As is often the case with centuries-old Gaelic names, a “true” origin of McDonnell (alternatively MacDonnell before regulated spelling) is uncertain. The McDonnells of Clare and Limerick descended from Domnall Mor O’Briain (d. 1194), a descendant of Irish high king Brian Boru. Later McDonnells made a lasting impression over the centuries in and out of Ireland. Her son, Sorley, is presumably named for their ancestor, the aforementioned Sorley Boy MacDonnell. No list of influential McDonnells would be complete without the subject of this issue’s cover story, Eileen McDonnell.