Dennis Ahern <ahern@world.std.com> wrote in news:dor5j4$56b$1@pcls4.std.com: > Elly Hill <ellyhill@iinet.net.au> wrote: > >: mother's family name..was it Callahan or O'Callaghan from Cork..my >: family history is O'Callaghan from Cork too..although when I went >: there and started researching I found O'Callaghan almost as prolific >: as Smith !!..good luck with your research...Elly in Oz. > > I believe Callahan and O'Callaghan are the same name, just variant > spellings. Be thankful it's not Murphy, Kelly, or [O']Sullivan, the > three most common Irish surnames (in that order). > > -dja > > OTOH I think there are 100,000 Callahans/Callaghans/O'Callaghans just in County Cork!