Woulfe states that this name, Mac Cumascaigh in Irish, is peculiar to Counties Westmeath, Longford and Cavan, and this is substantially true of the present century, as birth registrations and voters lists attest; but historically speaking the statement is misleading because the name belongs basically to Co.

Monaghan. Originating in the Clones area, this was one of the septs which moved thence to south Monaghan in the eleventh century. Having regard to its frequency in the Hearth Money Rolls of Co. Monaghan in 1664-66it is remarkable that Comiskey in any of its forms does not appear in the Petty “census”

of almost the same date as a principal Irish name in any barony of that county, the explanation probably being that, although numerous, it was not concentrated in one particular district. The only man of the name appearing in the list of army personnel in the seventeenth century, found in the Ormond Manuscripts, was Roger Commoskey, of Dundalk, which is near the homeland of the sept. This is one of the many variant spellings of the name, others being Comaskey, Comesky, Commiskey, Cummiskey etc.

etc. with and without the prefix Mac, which was sometimes retained, especially in south Down, a century ago and is still extant though reare. Matheson in his report on synonyms in 1890 records the use of Comerford by some families also known as Comiskey.

Mac Cumascaigh Originally of Co. Monaghan but now mainly found in Cos. Longford; Cavan and Westmeath. SIF 39