Our ancestors, in their wisdom, endowed the word crionna with two meanings - "aged" and "wise" - and the word foirfe, in similar fashion, to mean "complete, perfect" and "aged, mature". This latter, according to MacLysaght's The Surnames of Ireland, is the origin of the surname O Foirbhithe, (O) Furphy. He gave "perfect" as its meaning. There are 17 entries of this name in the telephone directory north of the Border and a mere three to its south. The main concentration is in the Lurgan-Portadown area.
MacLysaght's More Irish Families tells of a tenant farmer of the name from Tandragee (Toin re Gaoith, bottom or end to the sea inlet), Co Armagh, who emigrated to Australia in 1840. His son, Joseph Furphy, set up a firm in manufacturing water carts and, like farmers of the milk carts in Ireland now gone, the drivers of the water carts, when congregated to load up, did a bit of gossiping. The water carts, used all over the country, became known as "fuphies", and in turn "furphy" came to mean "rumour without foundation, gossip", thereby adding a word to current Australian speech.
This Joseph Furphy (1843-1912) was a well-known writer in Australia. He chose the nom de plume Tom Collins - a surname as numerous as Furphy is rare. This derives from O Coileain (coilean, a whelp, a pup). While it was alright to address a child as a "lamb", or in Irish as lao (a calf), it was neither friendly nor flattering to call a young person a "whelp" or a "pup". Though this is a common English name, in Ireland it is an anglicisation of the above - except in Ulster, where some at least are of English origin. The original location of the sept was west Limerick. There is also an indigenous name in Ulster, i.e. Ir Mac Coileain (Sloinnte na hEireann/Irish Surnames: de Bhulbh).
This family was originally of the Ui Fidhgheinte in the present Co Limerick and lords of Ui Conaill Gabhra, which latter locality later became the baronies of Upper and Lower Connello. In the 13th century they were driven south by the Geraldines and settled in west Cork near the country possessed by their kinsmen, the O'Donovans. There are 400 Collins entries in the telephone directory of Northern Ireland, and almost 3,000 in directories south of the Border, evenly spread all over the State, but especially in the southern 02 area.
The Irish Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns notes pardons to some 25 O'Cullaine persons between 1577 and 1603, at Lisnabryny, Kenalmeaky, Cappagh, Glannycruim, Culintany, Carowcam, Curryglass, Dongorny, Aghabullog, Carrignimouke, Downemanevy, (Dun Manmhai, Dunmanway) and Cloghistradbally - places in Co Kerry and many in Co Cork. The "census" of 1659 lists Collins tituladoes in Killegly, Limerick city; Bowestown, Borrisoleigh, Co Tipperary; Kilkenny city; Portnascully, Kilkenny; Moygoish; Kilmacknevan in the Co Westmeath parish of Empher and in Graingemore, Co Limerick. Two of the name were commissioners for the 1661 Poll-money Ordinances - John Collins for Limerick city and Faustian Collins for Co Westmeath.
Only two of the name made it onto Taylor & Skinner's Maps of the Roads of Ireland (1778), one at Boardstown, Co Westmeath, and the second at Newtown park, Dublin. The 1814 Directory locates persons so named at Cappoquin, Co Waterford; Listowel, Co Kerry; Mitchelstown, Co Cork; Kilmallock, Co Limerick; and Cookstown, Co Tyrone. However, by 1876 quite a large number of the name owned land, according to Owners of Land of One Acre and Upwards. There were small holdings in Co Dublin, Kildare, Louth, Meath, Limerick, and Tipperary, with 12 holdings in Co Cork. The largest in Cork was 3,193 acres, belonging to Caroline Maria, Collins, London, followed by the 1,674, and the 1,175 acres, Reps of John Stephen Collins. Denis Collins, Shiplough, Dunmanway, had 40 acres. The smallest were the nine- and two-acre holdings at Mountain Common, