Na Clanna Ṁic Giolla Coṁġaill - The Coyle Families




mac Gilla Chomhghaill equates to son of (one devoted to) Comgall, (after 6th Ulster century saint, Comhghall of Bangor - venerated in 10-11th centuries)

Affixing Giolla to personal names with a religious connection avoided a taint of blasphemy by signifying a child was being devoted to the one whose name was taken

Chomhghaill (Geailge, gen. sing. of Comhghall) is sounded KHOOW'yeel (applying UK English character prounciation values), and can be vocalized as KHOUV'ill, KHOO'l or KHOW'ill etc., in different areas.

mac Gilla Chomhghaill was often written in Irish as mac g'Comhghaill, M'Gilla Chomhghaill, Giolla as Gilla and Gille, and Chomhghaill also as Chomhaill


It was recordered with nearly 30 variants by English officials, presumable depending on the area where it was recorded, how attuned the recording official was to the subtlies of Irish pronunciation, and how the official thought it should be rendered into the non-standardised English spellings of the time.

Direct Links

Genealogy (All Areas)

James V. Coyle, C.B.E., B.L.(Dublin)

Charles Coyle, Sec. Dublin Cemeteries Committee (Ballintemple/Dublin)