Between the years 1513 and 1531, the Earl of Kildare presented about 400 horses to his tenants, as listed in Crown Survey of Lands 1540-41. These beasts were of two kinds; cheff (chief?) horses and hackneys, and both kinds were listed according to colour.
Almost half (c.180) were grey; the dons, blacks and bays numbered around 50 each; the sorrels (30), and the whites (10). There were three roans, one falowe (fallow, pale brownish or reddish yellow), one gresill (?) and one pied.
In reference to animals, "roan" and "pied" similarly mean mixed colours, while "bay" (from Irish bui, yellow) indicates chestnut-coloured. Among those who received horses were some 15 members of the O Coyn family. Cornelius Coyne, cleric, is listed at Killucan, and Katherina Koyne is listed as owing 8s 2d regarding the tenement and land at Coynsland in the Manor of Mylton.
There are 96 townlands in Ireland named Milltown, being "the town of the mill", Baile an Mhuilinn. Seven Co Meath townlands are so named. The now obsolete Coynsland is in the parish of Donaghmore.
The Irish Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns lists this surname 26 times - with and without the O - from 1549 to 1603, 24 of which concerned pardons. They were in Co Meath, Co Kildare, Co Cork, Co Westmeath, Co Waterford, Co Clare, Co Laois, and Co Dublin. A fiant of 1550 confirmed the above Cornelius Coyne, clerk, in the rectory of the Blessed Mary of Ardmulchan, diocese of Meath.
A pardoned woman in 1586 was Joan Ynyne (inion, daughter) Taenny (ui) Coyn of Lismacteige, Co Clare.
This surname, also rendered Kyne and Coen, derives from O Cadh ain (adhan, barnacle goose). O Cadhain belonged to the Ui Fiachrach grouping of north Connacht.
The rare Barnacle is another "English" form of the name. "In April 1562 the stone vault of the nave of Christ Church collapsed demolishing the south wall, the south aisle and part of the west front. By June 1562 the masons were on site working on the repair of the south wall."
(The proctor's accounts of Peter Lewis 1564-65, editor Raymond Gillespie, Four Courts Press 1996). Lewis's account for the October 17th, 1564 reads: "Item received Margaret Umssy Weyffe to Thomas Koyne boycher of Dublin for a meysse in the Skyners rowe".
Thomas Coyne is mentioned 20 times regarding the supply of meat to the masons at the quarries in Finglas and the Dodder. "Monday 9 of July (1565) vij massons at worke hewing of stonys for the arche of the piller. Beffe bought iij q(uar)ters of Thomas Coyne for the massons and the carters at there melles, meat and dryncke. Vorkmen, iiij to lade the cartis and to ber stonys for the carts agenst ther comyng to the cory. William man's cart drawyng of stonys from the cory of Doddyr".
The 1659 Census of Ireland lists Coyn among the principal Irish names in the Co Offaly barony of Coolestown, with Stephen Coyn a 1661 poll-money ordinance commissioner for Co Westmeath. None of the name featured on Taylor & Skinners 1778 Maps of the Roads of Ireland, and the 1814 Directory lists one at Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim, one at Elphin, Co Roscommon, and one still in Co Kildare. This was Mr Coyne, Saint Wolstons, Leixlip.
Harristown Commons was the location of John Coyne's four Co Kildare acres in Owners of Land of One Acre and Upwards (1876). There was a three-acre Coyne holding in Brittas, Co Dublin; 33 acres at Colga, Co Sligo, but the three big Coyne holdings were in Co Mayo. At Tartville was 518 acres; at Lahardane 1,816 acres, and 8,012 Co Mayo acres, the property of Charles M. Coyne, 17 Waterloo Road, Dublin.
There are 495 Coyne telephone entries, 240 of which are in the 09 area; 203 Coen entries, of which 112 are in the same 09 area; and 77 Kyne entries, with 45 again in the 09 area. There are nine O Cadhain entries, five of which are in the 09 area.
Mairtin O Cadhain (1906-70) who became professor of modern Irish at TCD in 1969 and fellow in 1970, had previously been a teacher, member of the IRA, internee, manual labourer, and translator. The author of a number of books, his best-known was Cre na Cille, which was translated into several languages.