became a judge in their

courts. He published a number of books on New Zealand and local folk culture.

Henry Edward, Cardinal MANNING (1808-92), Archbishop of Westminster, was one

of the English MANNINGs.

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