The Riley Family Crest

My mom's side of the family has Irish descent dating back hundreds of years. So, as many Irish families do, in 2016 we had a family reunion. And, as the stereotype goes, Irish people LOVE to have kids. So, when my little 8-year-old self walked into the Riley/Boland family reunion wearing my "Erin go Bragh" t-shirt with the family crest, I was immediately overwhelmed by the hundreds of people there.

When you have as many Irish relatives as I do, it's hard not to at least partially identify with Irish heritage. I've embraced it since I was a kid, taking river dancing lessons and eating corned beef every St. Patrick's Day.

When I was thinking about topics for this project, I knew I wanted to focus on my Irish descent more than anything else. I was trying my hardest to think of an aspect of my heritage to which I had a strong connection. Bagpipes? No. Leprechauns? No. Pubs? Definitely not. And then, inspiration struck when I was looking through my closet and found my family crest t-shirt. Obviously, this was it.

The History of Irish Crests

While Irish crests have been around for thousands of years, they weren’t always used in the same way they are today.

In the 12th century, the rise of heavy metal chains and helmets was the custom for knights in battle. However, this style made it particularly hard for men to distinguish the enemy from those on their side, resulting in the use of crests to identify different clans correctly.

Over time, the crests began to be used more for familial identification, rather than on the battlefield. They were a casual grouping and could be claimed by anyone of any social status. According to Pat Brennan, “Those lower on the social ladder were not slow to recognize their usefulness and…quickly began to imitate their "betters" and use heraldic symbols.”

Then, in the 16th century, Henry VIII was the first to begin formally recognizing crests as a form of identification. Shortly after in the 17th century, official laws were placed around who was able to claim the crests.

History of the Rileys

There are numerous spellings of the name Riley, all relating back to one name; O Raghalleigh. The literal translation of the name is a “sociable race” or “valiant one.” The name Riley also relates back to England, with the translation meaning “rye-farm.”

The Irish version of the name can be traced back to the ancient kingdom of Breifne, ruled by the O’Reilly dynasty. The history of Breifne can be brought back to 5,000 years ago, longer than Stonehenge itself.

The kingdom was established after Raighaillaigh O’Connor was rewarded by his uncle for bravery in battle. Roughly 4000 years later, the O’Rourkes laid claim to the land, starting a war between the two families that lasted 200 years. It was ultimately determined that the only way to end the war was to split the land between the two, Reilly in the east and O’Rourke in the west.

Simultaneous to the war, England was attempting to take over Ireland. Along with the O’Neills, the Reilly kingdom was the last to surrender to English forces. This show of bravery may tie into the two lions that are displayed on the Riley family crest.

Cat Drain on Canva

Symbols and Meanings

irishsurnames.com

Each of the hundreds of symbols, colors, and shapes in Irish heraldry all have their own meanings and represent different family traits. On the Riley crest, there are two lions, a bleeding hand, knights, green, gold, and the chief-style crest.

First, the shape of the crest, referred to as “Chief,” represents the family as authoritative, wise, and having major success in battle. Along with the colors gold, showing generosity, and green, showing hope and loyalty, the crest gives an immediate impression of the Riley family.

The two lions guarding the crest represent courage and, like the shape of the crest, success in battle. This courage is likely sourced from the Riley king’s bravery when resisting the English envision in Breifne. The knight above the crest is symbolic of showing wisdom in defense.

Last but not least is the bleeding hand directly in the middle of the crest, and the symbolism isn’t exactly clear. While it may be used to represent faith and sincerity, there is also speculation that it might tie into the Red Hand of Ulster, used on the official family crest of the O’Neills.

The Red Hand of Ulster

The Red Hand of Ulster has been rooted in Gaelic traditions for thousands of years. More recently, it has been recognized as the official seal of the O’Neill dynasty.

As the story goes, the O’Neill king was engaged in a race across the sea to win a piece of land. The only rule was that whoever was able to touch the land first would inherit the land. Seeing that his enemy was going to win the race, O’Neill chopped off his own hand at the wrist and threw it onto shore, winning the race and claiming the land, later to be named the Kingdom of Ulster, ruled by the O’Neill dynasty. The hand became a symbol of not only the O’Neill’s bravery but also their determination and pride.

On a medieval map, the ancient kingdoms of Ulster and Breifne are directly next to each other. Additionally, both kingdoms are tied together through their bravery and resilience in resisting the English takeover. One conclusion is that the O’Neills and Rileys had a sort of alliance forged by their common need to protect their home countries from invasion. Then, the Rileys took on a portion of the O’Neill crest to show the alliance and pay respect to the bravery to the bravery of the O’Neills.

cain.ulster.ac.uk

Conclusion

My Irish heritage has been a part of my identity since I was a child. I grew up hearing stories as far back as my great grandparents, born in Ireland, but never as far back to our true Irish roots. Researching my family's medieval history helped me to strengthen my bonds with my Irish heritage. During the course of this project, I had conversations with my grandfather, who then mailed me over 100 documents about my family tree dating as far back as 1700. He is immensely excited about passing on our heritage, and I am equally as excited to continue learning.

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