This episode of The History and Heritage Podcast examines the Irish surname Leahy, along with variants such as Lahey and Leahey.

Although often treated as a single family name, Leahy derives from two distinct Gaelic lineages with different meanings, social roles, and regional histories. The episode explores how anglicisation, regional pronunciation, and administrative record-keeping caused separate families to be recorded under the same spellings.

A grounded exploration of language, identity, and the hidden complexity behind a familiar Irish name.

“Certavi et vici — I have fought and I have conquered.”

Few family mottos carry as much lived experience as the Flanagan line. From the medieval chiefs of Roscommon to Olympic champions, artists, priests, soldiers, and reformers, the Flanagans have spent centuries turning struggle into purpose.

This episode explores • the origins of the Flanagan name, • the meaning of the motto Certavi et vici, • their roots in Roscommon, • and the extraordinary people who carried that spirit into the modern world — including athletes, artists, priests, and even a Pearl Harbor survivor.

A story of grit, stewardship, faith, and the quiet power of Irish resilience.

Surname Series: O’Dwyer (Ó Dubhuir) From the rugged slopes of Kilnamanagh to the courts of Europe, the battlefields of the 17th century, and the sporting arenas of today, the O’Dwyer story is one of resilience, identity, and reinvention.

This episode explores their ancient Laigin roots, the stronghold they built in Tipperary, their resistance against Norman and Tudor pressure, the dramatic capture of the Rock of Cashel, and the upheaval that followed Cromwell’s conquest. Forced abroad, many became leaders in foreign armies and courts — while others rose in America and Australia through public service, law, and community leadership.

The legacy continues today through figures like Mick O’Dwyer, Orla O’Dwyer, Joseph O’Dwyer, and Gráinne O’Dwyer, each carrying the same drive into sport, science, and culture.

A story of perseverance, faith, and the enduring strength of one Irish name.