Creagh

Creagh is an Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Craobhach, meaning "branch". The Creagh family was first found in County Clare, where they held a family seat from ancient times. According to historian C. Thomas Cairney, the Creaghs were one of the chiefly families of the Dal gCais or Dalcassians who were a tribe of the Erainn who were the second wave of Celts to settle in Ireland between about 500 and 100 BC.

It is also the name of several locations throughout the island of Ireland, for example:


 * Creagh, civil parish of Ballinasloe, County Galway, Republic of Ireland in Galway and Roscommon
 * Creagh National School, in Ballinasloe, County Galway, Republic of Ireland
 * Creagh, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, just across the River Bann from Toome, County Antrim
 * Creagh near Skibbereen, County Cork, Republic of Ireland
 * Creagh Beg and Creagh More near Clonakilty, County Cork, Republic of Ireland
 * Creagh, in Kilcommock parish), County Longford, Republic of Ireland

Many spelling variations of the surname Creagh can be found in archives. One of the reasons for these variations is the ancient scribes and church officials recorded names as they were pronounced, often resulting in a single person being recorded under several different spellings. The different spellings that were found include Creagh, Crear, Creag, Creavagh, Cray, Cree and others.