LYNSKEY
The family name, Lynskey, as stated earlier is an unusual Irish name. Edward MacLysaght, the expert in Irish names, says it is a form of LYNCH that is peculiar to County Mayo and County Galway located in West Ireland.
LYNCH
Lynch is an Irish patronymic name, Anglicized from the Gaelic O' Loingsigh , meaning "descendant of Loingseach" which was originally a nickname meaning "mariner." It is also derived from the Gaelic Linseach, which was a Gaelic form of the Anglo-Norman-French de Lench, a local name of Norman origin. When derived of English origin, Lynch is a place name for the man who lived on a slope or hillside, from Old English hlinc = ridge, bank, rising ground.
O'Lynchy, O'Lynche, O"lensie, Linchey, Linchy , are Irish variations. Linch, Lince, Linck are variations of de Lench.
Diminutive forms are O'Lyneseghane, Lynchahan, Lynchehan, O'Loingseachain .
The word lynching and "lynch law" came into our language because of a sad occurrence in Galway city in 1493. The Mayor of the city, James Lynch Fitzstephen, was forced to hang his own son Walter. Walter had been convicted of murdering a Spanish wine merchant called Gomez. Gomez had taken a fancy to Walter's girlfriend Agnes.
The Mayor decided that the only way to sustain the city's honour and business connections was to carry out the punishment, and as no one else would do it was forced to do it himself.Quite a lot of evidence of the spanish connections can be seen in Galway, in the buildings and the famous Spanish Arch.