(a) "Where did the name Finnerty come from,
and what does it mean?"
Our understanding is this:
The Celtic version of the name "Finnerty" is "Ó Fionnachta";

"Ó Fionnachta" in Celtic means: grandchild (or later descendant) of "Fionnachta";

"Fionnachta" is a composite of two Celtic words: "Fionn" and "Sneachta";

"Fionn" in Celtic means "fair" - as in shade of white, and "Sneachta" means snow;

As a consequence of the above, it seems the original Celtic person known as "Fionn-Sneachta" (i.e. "fair snow" literally - but meaning "snow-white"), was a man or a woman with snow white hair, or snow white skin: or possibly both. Incidentally, and for reasons unknown to us, it seems people of such appearance were greatly revered by the ancient Celts. Similarly for people with snow-white skin and red hair; and Queen Meave of Connacht - who the ancient Celts believed was a goddess (and not a human being), is thought to be one such person.

It may be relevant to include here that the late W.T. Finnerty had a nephew (also called William, and middle son of his brother Patrick) born during the 1940's in the New Inn area of County Galway, who actually did have snow white hair; and who (as a child and in his early teens) had a nickname which strongly reflected its unusual colour: tangible genetic evidence perhaps of a direct link between himself and the original "fionn sneachta" ancestor from many dozens of generations earlier?

There is a very similar Celtic word to "Fionnachta" (which can be seen in modern Irish Language dictionaries) spelled: "Fionnachtaí"; and the English meanings given are "discoverer" or "inventor". Whether or not there is any substantial relationship between the origins of these two words, we do not know at present.


Saint Kevin (c. 498 - 618) is a Christian saint who was the Abbot of Glendalough in County Wicklow, Ireland. "Kevin" is the English-language spelling of the Irish name Caoimhín (Coemgen in Old Irish, latinized as Coemgenus).

His legend is particularly untrustworthy, as very little contemporaneous material exists. It maintains that he was descended from a royal line, given the name Coemgen, which means "fair-begotten", and educated by Petrock during that saint's sojourn in Ireland. He was at Disert-Coemgen for a time and later established a church for his own community at Glendalough. This monastery was to become the parent of several others. Eventually, Glendalough, with its seven churches, became one of the chief pilgrimage destinations in Ireland. His legend says that he lived to the age of 120.

Kevin also means gentle and lovable from a Gaelic origin.