Lynch-Martin possibly from this area?

In case you're interested, the Lynch and Loftus surnames are widespread in Connacht, especially in Galway and Mayo.

The Lynches in Galway were one of the best known of the "Tribes of Galway".  They descend from a Norman family named de Lench,  Like many Normans, they became Gaelicized over years of intermarriage with the:"native" Irish.  There were several "native" septs (or tribes) named Ó Loingsigh (sometimes Ó Loincsigh), and that Irish form of the name was adopted by the Normans as well, but Lynch became the most common anglicized form, along with Linchy, and Linskey/Lynskey (especially in Mayo).

The Loftus surname originated in western Mayo, although it spread elsewhere.  There was/is an English family named Loftus, a few of whom did make it to Ireland, but most Irish people with the surname Loftus (still found principally in Mayo) originated as O’Loughnane's, from the Irish surname Ó Lachtnáin.  Lachtnáin comes from an old word for the color grey, lachtna (in modern Irish, grey is liath), so it probably meant something like “descendant of the grey haired fellow” (the “Ó” part of the name means essentially “descendant”).  As English-speakers took control in an area, many names were translated (often poorly) or converted to something easier for English speakers to spell or say, or were changed to an English name that sounded similar or had prestige.  The change from O’Loughnane to Loftus is believed to be an example of a prestige name being used, although some O’Loughnane's ended up with the surname Grey, as a result of translation (and some stayed as O'Loughnane).  Exactly when the changes took place is apparently unclear from the historical records.

Thank you, Roger and Kevin!
Have sent photo and what info I have about Julia Martin Lynch to the site CHRONICLES.  Will keep searching- and have shared the surname history with DNA connections from two continents!
Best wishes for good health,

Ann Marie

No actual help but I have found the Lynch family is hard to trace seeing as they where everywhere.
My G-G Grandfather is from County Cork.
Also have Lynch family from Tullig and Tralee, County Kerry.

Thank you, Albert, for your information.  I had hoped that DNA would provide a connection.  Since using DNA for this kind of search is in it's infancy, I guess I must be patient and just keep looking!

The complication for my family is the same first names (John, Joseph) were passed along the generations that I KNOW.  On one immigrant ship, there were 15 John Lynch's aged 18-21!  Tracing folks on those immigrant ships (Ireland to US and Canad) around 1840s must be an art!  

 Julia Martin Lynch is the only MARTIN name in the family.  Have found a connection due to a baby sharing a NYC grave (from a different MARTIN parentage).  Just not sure of the connection between Martin and Lynch- cannot find marriage in NY/and not in Ireland.  I often wonder if the MARTIN family adopted John Lynch.......

Thanks for mentioning two more counties to check- Cork and Kerry.  

Happy hunting- Be well!

 

Ann Marie Lynch