There are those who will assert that they can readily distinguish a Belfast working-class nationalist from a Belfast working-class unionist by their accent, unaided by any other distinguishing characteristics.
Discussing the state of assimilation of the Irish and the Anglo-Irish in early 14th-century Ireland, Law and Disorder in Thirteenth-century Ireland (Editor James Lydon), cites cases where Anglo-Irishmen were taken to be Irish.
In 1302, a certain Adam le Blunt was accused of attacking and beating one Richard Blake, but Blunt claimed he did not have to answer the charge as Blake was, in fact, an Irishman "of the family of Okegle of the parts of Adhmacart".
Blake denied this, claiming he was not Irish, but English "of the family of William Cadel, born at Fyrmayl in that liberty (Kilkenny)". Sean Duf fy, the author of this article, adds: "Assuming that Adam was not a complete fool, this must mean that it was not immediately apparent from either seeing or hearing Richard that he was an Anglo-Irishman".
In that same year Isabella Cadel and her maid Fynewell (Fionnghuala?) Seyuyn were brought before the justiciar, having been arrested on suspicion of having "art and part" with "the felons of the mountains" and espionage on the felons' behalf.
She put herself and Fionnghuala in a potentially serious position when she acknowledged that she dwelt with Diarmait O Dempsey, whom she described as "her lord", and had gone into the mountains to speak with certain friends and confederates of his, and that she was aware that the "Irish of the mountains" were in fact felons.
However, they were acquitted on the basis of the service to the king often done by Isabella's father, the late Sir William Cadel of Cloyneynam, knight, formerly seneschal of the liberties of Kildare and Carlow.
In 1296, it was testified that he and Richard Cadel, and William, son of Robert Cadel, had well and manfully served the king in the war of Scotland, in recognition of which the king pardoned to them "suits of peace for homicides, robberies, and transgressions in Ireland".
Cadwal is a Welsh personal name, variously spelt Caddel, Caddell, Cadel and Cadell, and is the equivalent of the Irish Cathal (strong in battle). Mac Lysaght's The Surnames of Ire- land says this name has been in Ireland since the 13th century, adding it had become Blake in Co Galway. (And Okeagle? O Keagle? O Ceagle? Caddell?).
Indeed the name had been in Ireland since the 12th century. The response to a 1185 memorandum addressed to "the honorable and right puesaunt Sir John, Kyng of England, lorde of Ireland, Duke of Normandie and Aquytann", quoted the source of its authority as contained in a "copie . . . taken ought of an olde boke that John Caddell had of the Conquest of Irland".
The Calendar of the Justiciary Rolls 1308-1314 contains frequent listings of this surname concerning offences and pledges, frequently as jurors, as far south as Co Cork, but mainly in counties Dublin and Carlow, and one regarding Johanna Caddell of Caddels town, Co Meath.
The Court Book of the Liberty of Saint Sepulchre 1586-1590 lists John Caddell of Morton, Ricardus de Caddelle de Clem ethan (Clonmethan, Co Dublin), and a Richard Caddell de Nall. The Irish Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns (1521-1603) lists this surname 27 times, from 1539 up to 1597. One of 1586 relates to the granting of the wardship and marriage of Nicholas, son and heir of John Caddell alias Blake, late of Galway.
Others concerned grants, commissions and pardons to Caddells of Stablerstown, The Naul, Moymed, Surdwalston, Ballaghan, Drogheda, Nailton, Tyrow, and Herbertstown, Co Dublin. This latter was still a Caddell residence on Taylor and Skinners 1778 Maps of the Roads of Ireland and the 1814 Directory, though spelt Harbertstown in both. In 1876, it was Herbertstown whereon dwelt Richard O'F. Caddell on seven acres.
Robert O'F. Caddell, at the same address, had 1,372 Co Meath acres, as well as 3,341 Co Roscommon acres, and a further 3,464 Co Sligo acres.
The Co Dublin book of The Civil Survey 1654-58 shows persons so-named in Moorestown, Swords, Herbertstown and The Naul, and the Co Meath book has them at Dameselstown, Heathstown, Baronstown, Great and Little Mooresydes, and Flemingstown.
The current phone book of Northern Ireland lists 17 of the name, while there are but five south of the Border.
Caddellbrook names a town land in the Co Roscommon parish of Baslick, and Caddells town names townlands in Co Meath (parish of Siddan), and Co Tipperary, parish of Knock graffon. That of Co Meath is rendered Baile Chaideal by Jack Fitzsimons in his The Plains of Royal Meath.