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The O'Rooneys, Gaelic Ó Ruanaidh, were a Co. Down sept based in the modern parish of Ballyroney to the north of Rathfriland. The name appears often in the ecclesiastical annals and history of the diocese of Dromore, but it is as a literary family that they are most famous. As early as the eleventh century, Ceallach O'Rooney (died 1079) was styled Chief Poet of Ireland and in the Gaelic society of the time this was a most prestigious title. Three centuries later Eoin O'Rooney, died 1376, was chief poet to MacGuinness. From the twelfth century MacGuinness was the principal territorial lords of Iveagh, Co. Down, were ranked as heads of Clan Rory and one of the most powerful clans in Ulster up until the seventeenth century. The traditional coat of arms of the Rooneys is not recorded in any of the usual sources but can be found on the Office of the Chief Herald of Ireland. Their association with the MacGuinnesses may offer a clue to its origin - certainly the symbolism is strikingly similar (see the MacGuinness coat of arms right). The arms unusual among Irish heraldic devices in that they include three "lions rampant".

There is a tradition that rampant lions are usually borne singly. This goes back to the story of Milesius, Celtic King of Spain and supposed ancestor of all the Celts of Ireland. In his youth Milesius travelled all over the known world in the service of the rulers of the day. Indeed, such was his reputation that Pharaoh Nectonibus, then king of Egypt, gave him his daughter Scota in marriage. It was this Scota who have her name to her descendants who became known as Scots. Later, northern Britain became Scotland - the land full of Irish. During his travels, passing through Africa, Milesius by his cunning and valour, killed three lions in a single morning. Thereafter he bore three lions in his shield and standard. Later, his surviving sons Heber and Heremon, and his grandson Heber Donn, conquered Ireland and divided it among them. In similar fashion they divided the lions of Milesius, each bearing a single figure of different colour, red, blue and gold. The return to three lions therefore is unusual but not unique among Irish families.

Being a poet, though prestigious, was not easy and each chieftain probably had only one among his retinue. Therefore the Rooney poets had to travel afar in search of a sponsor. Though their origins a firmly in Ulster, the name is found extensively in other parts of Ireland and is as common in Leinster and Connacht as it is in their native territory. Felix O'Rooney was Archbishop of Tuam in county Galway. He fell foul of the ruling O'Connors and was imprisoned by them. Despite this he survived until 1238. Of him the Four Masters say "1238: Felix O'Rooney, Archbishop of Tuam, after having some time before resigned his bishopric for the sake of God, and after having assumed the monastic habit in Kilmurry Mary's Abbey, in Dublin, died."

In more modern times the poetic tradition was carried on by John Jerome Rooney, Irish-American jurist and verse writer (1866 - 1934) and by William Rooney (1873 - 1901). William was born in Dublin and educated by the Christian Brothers. He became a journalist, language revivalist and poet. He befriended Arthur Griffith, and became first chairman of Celtic Literary Society. His poems include 'The Men of the West', 'Ninety Eight', and 'An tSean Bhean Bocht'.

Philip Rooney (1907-1966) was born in Sligo, became a bank clerk but his talent for writing took him into broadcasting and he became head of script writing for RTE (Irish national broadcaster). He wrote several novels including 'Singing River' (1944), 'Captain Boycott' (1946) and 'The Quest for Matt Talbot' (1949).

Teresa J. Rooney (1840-1911) was born in Dublin and wrote 'The Last Monarch of Tara' (1880), 'Eily O'Hartigan, an Irish-American Tale' (1889) and 'The Strike' (1909).

Even today the poetic urges emerge regularly among the Rooneys, for example William R. Rooney of Milltown, New Jersey is in the International Poetry Hall of Fame as is Eugene Rooney of New Market, Maryland.

Sean Rooney was born in the ancient clan territory of county Down in 1958. He lived in Belfast then settled in England. His first novel 'Early Many a Morning' (1994), portrays the motivation of IRA volunteers without glorification or demonisation.

Not all Rooneys share a common ancestry. As well as Ó Ruanaidh there is a sept of Ó Maolruanaigh derived from Maolruanaidh Mór, a younger brother of Conchobhar the 40th Christian King of Connacht who died 973 A.D. The name became anglicised in various forms, including O'Mulrooney, O'Mulroney, O'Moroney, Moroney, Mulrooney and so on. Mulrooney was shorted in some cases to Rooney and Roney (as indeed was O'Rooney). From this sept came Kings of Fermanagh but they were later displaced by the powerful Maguires. A Mulrooney the name still survives in Fermanagh and adjacent counties while in Galway and Clare it is mostly in the form of Moroney. O'Maolruanaidh was one of the three chiefs of Crumthan or Cruffan, a district comprising the barony of Killian and part of Ballymoe, in the county Galway. The O'Moroney portion of the family more lately settled in the county Clare, where many of them still remain. There arms are shown at the top of this page. The coat of arms on the left has been attributed to Mulrooney, but I am unable to verify its source.

The distinct sept of Mac Maolruanaigh were lords of part of Clankelly as early as 1296. Their name was anglicised as Macarooney and was still rendered thus in the late nineteenth century. It has now been largely shortened to Rooney.