The accuracy of the sound representation of Irish place-names and surnames in their anglicised forms varies. In the case of a surname, this is frequently further distorted when the bearer emigrates. Surprising then when one finds that the "emigrated" name is closer to the original Irish than the variety of forms found at home.
We had a recent query regarding the surname Creenaun, borne by an Australian. His efforts to discover anything about this had failed. It sounds like crionan and indeed we find O Crionan, with Crennan as its anglicised form. The telephone directories list one Creenane in Dublin city; Creenan five times, two of which are in Midleton, Co Cork; Crennan nine times, five of which are in Castlecomer (Caislean an Chumair - the castle of the river confluence), Co Kilkenny. Mac Crionain, anglicised (Mac) Crinion, is probably a variant of the "O" name.
The Irish Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns notes Thomas fitz Richard Crenan of Burnsgrange, Co Tipperary, among the pardoned in 1548; a fiant of 1571 notes Nicholas Crenan of Maynooth; one of 1578 mentions Morice Crenane, husbandman of Kilfane, Co Kilkenny; another of 1600 notes the pardon of Stephen Creean of Kildare; and finally in 1601 is listed the pardon of Stephen Crenan of Moynooth.
The Tithe Applotment books and Griffith's Primary Valuation for Co Tipperary (1824-1860) list persons named Creenan/Crenan/Crenane in the parishes of Aglish cloghane, Terryglass, Dorrha and Lorrha.
As with most Irish surnames, O Crionan derives from the personal name Crionan (crion, "old"). On the sometimes vain assumption that people get wiser as they get older, this word has also been taken to mean wise). This was a relatively rare personal name, found chiefly in early Munster. Crionan mac Failbhe, who lived about 1027, was king of Corca Dhuibhne, the Dingle peninsula of west Co Kerry. This man was the ancestor of Ui Failbhe, anglicised (O) Falvey. Failbhe, is generally taken to mean "lively, sprightly", and was an extremely common first name in Leinster and Munster.
The O'Falveys, O'Sheas, and O'Connells were three branches of the same stock tracing their descent to Conaire I, King of Ireland at the beginning of the Christian era.
A fiant of 1576 lists Conor and Conleagh O Fallve, Clondrohid, among the pardoned of Co Cork; in 1584 Donogho oge O Fallwe in the county Desmond, was among the pardoned, as was Awly m'Dermod O'Falvy of Castlelough in the Co Kerry parish of Killarney the following year.
In 1597 it was Donogh O Fallivie of Magunihy, and in 1601 it was the turn of Donogho m'Inarrigh O'Falve and seven others of the name, all from the above Castlelough, with three from Ballinskelligs in the Co Kerry parish of Prior.
King James's Irish Army List notes Captain Denis Falvey and Ensign Hugh Falvey in Major-General Boiseleau's Regiment of Infantry, and Lieutenant Dermot Falvey in Colonel Daniel O'Donovan's Regiment of Infantry. "One of the despairing emigrants who passed into Spain after the wars of Elizabeth's was John O'Fallaway".
Captain Juan Phalveo, (as the English turned O Failbhe into (O) Falvey, the Spaniards made it Phalveo), in receipt of a salary from the king of Spain, had been active during the campaign of 1597. His will, dated March 6th, 1636, reveals that he left 7,000 gold crowns.
The Kenmare Manuscripts list nine Ken mare tenants named Falvey, all in the Killarney area in the parishes of Aghadoe, Kilnanare, Aglish and Kilbonane, between 1689 and 1756. One townland wherein a Falvey was rendered Fahaugh and Fahagh, and we take this to be Faha (East and West), now in the parish of Kilbonane. Taylor & Skinner's Maps of the Roads of Ireland (1778) shows Falvey Esq, at Faha east of Killarney.
"Even after the upheaval of the Cromwellian Settlement they still held considerable lands around Cahirciveen, some of which remained in their hands in unbroken succession until in quite recent times the property of this branch of the family passed by alliance to the Morrogh-Bernards" (Mac Lysaght's More Irish Families).
However, Owners of Land of One Acre and Upwards (1876) has but a single Falvey holding, the 65 Co Cork acres in the hands of the Reps of John Falvey, but none in the name of Morrogh-Bernard.