Mary Jo and Charlet Bohl

The Day I Discovered My Chieftain Roots

This is such a fun story about my heritage! Before my mother and I left for Ireland, I asked her what my great-grandmother's maiden name was, and I was told it was Keller by family members. With that information in hand, I set off for the Emerald Isle.

It was the fourth full day of our "Best of Ireland" adventure. After leaving Dublin, we were on our way to Killarney National Park, where we would explore Muckross House and Gardens. Our guide, Pascale, was wonderful, sharing the local history as we traveled. On the way to Killarney, we made a side stop at Muckross Castle and the surrounding park. Before we arrived, Pascale talked about the importance of Irish Chieftains in the country’s history and mentioned a book called the Dinnshenchas (also known as "Dunn Cow"), which documented the family clans of the chieftains.

When we finally arrived at Muckross Castle, I couldn’t believe how beautiful it was. After exploring and enjoying lunch on the grounds, I decided to visit the gift shop, just out of curiosity to see what they had. Not long after entering, I spotted a display of pins, and next to it was a section titled Find Your Irish Roots. There, I saw a display that said, “Explore Your Irish Roots—Find Your Last Name.” I figured I’d give it a try.

I started looking through the names in the “K” section, and after a few moments, I found something that looked like it could be related to Keller—Kelleher. The Irish form of this name is O Ceilerhair. My mom asked what I was looking for, and I told her I was just checking out my grandmother’s last name. I assured her I had a plan, but my heart was racing a little.

I read through the article several times, and then my mom took a look too. I couldn’t quite believe what I was reading. The article even mentioned Dunn Cow, the book Pascale had spoken about. At first, I was in disbelief, so I took a picture of the family crest and the article to show Pascale. I wanted him to help me understand what I had found.

I approached Pascale and asked if he could explain what I had discovered about my great-great-grandmother and what the family crest meant. It took him less than five seconds to respond, saying, “You are decendants of the Chieftains.” I was absolutely stunned. I couldn’t speak. All I managed to say was, “Wait, what does that mean?”

Pascale looked at me and asked, “You didn’t know that?” My mom admitted she didn’t know either, and we were both in complete shock. The next stop was a Chieftain’s burial ground, and Pascale pointed out where we were—right in the county where my ancestors had come from.

At that moment, I asked Pascale, “Does this mean we’re related to royalty?” He smiled and nodded, saying, “Yes, you’re Irish royalty.” My mind was blown. I asked, “Does this mean my mom and I are Chieftain princesses?” Pascale confirmed, “Yes.”

Still in awe, I thanked him and went to sit down on the bus to process what I had just learned. It was so surreal! I am beyond excited to have this incredible piece of history in my family tree!