What is a good website where I can find my Irish family crest?

Answer 1

No offense intended, but what makes you think you have a family crest? Just because some website tells you your name is such and such and this was their crest does not mean that crest also belongs to you. It may be a completely different branch or could be your ancestors simply adopted that name. I can claim direct decendency to 13 of the barons that signed the Magna Carta, yet I have no right to use any of the heraldry.

Answer 2

A crest is actually only part of a coat of arms. Lyllyan is correct in that just because someone with the same surname had a coat of arms granted him it does not mean that you are entitled to use the arms. And yes I thought the way in which the answer was given seemed a bit rude.

If your surname is Irish you are entitled to use your clan arms. In this sense we Irish are special because no other nationality has "family" coats of arms. There is a general coat of arms that any clan member may use while the hereditary clanchief has a personal coat of arms that only he may use.

Search the net for an official clan association for your surname. There you should be able to find the coat of arms.
In the source list below I have pasted a link which takes you to a list of links for clans which have a website.
I hope this helps. Also if you wish you may contact me personally. I am the host for the O'Brien Clan of Mexico

Answer 3

See the link below re Irish Coats of Arms

http://www.heraldry.ws/info/article10.html

Crest is a misnomer for a coat of arms.

Please see the links below

http://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/Faq.htm

http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/comconsumerpsst.cfm

I understand the Irish had disdain mostly by coat of arms. This was something that was introduced by the Norman conquest. They were granted to individuals who passed them on to their sons. Some Irish did have coats of arms. However, the websites you see peddling them will often use an English coat of arms or someone else's and claim it as belonging to an Irish names. Actually, if they solicited your business through the U. S. mail like they do the internet, they risk being prosecuted for mail fraud.

Not everyone with the same surname comes from the same root of that name. Mac, Mc and Fitz means son of and the prefix O means descendant of. O'Connor means descendant of Conchobhar (Connor) but you have to realize there was no doubt more than one Conchobhar that had descendants and they were not all related. O'Brien means descendant of Brian but not all O'Briens are descendants of Brian Boru as there was more than one Brian that had descendants.

The best way is to trace your family starting with your parents and work back. Anytime you wish to do this, there are plenty of people on this board that can give you some great ideas. Just ask.

Answer 4

You may try : http://www.houseofnames.com/fc.asp?s=Irish+&sId=

Note: I typed the word Irish under search for surname, as an example, but you can type your last name and you should get results, too. (I supposed the word Irish is a last name too.)

Good luck!

Answer 5

cousinconnect.com