SPILLANE Family History

Recorded in several forms as shown below, this world famous surname is Irish. In past times the Gaelic spelling was O' Spealain, and it is said to be of dual origins, in that the clan was recorded as holding lands in at least two places. In medieval times one branch of the clan held the barony of Eliogarthy in County Tipperary, whilst the other was recorded from the year 1540 at Bective, in County Meath. Curiously the place names of Ballyspelane occur in both County Kilkenny and County Tipperary, suggesting that in long off times, the influence of the clan was very wide indeed.