title: Ó Droighneáin
text: # Ó Droighneáin
  
  Ó Droighneáin, Gaelic-Irish surname.
  
  ## Background
  
  Ó Droighneáin was a surname of at least two different septs, located in Counties Cork and Galway, but has been 'translated' as Thornton, an English surname. "[Thornton] is a portmanteau English name for Ó Draighneáin, Mac Sceacháin, Ó Toráin. The connection is: draighean, blackthorn; sceach, whitethorn; tor, a bush. MacLysaght remarks that some Thorntons in Limerick were 16 cent planters." .
  
  Ó Droighneáin remains in use as an Irish-language surname.
  
  ## Bearers of the surname
  
  * Micheál Ó Droigheaín, An Spidéal-born Irish Volunteer and IRA commander, 1889-1964
  * Pádraig Thornton, alias Proinsias Ó Draighneáin, Drogheda-born member of IRB and Irish Volunteers, d. 1936
  * Muiris Ó Droighneáin, Charleville-born Irish scholar, 1901–79
  * Mícheál Ó Droighneáin, actor and director, fl. 1930
  * Máirtín Ó Droighneáin, An Spidéal-born boxer, 1916–84
  * Áine Ní Dhroigneáin, Sean-Nós singer and actor
  * Máire Uí Droighneáin, Ros na Rún actor
  * Eoin Ó Droighneáin, Irish socialist
  * Muireann Ni Dhroighneain, actress
  * Sailí Ní Dhroighneáin, sean-nós singer and musician, 2014 Fleadh Cheoil winner
  