GENEALOGY: IRISH SURNAME SEARCH
HOARE
Found mainly today in counties Cork and Kerry. it has long association with
the city of Cork where Hoare's Bank was an important institution in the early
eighteenth century
It is with Co. Wexford that the name is most intimately associated. It recured
in the "Ormond Deeds", often from the year 1247 when the family of Le Hore
were in possession of Tilladavin (parish of Tomhaggard, barony of Bargy).
In the thirteenth century Thomas le Hore held lands in the barony of Bantry,
Co. Wexford: in kilkenny Hores were considerable landholders Horetown, Horesland
and Horeswood are all place-names in Co. Wexford, attesting the influential
position of t~he family there.
They were in Co. Louth too: Walter liore held estates there in 1404. In t~he
"Ormond Deeds" the name appears as early as 1190, often in the Latin form
of Canutus. Traditionally they are descended from Phillipe le Hore, an Anglo-Norman
invader under Strongbow. In the mediaeval records the name is given variously
as Le Hore, La Hore, Le Horhe, the Hore (de Hore is an eighteenth century
invention). In the sixteenth century Hore of Pole-Hore and Hiore of Harperstown
are included in the contemporary (I1598) list of chief gentlemen of Co. Wexford
.
The name appeared many times in the Fiants, in almost every case for the
Wexford area. One Fiant of 1566 includes a horseman called Hiore, of Kilmallock,
Co. Limerick, but that is an exception. In more modern times Hore is given
in Petty's "census" of 1659 as one of the principal Irish names in the barony
of Stielinalier, in the same document two Hoares appeared in Co. Cork. A
generation later four of the name were in James 11's parliament of 1689,
seven appear in the list of attainders following the Jacobite defeat. It
cannot be assumed that all Hores in Ireland are necessarily descendants of
these long established Anglo-Norman families.
Several came later to this country, as cromwellian officers and as "adventurers":
it is stated in Burke's Landed Gentry, that the Co. Cork line descends from
two officers in lreton's army. Prominemt of the name include Brother Mathew
Hore O.F.M., who, with Fr. Fleming, was martyred at Benescha in 1631; Sean
de Hóra le. (1716 -c. 1780), Gaelic poet of west Clare who, was born
in Co Cork, and Philip Herbert Hore, whose voluminous MSS are preserved at
St.Peter's College, Wexford. Several of the Cork family were prominent in
their time: Joseph Hoare M.P. was created a baronet in 1 784, and is remembered
for having, attended the [louse of Commons in 1800 to vote against the Union
though totally blind and 93 years of age,.
It should be added that when found in Connacht the name Hore may well be
of different origin, because Horahoe, the usual anglicized form of Ó
hEarcliadha, has to some extent, been absorbed by Hore. The same name is sometimes
anglicized as Harrihy and from that has become Harrison and Harris. Co. Sligo
rent rolls of the early seventeenth century give the name as O'Harroghue,
Horolioe is now rare, it is often contrasted to Hore. The fact that the late
eighteenth century scribe Edmond Hore wrote his name in Irish as Ó
Horrochodha suggests that in Co. Roscommon it may be distinct from the Mayo
Ó hEarcliadha. Tell your friends, and inform your family about
their Irish Heritage.