Do you have any person in your family line that was famouse or that was of royal blood? A pirate? Who?

Yes, I do. I'm a descendant of Clanna Duigenan family and am descended from Milesius, King of Spain, through the line of his son Heremon. The founder of the family was Maine, ancestor of the Southern Hy Nials, and son of Nial of the Nine Hostages, King of Ireland, A.D. 379. We settled in County Roscommon in Ireland. This family contributed to Irish history many distinguished men, ollavs, historians, bards, and ecclesiastics. The little village of Castlefore or Baile-Coilte-foghair by those who still speak the Irish language is the seat of the O'Duigenans, who kept a bardic school there in ancient times. The O'Duigenans were the Erenaghs of the Church of Kilronan, in the barony of Boyle, in the County of Roscommon, and were also the chroniclers of the Clan Mulrooney.

Magnus O'Duigenan, a writer who lived in the latter half of the fourteenth century, is chiefly known thorugh the connection of his name with the celebrated "Book of Ballymote" or sometimes the Book of the O'Duigenans..

Dubhthach O'Duigenan was the author of two long poems, containing the chronicles of the families of the O'Neils and O'Donnells for centuries.

We anglicised to O'Duingan("dub:" Irish, black or dark; "gen", a sword or wound; "an," one who), an ancient celebrated family in Ireland.

In 1339, the Church of Kilronan was begun by Ferrall Muinach O'Duigenan.


The Four Masters record, as might be expected, numerous obit of the O'Duigenan family; each of whom is commenorated as a learned historian or philosopher.

In 1588, Duffy O'Duigenan wrote a history of Sept of the O'Donnells.

Patrick Duigenan, LLD., who was M.P. for the borough of Old Leighlin, in the Irish Parliment of 1797, was a member of this family. That Patrick was one of the King's Counsel, Advocate General of the Admiralty, Judge of the Prerogative Court, Professor of Common Laws in the Dublin University, Vicar General of Dublin, a Doctor of Laws, Vicar General of the Diocese of Meath and Leighlin and Ferns, Advocate in the Ecclesiastical Courts, etc.

In O'Cleary's Genealogies the pedigree of the family is recorded down to John Ballach O'Duigenan, who was Chief of his name, when the family was dispossessed of their Kilronan patrimony; but from this time down to the Cromwellian Confiscations, the family genalogy is not forthcoming. We have therefore been able to trace only one branch of the family..."

We also have an official Irish family crest. The crest is on a shield with a light blue background. There is a green tree, growing on a green hill in the center of the shield with two serpents coiled around the tree, their heads facing one another. Centered above the shield is a large owl.

William Digman (the farthest back grandpa I have found on the Digman side) is listed in Maryland Troops in the Revoutionary War, K975.2m369A v.18. The war was from 1776-1783.

I took this from the book my Uncle is writting about us.