O'Keeffe (Irish: Ó Caoimh), also known as simply O'Keefe, Keef, or Keefe, is an Irish Gaelic clan based most prominently in what is today County Cork, particularly around Fermoy and Duhallow. The name comes from caomh, meaning "kind" or "gentle"; some reformed spellings present it as Ó Cuív and the feminine form of the original is Ní Chaoimh. As the primary sept of the Eóganacht Glendamnach, the family were once Kings of Munster from the 6th to the 8th centuries.
The original Caomh, from whom the family descend, lived in the early eleventh century, and was descended from Cathal mac Finguine, celebrated King of Munster and the most powerful Irish king of the first half of the 8th century. See the main article, Eóganachta, for more discussion, as well as Eóganacht Glendamnach, the specific sept of the family.
The O'Keeffes are famous for claiming descent from the goddess Clíodhna and have a beloved story about her marriage to Caomh (Franklin, pp. 81 ff). Her sister Aibell competed for his affections but Clíodhna ultimately triumphed using sorcery.
For all of their history the family has been strongly associated with County Cork. Originally the territory of the family lay along the banks of the Blackwater river, near modern Fermoy, and were active in the wars of the twelfth century between the O'Connors and the Eoghanacht dynasties of Munster.
However, the arrival of the Normans displaced them, like so many others, and they moved west into the barony of Duhallow, where their territory became known, and is still known, as Pobal O'Keeffe, where the senior branch of the family had their seat at Dromagh in Dromtarriff Parish.
The last chiefs of this branch were Domhnall O'Keeffe of Dromagh (d. c. 1655), who was prominent in the Catholic Rebellion of the 1640s, and his son Captain Daniel O'Keeffe, who was killed fighting for King James at the Battle of Aughrim in 1691. The family estates were confiscated in 1703, and sold to the Hollow Blades Company.
Even today, Pobal O'Keeffe is still the area in which the name is most common, with surrounding areas of County Cork also including many of the name. It remains relatively rare outside that county. In 1890, more than two-thirds of the births under the name are recorded in County Cork.
Like many of the dispossessed Irish nobility, the O'Keeffes were active in the service of the Catholic monarchs of Europe. In 1740 Constantine O'Keeffe (born c. 1670) was admitted to the French aristocracy on the basis of his Irish pedigree, and his long service. The bearers of the surname "Cuif", found in the Champagne district of northern France, are descendants of O'Keeffe soldiers.
The original spelling is with 2 ff's (O'Keeffe), and church officials recorded names as they were wrongly spelled, then often resulting in the name of a single person being recorded under several spelling variations, such as O'Keefe, Keefe, Keeffe, Keiffe, and others
Brian Ó Cuív (Ó Caoimh)Andrew O'Keefe (born 1971), Australian TV personalityArthur O'Keefe (1876–1943) American banker and mayor of New OrleansDan O'Keefe, writer and Seinfeld popularizer of Festivus, an annual secular holiday invented by his father Daniel O'KeefeDaniel O'Keefe, editor and author, original inventor of FestivusDan O'Keefe, a former member of the California state SenateDavid Dean O'Keefe (born circa 1824 or 1828, died 1901), Irishman who created stone money and became the virtual king of the island of YapDaniel J. O'Keefe (born 1950), American communication and argumentation theory scholarDanny O'Keefe, (born 1943), American singer-songwriter based in Seattle, WashingtonDennis O'Keefe (1908–1968), American film actorDennis O'Keefe, the mayor of St. Johns, Newfoundland, CanadaDerrick O'Keefe (born 1977), Canadian progressive writer, political activist and bloggerEamon O'Keefe, English-born Irish former professional footballerEric O'Keefe (born 1961), American author, editor, and journalistEugene O'Keefe (1827–1913) founder of the O'Keefe Brewery in TorontoFrank O'Keefe (1912–1989), Australian politicianGerald Francis O'Keefe (1917–2000), Catholic bishop of Davenport, Iowa, USAJames O'Keefe (born 1984), American conservative videographerJames O'Keefe (cardiologist) (born 1956), Dr. James O'Keefe, MD: American author and preventive cardiologistJodi Lyn O'Keefe (born 1978), American actress and modelJohn O'Keefe (disambiguation)Jeremiah Joseph O'Keefe (1923-2016), American politicianJeremiah Joseph O'Keefe IV (1946-2007), American politicianJoseph "Specs" O'Keefe, one of the participants in the Great Brinks RobberyKen O'Keefe (born 1953), American college football coachKerin O'Keefe American wine critic and authorLaurence O'Keefe (disambiguation)Mark O'Keefe American comedy screenwriterMichael A. O'Keefe (born 1942), Australian-American physicistMichael O'Keefe, (born 1955), American film and television actorMichael H. O'Keefe, American politician; convicted felonMolly O'Keefe, American author.Neil O'Keefe (born 1947), retired Australian politician and lobbyistRyan O'Keefe (born 1981), Australian Football League playerSean O'Keefe, Chancellor of Louisiana State University, former NASA administrator and aerospace industry executiveStephen O'Keefe (born 1984), Australian cricketer and current New South Wales playerRichard O'Keefe, computer scientistThomas O'Keefe (born 1964) American musician known for his work in the group AntiseenWalter O'Keefe (1900–1983),American songwriter, actor and syndicated columnistAlfred Henry O'Keeffe (1858–1941), New Zealand artist and art teacherBatt O'Keeffe, (born 1945), Irish politicianBen O'Keeffe, (born 1989), Doctor and New Zealand Professional Rugby RefereeBob O'Keeffe (1881–1949), Irish hurlerCiarán O'Keeffe (born 1971), English psychologist specialising in parapsychology and forensic psychologyThe Hon. Mr Justice Daniel O'Keeffe (born 1943) Eminent barrister and former Irish High Court judgeDan O'Keeffe (1907–1967), Irish footballerDarren O'Keeffe (born 1978), Irish soccer playerDavid O'Keeffe, Irish jurist, professor of European lawDavid O'Keeffe (footballer) (born 1962), former Australian rules footballerDeclan O'Keeffe (born 1972), retired Irish footballerDenis O'Keeffe, Irish hurlerDennis O'Keeffe, British professor of social scienceEileen O'Keeffe (born 1981), Irish former international hammer and discus throwerEoin O'Keeffe (born 1979), Irish composer based in the UKFrank O'Keeffe (1896–1924), Australian cricketerGeorgia O'Keeffe (1887–1986), prominent American artist/painterGer O'Keeffe (born 1952), retired Irish footballerGraham O'Keeffe, Irish football playerIrene O'Keeffe, Irish camogie playerJames O'Keeffe (1912–1986), Irish Fine Gael politicianJim O'Keeffe (born 1941), Irish politicianJohn O'Keeffe (disambiguation)Jonathan O'Keeffe (born 1977), birth name of Irish actor Jonathan Rhys MeyersKain O'Keeffe (born 1987), Australian actorKerry O'Keeffe (born 1949), Australian cricketer and sports commentatorKevin O'Keeffe (footballer) (born 1952), former Australian rules footballerKristin Bair O'Keeffe (born 1966) American novelistLaurence O'Keeffe (1931–2003), British diplomat, ambassador to Czechoslovakia during the 'Velvet Revolution'Miles O'Keeffe (born 1954), American actorNatasha O'Keeffe (born 1987), English actressNed O'Keeffe (born 1942), Irish politicianPaddy O'Keeffe (born 1864), Irish hurlerPadraig O'Keeffe (1887–1963), Irish traditional musicianPatrick O'Keeffe (politician) (died 1973), Irish politicianPatrick O'Keeffe (writer) (born 1964), Irish-American short story writerRhys O'Keeffe (born 1990), Australian rules footballerSean O'Keeffe (born 1982), Australian rules footballerSusan O'Keeffe, Irish politician and journalistTimothy O'Keeffe (1926–1994), Irish editor and publisherTrevor O'Keeffe (1968–1987), Irish man who was murdered while hitchhiking in FranceCalvin O'Keefe, major character in Madeleine L'Engle's Time Quartet seriesJimmy Keefe, cousin of Tommy Gavin from Rescue Me TV SeriesPolly O'Keefe, protagonist of the Madeleine L'Engle novelsCarling O'Keefe, a Canadian breweryO'Keefe, an album by singer-songwriter Danny O'KeefeThe O'Keefes, a short-lived television series
