The Clan/Sept History

The history of the name O Boylan dates back to a time before Irish names were
translated into English. The original Gaelic form of O Boylan was O
Baoigheallain.

Within the archives researched, many different spelling variations of the
surname O Boylan were found. These included One reason for the many varations is
that scribes and church officials often spelled an individual's name as it
sounded. This imprecise method often led to many versions. Boylan, Boyland,
O'Boylan and others.
First found in Fermanagh, where they held a family seat from ancient times, and
were descended from the Heremon line of Kings, more specifically King Colla da
Crioch, one of the three famous Kings of Colla, 357 A.D.
The 19th century saw a great wave of Irish Families leaving Ireland for the
distant shores of North America and Australia. These families often left their
homeland hungry, penniless, and destitute do to the policies of England. Those
Irish immigrants that survived the long sea passage initially settled on the
eastern seaboard of the continent. Some, however, moved north to a then infant
Canada as United Empire Loyalists after ironically serving with the English in
the American War of Independence. Others that remained in America later joined
the westward migration in search of land. The greatest influx of Irish
immigrants, though, came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the
late 1840s. Thousands left Ireland at this time for North America, and those who
arrived were immediately put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges,
and canals. In fact, the foundations of today's powerful nations of the United
Sates and Canada were to a larger degree built by the Irish. Archival documents
indicate that members of the O Boylan family relocated to North American shores
quite early: George Boylan who settled in Barbados in 1654; Charles, James,
John, Michael, several Patricks, Thomas Boylan, arrived in Philadelphia between
1840 and 1860.