Go mall, le mothu (slow, with feeling) is the instruction for the song Inion an Fhaoit on nGleann (`the daughter of White of the Glen') in Cas Amhran (Clo Cois Fharraige 1975). This song, generally associated with the Deise country of Co Waterford, and sung so hauntingly by the late Nioclas Toibin, that remarkable seannos singer from Ring, is betimes claimed to be sited in Co Tipperary's Glen of Aherlow. Indeed the surname White was, and is, numerous throughout the entire island. Telephone directories south of the Border contain 1,682 White entries (and 445 Whytes), with 690 to its north. This English surname is of the nick-name type referring to a person's complexion or hair. Gaelicised de Faoite, it replaced betimes, through translation to the Irish Ban, geal and fionn, the surnames Bawn, Galligan, Kilbane and Finn. It, of course, is also le Blanc (14 telephone entries, mainly Co Laoise), Blanc (five entries also mainly Laois), and was anglicised Blong, three of which are in Edenderry, Co Offaly.
This family was in Ireland in the 13th century, and persons so-named appear on Limerick Corporation in 1213. Rendered White, `le' or `the' Whyte, le Whyth, Wyt, le Wyt, le Wyth, and le Wythe, this name appears in the Justiciary Rolls (1308-1314) 98 times in 10 counties. It was most numerous in the Munster counties of Cork, Limerick, Tipperary, and Waterford, but also in the Leinster counties of Dublin, Meath, Kildare, Carlow, and Louth. Among the jurors in a hearing at Dublin in 1313 was Elias le Whyte. This concerned the theft of half a crannock each of wheat and oats. John de Ulton was found guilty `.. but is not suspected of any other misdeeds. Therefore let him be hanged'. One shudders to think what might have befallen him had he been found guilty of `other misdeeds'.
The Irish Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns (1521-1603) lists 69 Whites, and 15 Whytes, in Counties Waterford, Tipperary, Limerick, Cork, Dublin, Kildare, Meath, Louth, Cavan and Roscommon. A fiant of 1549 notes the pardons to `Thomas Whit, of Cowley, Jenkine White, Patrick White, Henry White, Lavaling White, Galfridus or Jeffen White, and Edward White. Others listed with them were of Irishton of Kilkenny, and of Corkehynne. Female Whites bore the names Alice, Basilia, Juliana, Isolde, Joan, Johanna, Katherine, Margaret, and Mary.
A Census of Ireland 1659 lists the White among the principal Irish names in Counties Waterford (four baronies), Clare (three baronies), Tipperary (three baronies), Cork and Limerick; in the Leinster counties of Dublin (three baronies), Meath (three baronies), Louth, Kilkenny, Wexford, and in the Ulster counties of Antrim, Donegal, Derry, and Down.
There were 32 Whites listed in the 1814 Directory - 15 in Leinster, 12 in Munster, three in Ulster, and two in Connaught. Among the 40 White subscribers to Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ire- land (1837) was a J.P., an M.P., a P.P., and an M.D. Owners of Land of One Acre and Upwards (1876) lists 102 White holdings in 26 of Ireland's 32 counties, ranging from one acre to the Hon Charles William White's 18,266 acres in Co Clare at Cahercon House, Killdysert. The second largest was the 16,175 acres in Co Cork of Robert H.E. White, Glengarriff, Bantry, (the song Fiach an Mhadra Rua, lists na Faoitigh o Bheanntrai (the Whites of Bantry) amidst the gentry in pursuit of the fox). Bearers of titles were Lady Sarah, the above Hon, a Colonel, three Captains, two Reverends, and three Missuses.
Though we list the following placenames we have no certain knowledge that they all contain the surname White. There is Whitescastle in Co Kilkenny; Whitesfort in Co Waterford; Whitesland in Cos Kilkenny, Meath, and Kildare; 4 Whitestowns in Co Dublin, and one each in Counties Louth, Waterford, Wexford, and Wicklow, and a Whiteswall in Co Kilkenny. The Irish for Whitestown, Co Louth is Baile an Fhaoitigh. Whitestown in the Co Wicklow parish of Donaghmore is listed in the Red Book of Ormond c. 1310 as Wytheston, and in 1538 as Fotteston alias Whiteston.