Irish clan
Gaelic kinship group
An Irish clan is a traditional social unit based on kinship and shared ancestry, typically bearing a common surname derived from a founding ancestor.
Clans dominated Irish social organization for centuries, with members owing loyalty to a chieftain.
The system declined under English rule but persists in cultural identity: The O'Brien clan traces its lineage to Brian Boru.
- tribeSocial group sharing ancestry
- GaelicCeltic linguistic tradition
- chieftainLeader of a tribe
- tartanPatterned clan fabric
- ancestryFamily line of descent
lineage · blood ties · kinship · O'Neill · Celtic · heritage · bloodline · surname · castle · tower house · highland · crest · loyalty · feud · warriors · coat of arms · stronghold · kinfolk
Irish clannuclear family
Parents plus their offspring
married couple · childless couple · immediate family · individual · single-parent family
Irish clanvoluntary association
Group joined by choice
corporation · strangers · government bureaucracy · professional organization · civic organization
Irish, clan, Ireland, Irishman, Irishwoman, Irishness, clannish, clannishness, clansman