Dooley — Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Ó Dubhlaoich
Meaning: 'descendant of Dubhlaoch (black hero)'
Traditional stronghold: Laois, Offaly, Westmeath
Pronunciation: DOO-lee; Irish Ó Dubhlaoich: oh DUV-lee
History of the Dooley name
Ó Dubhlaoich combines dubh, 'black', with laoch, 'warrior', and the sept was anciently seated in Co. Westmeath before establishing itself on the slopes of the Slieve Bloom mountains, in the Ely O'Carroll country where Offaly meets Laois. There the Dooleys have remained ever since, and the name is still strongly identified with those midland counties, though it spread early into Tipperary and Kilkenny as well. In America the name gained a curious fame through Mr. Dooley, the fictional Irish barman-philosopher created by Finley Peter Dunne, whose syndicated musings made him the most quoted commentator of 1900s America. In Ireland the Dooley brothers of Clareen, Billy, Johnny and Joe, starred in Offaly's All-Ireland hurling triumphs of the 1990s.
Variants: O'Dooley · Dowley · Duley
Famous bearers of the name
- Johnny Dooley — Offaly hurler whose audacious goal helped snatch the 1994 All-Ireland final from Limerick.
- Joe Dooley — Offaly hurling forward who won All-Ireland medals in 1985, 1994 and 1998 across a remarkable career.
Related names from the same part of Ireland: Moore · Daly · Dunne · Fitzpatrick · Carroll · Mooney · Hennessy · Dowling