ThesurnameMcGovern (Irish:Mág Samhradháin), is ofIrish origin and is found predominantly in the counties ofCavan (among the fifteen most common names),Fermanagh andLeitrim.
TheIrish name is Mag Samhradháin, meaningthe Son of Samhradhán, and the clan orsept takes its name from oneSamhradhán who lived c. 1100 AD descended from 7th-century Eochaidh, a descendant ofBrión mac Echach Muigmedóin. Eochaidh gave his name to Teallach Eochaid, modern dayTullyhaw in Cavan. This was long the territory of the McGoverns. Their strongholds were atBallymagauran,Bawnboy,Coologe andLissanover in Cavan.[2][3]
There are many variations found in the spelling of the name, all of which are attempts at a phonetic spelling of the GaelicMag Samhradháin. The Mag part can be found as Mag, Meg, Mac, Mau, Mec, Mc, Ma or M'. The Samhradháin part (which may be attached to or detached from theMag part and all its variations) can be found (theG being capitalised or not) as Samradhan, Shamhradhan, Shamhraghan, Shamradhan, Goveran, Govern, Govran, Gawran, Gawrain, Gawrene, Gawryne, Gauran, Gaurin, Gaurn, Gaurien, Gaurayn, Gaveran, Gaheran, Gahran, Gowran, Gouran, Gurn, Gurren, Guran, Guarayn.
C. Maguire, "Bawnboy and Templeport- History Heritage Folklore" (1999)
Margo R. Griffin-Wilson, "Sidelights on History: The Book of Magauran and the Annals", in Proceedings of the Harvard Celtic Colloquium, Vol. 2 (1982), pp. 75-87.
L. McKenna, ed., tr. (1947), “The Book of Magauran”.
C. Parker, “Two minor septs of late medieval Breifne”, in Breifne Journal, Vol. VIII, No. 31 (1995), pp. 566–586
Seán MacBrádaigh,The Genealogy of MacGovern, in Genealogical Society of Ireland Journal, 2003, Vol. 4, No. 2, Page 122.
Seán MacBrádaigh,The genealogy of MagShamhradháin, in Breifne Journal 2010, Vol.XII, No.45, pp. 150–153.
J. H. McGovern (1890), “Genealogy and Historical Notices of the MacGauran or McGovern Clan”
M.V. Duignan (1934), "The Uí Briúin Bréifni genealogies", pp. 90–137, in JRSAI Vol. 4, No. 1, Jun. 30, 1934.
McCarthy, Judith. “The Importance of the Tower House in the Late Medieval Society of Breifne” in Breifne Journal vol. VIII, No.1 (1989–90), pp. 118–136.
F. J. McKiernan, “Hearth Money Rolls for the Baronies of Tullyhaw and Tullyhunco”, in Breifne Journal, Vol. I (1960), pp. 247–262
Salvador Ryan, ‘Wily women of God’ in "Cavan’s late medieval and early modern devotional collections", in Brendan Scott (ed.), Culture and society in early modern Breifne/Cavan (Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2009)[1]
