John Thomas Troy (1739-1823), Archbishop of Dublin, was identified with Dublin Castle, refusing to support the Catholic Committee in the belief that Catholic emancipation would be achieved through constitutional means, not agitation.
He attacked the Defenders and the United Irishmen, referring to the latter in a letter of 1799 to John Carroll, Archbishop of Baltimore, USA, as "the execrable United System". He wrote of Mr Griffin, a secular priest he had sent out to Carroll. "Under any doubt of Mr Griffin's civil principles or misconduct I scrupled to recommend him absolutely, and therefore, introduced him to your Lordship with reserve."
Troy said Griffin had been accused of "tippling with low company in improper places" and said Griffin was intimate with some of the United Irishmen, and may have been "indiscreet in his expressions during the political phrenzy which raged at the time".
A griffon is a fabulous animal having the head and wings of an eagle and the body and hindquarters of a dog. Griobh, the Irish for this also means "a fierce warrior" with griofa meaning "fierce, griffon-like". From this derived the surname O Griofa, latterly most commonly having Griffin as its "English". Apart from a minor sept situated south of Kenmare, Co Kerry, the main sept was of Dal gCais, Co Clare.
The name was anglicised O Greefy/O Griffie/O Greffa/ Grypha in the Justiciary Rolla (1308-1314), with persons so named in counties Clare, Limerick and Carlow. They were among the jurors in a number of cases, and one of 1311 is particularly horrendous. Fynyna Octouty and her daughter Isabella were charged with receiving William and Tayg Octouty, Fynyna's sons, prior to their capture, conviction and hanging. And whereas the mother was convinced of having "act and part" in their robberies and hanged, Isobella's only acknowledged crime was having given them food and drink, and of having talked to them.
"And because the jurors testify that Isobella who is married to Thomas de Valle, an Englishman, is pregnant with living child, let her be recommitted to gaol until she be delivered, and then let her be hanged". (One wonders what would her and her child's fate be, had she been married to an Irishman).
Both Griffith(s) and its diminutive Griffing), from the Middle Welsh first-name Gruffuld, have been used as anglicised forms of O Griofa, but Gryfyn/Grifine (O Grifin) is also found in the Rolls and in The Irish Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns (1521-1603).
Donell m'Donogh Griffin, Dermond m'Morrice O Griffen, Donogh m'Giollo Grifin and Shane m'Teig Griffen of the O Sullivan More country in Co Kerry were among the pardoned listed in a Fiant of 1601. John Griffyn alias m'Morchowe was granted the curacy of Inistioge, Co Kilkenny, in 1540, while pardoned in 1550, together with two others, was Thomas O Greffe "hyllyar".
Spelled Griffin, O Griffin and O Grypha, etc., this surname is listed in the 1659 "census" among the principal Irish names in the Co Clare baronies of Inchiquin, Islands and Bunratty; in the Co Limerick barony of Coshma and in Limerick city; in the Co Kerry baronies of Corkaguiny and Truaghanacmy; in the Co Cork barony of Kinnatalloon, and in the Co Derry barony of Coleraine.
Names Tituladoes were Solloman Griffin, Balrath, Co Westmeath; Nicholas Griffin, Coleraine town and Liberties, Matthew Griffin of Kilmallock and its Liberties, Co Limerick, while Thomas and his son James were Tituladoes of Moylisker, Tyrrellstown, Co Westmeath.
The 1876 Owners of Land of One Acre and Upwards shows mainly most modest Griffin holdings in Counties Carlow, Meath, Wexford, Wicklow, Clare, Cork, Kerry, Tipperary, Tyrone, Galway, and Mayo. However, it was only in Co Clare that Griffy was found. Catherine and Martin Griffy, Killinaboy Commons, Corofin, had one and 46 acres respectively, and another(?) Martin had a single acre at Nuaffe, near Ennis.
Of the 24 Griffeys in the current telephone directories, 19 are in the 06 area, with two still in Nuaffe. There are 1,757 Griffins listed in the Irish telephone directories, of whom 642 are in the 06 area, and around 100 in Northern Ireland phone book.
There is Griffinsrath in Co Kildare, Griffinstown in Counties Kilkenny, Westmeath, and Wicklow; with Ballygriffin in Counties Kerry, Kilkenny, Limerick, Tipperary and Wicklow. In the Co Clare parish of Dysart is Ballygriffy, where the O Griofa chiefs of Cinel Cuallachta had their castle. The original Irish is Baile Ui Ghriofa "the town of O Griofa".