The Maolcuairts, MacCords & McCourts, are of the line of “Eogan” or “Owen”, son of the great Niall of the Nine Hostages, an Irish King who ruled all Britain and Gaul fight ing the Romans until he was murdered.

Niall of the Nine Hostages or (Niall Noigiallach) was the greatest king that Ireland ever knew. His reign was epochal, and was the Irish equivalent of Alexander the Great in Macedonia. He not only ruled Ireland greatly and strongly, but carried the name and the fame, and the power and the fear of Ireland into the neighboring nations. He was, more-over, founder of the longest, most important, and most powerful Irish Royal Dynasty. Almost without interruption his descendants were the High Kings of Ireland for 600 years. Under the spirit of pages Ireland leaped up in its last great flame of military glory.

Niall of the Nine Hostages or (Niall Noigiallach), was the youngest son of Eochaidh Mugmedon (King of Connacht), by his second wife. He succeeded Criomthainn as king. He became the 126th High King of Ireland. His brothers were Fiacha and Brian. Niall became High King around 445 A.D., and reigned until his death in or around 453A.D. Niall was said to have ruled over Tara, but modern historians think it was more likely that Niall’s descendants founded Tara, and that Niall himself actually set up his Kingdom at Uisnech, another Royal Hill” in Meath.

The surname Maolcuairt, was used and spelled in many different ways such as McCord, McChord,  MacCoard, McCoard, MacCourt, MacKorda, McCourt, McCorr, McCourtie, McCordie, McCourty, McCordy, M’cord, M’Corde, MakCorde, Mac Cuart, Mac Cuairt  just to name a few. These changes in spelling occurred frequently, sometimes even between a father and son. Scribes and church officials recorded the name from its sound.

Tracing its ancient development, the name MacCord was found in Ayrshire, where the family was recorded as one of the great antiquity, seated with manor and estates in that shire. This ancient clan claims descendancy from King Colla Uais, one of the three great Collas, Kings of Ireland and one of the original settlers in Scotland in the year about 327.

Fiachra Srabhteine, who was the 120th Monarch starts the branch from which descends the Royal Family of England. Queen Victoria is 136. He was also the ancestor of O’Neill, Prince of Tyrone.

Therefore, MacCuairts were often the Clergy in every level of the Church from the village to the High Kings   Palace as well as Missionaries to the Irish Church once found in Europe as far as the steppes of Russia and south to Greece. Not to be confused with Roman Catholic.

The MacCourts, being of Royal Blood of Niall, were the hereditary Standard Bearers of Ulster, and were in centuries, responsible for the assembling and the mustering of the Ulster Armies, at the “Few”, the exact mustering place being on the banks of the “Fane” which divides Monaghan and Armagh at the Muster place. It was in the very center of ancient Uladh----(The Ulster), whose boundries were set by the “Three Collas”. The Northern Race of Hy-Nial, which family gave us King Niall of the Nine Hostages.

The O’Neills and MacCourt/Cords are buried alongside each other in Creggan church-yard in County Armagh a short distance from Cullyhanna. All of the Royal O’Neills of the “Fews” are buried there. The Red Hand of Ulster (Uladh) in granite is inset in the slate tombstone. The MacCourts/Cords and the O’Neills rest alongside, and within sight of the old rallying place to the north.

The Glasgow territory claims that McCord ancestors were renown and not only for  their ecclesiastical service to the Celtic Church, but also for their courage and prowess in battle. From the 13th to the 16th centuries some Lowland McCords are said to have shared a common occupation with other Colla Uais decedents, some who are Scots Highlanders cousins, the occupation being that of Galloglaich (modernized “Galloglass”) “Foreign Soldiers”.

They still exist in France today and immortalized in poems titled the “Flight of the Wild Geese” or the “Flight of the Earls”. We were hired to participate in the Irish Clan Wars. Some of the families became landed and wealthy with sometime huge rewards. We later all lost our titles and land with England’s take over of Ireland. even today we hear Gaelic Scots unaware as they are deny their Irish Heritage. Many still make slights at the Irish , so now one can be proud of their heritage, Grand Daughters can be Real Princess or we can be Red-neck Royalty. De Courcy reports we went to Derry, Donegal & Amtrim during the 1300s which agrees with our history.

 “Kinel-Eogan” is in County Tyrone(Tir Eoghain), and was the domain of the ”O’Neills”. The MacCourt/Cords were Chieftains of Duncannon area, County Tyrone (Tir Eoghain), under the“O’Neills” of Tyrone (Tir Eoghain). Closely connected with the O”Neills with  family ties, were the Maolcuairts, MacCourts, MacFetridge, Flynn, and Lynn were all descended from “The Three Collas”, (Brothers) who ruled in Ulster. Colla Uais being the common ancestor. Duncannon is the center of the MacCourt territory.

