C U N N I N G H A M

The surname Cunningham is to be found distributed over 8,11 four provinces of Ireland, but is most common in the northern Counties of Down and Antrim, and in the western Counties of Galway and Roscommon.

The northern Cunninghams are regarded as being of Scottish descent, but there is a well founded tradition that early members of the family migrated to Scotland from northern Ireland. In Scotland they were famous as early as the eleventh century.

It is the crest of this branch of the family which is registered in the Office of Arms in Dublin. The strange motto: "OVER FORK OVER" comes from an incident which occurred about the year 1050 A.D. A Cunningham ancestor saved the life of Malcolm Canmore, afterwards King of Scotland I by covering him with hay, thus concealing him from Macbeth's pursuing forces.

The Irish Cunninghams trace their descent from two sources. One branch descends from Fiachra, brother of Niall of the Nine Hostages, father of the last pagan King of Ireland. Their lands were located in County Sligo. Another branch was a sept of the Hy Many clan, liegemen of the O'Kelly chieftains. Their lands were in Galway and Roscommon.

The ancient Gaelic name O'Cunnigan is found anglicized in various forms as Cunningham, Coonaghan, Counihan, Gunnigham, Kunnighan, Kinighan, Kinigam, Kinnegan and others.