Florence is the English version of Finn, Finnian, Finghin, the Latin would be Florian. It is particular to the McCarthy Reagh branch of the clan. Please visit my PUBLIC tree 'Josephine Salt FamilyTree Halloween 2012' & look for all the Florence McCarthy (plural) in it. There was a famous Florence McCarthy who was locked up by Queen Elizabeth I and spent about 39 years as a political prisoner in the Tower of London & other prisons in London. He was also in the Marshalsea (debtors prison)for a time as he fought an unending battle over his title and lands in the Irish & English Courts. Had he been less important he would no doubt have been executed. As it was there is very interesting correspondence over him from ministers of Elizabeth about how, perhaps, Florence McCarthy Reagh Mor should be "bumped off" secretly. He was McCarthy REagh in his own right ie head of this part of the clan McCarthy & then married his cousin Ellen, daughter AND HEIRESS of Donal McCarthy Mor, Earl of Clancar. Irish title Mor is inherited by TANISTRY - google to find a detailed explanation - but the eligible candidate has to be of the bloodline AND then agreed by the clan - & the son of the Mor does not inherit it goes to the eldest cousin.
The Reagh line branches off the main McCarthy Mor line with Donal Oge c 1203. the McCarthy of Glenna Choim also come from this same branch. For more info read @Life & letters of Florence mcCarthy Reagh by Daniel McCarthy Glas. You can download this as a HUGE pdf on from the Genealogical Society of Church of latter Day Saints (Mormons same as Ancestry).
Also remember that Cork is both a city AND a county. You need to know which town, village, homestead/farm your Florence McCarthy came from. All McCarthy are cousins. which is why we invite you to have a drink with us.
Look on
www.irishgenealogy.ie (free site run by Irish government) where you can find lots of original documents from church records, ie baptisms, marriages & burials. Remember that the priest wrote it so lots of the names wil be latinised. These are NOT different names so dont be put off if you find Julian as a FEMALE name just asd you find Florence as a MALE name. They are NOT consistent when you get back to records from the 17 century.
When you look at the McCarthy bit of my tree you will begin to see how the whole of Cork county is related to each other.
Also remember that naming of children was often a pattern, 1st son after paternal grandfather, 2nd after maternal grandfather 3rd son after father & opposite for the daughters ie 1st after maternal grandmother etc. So this may give you a clue but not a rule of wher to look.
Look for siblings of your Florence McCarthy.
You may find a tree for the 17 century Florence mcCarthy online. If not its in the book I mentioned.
You can also look at the McCarthy DNA project, very useful if you have a direct MALE line.
http://www.familytreedna.com/public/McCarthySurnameStudy/As we dont have any direct male McCarthy in our living family (only one died in childhood)we cant do our own dna test but a living cousin who lives in Clonakilty has done one so we can trace our ancestors back to a common male around 400ad. This matches historical facts & celtic folklore tales.
Ive hit a brick wall even though we know OUR McCarthy Reagh branch lived & stil live in Garralacca, near Clonakilty, county Cork.
All help greatly welcomed so I can fill in the 100 years missing between us & Florence who Queen Elizabeth locked up.
Blessings.