The  name ”Maolcuairt  or Maol-Cuairt” means: “Maol” in Irish signifies a Bald or Tonsured person as a devotee of The Irish Celtic Church. “Cuairt” in the Irish means “a Court or a Visit”. This name in ancient Ogham Stick writing is pictured above the door entrance to the Great Hall & High Court of Tara.

The family history confirms that the MacCourts were ever on the side of Irish Ireland. They fought in all the Ulster wars, helped Malachy II to finish the Danes after Clontark, fought all through the wars of the O’Neills to win Irish Freedom, served with the Irish Brigade in France,  fought at the Boyne, at Limerick, and have been in the field ever since when pikes were leveled and fighting had to be done.

It is speculated that ancient McCords have been prominent figures at the Grear Hall at Tara, (located in present day County Meath, Ireland), the seat of the High Kings of Erin. Around 350 AD some of these McCord ancestors,  followed our Colla Uais (oosh) (Colla the Noble) when warring forced him to abdicate his Antrim base and flee to Alba (Scotland), and seek refuge with King Ubdaire of Dal Raida (his paternal grandfather). About three years later Colla Uais and his followers, the McCords, the Donnells, the MacSorleys and other Celtic MacDonald families returned to the “Isle of Destiny” and began a successful conquest of Ulster (Uladh). On the remains of ancient Ulster he and his brothers established the Kingdom of Oriel (Orgiall).

 “Colla the Noble” is forever numbered among the greatest of the warrior-Kings of our race (Gael), and it is from him that all who are called Collas take name. The Clans that descended from Colla Uais are: The Maquires, The MacMahons the O’Carrolls of the North, & the O’Hanlons, Doherty, Cowan, Moore, Flynn, Lynn, The Clan Donald, The MacDougals, The MacAlisters, The MacIntyres. While it should be further understood The Royal line of Dal Riada, The Royal line of the Gael Kings of Scots, along with the Royal line of The Kings of The Kingdom of Argyll and the Isles, and all carry the Blood of Colla Uais, founder and first King of Oriel or (Orgiall in Gaelic).

Also, a recent study was conducted at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, which found that a striking % of men in Ireland (and quite a few in Scotland) share the sameY chromosome, suggesting that the 5th century warlord known as “Niall of the Nine Hostages” may be the ancestor of one in 12 Irishmen. In the study scientists found an area in NW Ireland where they claim 21.5% carry Niall’s genetic finger-print, says Brian McEvoy, one of the team at Trinity.

The same area of Ireland has previously been the subject of Anthropological writings....and has shown a strikingly high % of men from Haplogroup R1b (98%) versus 90% in S. E. Ireland. According to McEvoy this area was the main powerbase of the Ui Neils, which literally translated means “Descendants of Niall”. McEvoy says the Y chromosome appeared to track back to one person.

Following the genealogists’ trail, McEvoy comments: “There are certain surnames that seem to have come from Ui Neill. We studied if there was any association between those surnames and the genetic profile. It is his (Niall’s) family”. Of note to Family Tree DNA customers, this signature is found in .6 of 1% of the entire Family Tree DNA database.

Prominent notables worth mentioning with the surname MacCord or one of it’s variants are; Pulitzer prize winning authors Frank & Malachi MacCourt, Col. James Ebenezer McCord & Lt. Dusty McCord of the Texas Rangers, Poet David McCord, Dr. William Maxwell McCord a professor at Stanford University, Writer McCord MacReynolds, Poet and Professor Howard McCord whose architect & Steel company built the domes to Madison Square Gardens, Grand Central Station & the biggest the Empire State Building, Michele McCord Mallentry of Creighton University & Country Singer Lorreta Lynn.

Sports figures with the MacCord name or one of it’s varients are; Golfer Gary McCord, Ulsters Tom Court who is Australia’s Shot-Put champion, Paddy McCourt of Scotland’s Celtics, Ryan Flynn of the Falkirk Football Club, and Marge Court who has had 24 grand slams in tennis.

Actors with the name MacCord or one of it’s variants are; Errol Flynn, William McCord Hurt, Dick & Jerry McCord Van Dyke, Actress & Model Annalynne MacCord.

The Coat of Arms is that of Colla Uais, MacCourt/Cord and septs are MacFetridge, Flynn and Lynn.

Arms: Azure, A wolf passant argent, in the chief three benzants or. Crest: A dexter hand erect couped at the wrist holding a serpent, tail embowed, head to the sinister, all proper.

Motto: Honour pre mium vertutis est

Translation: “Honor is the reward of virtue”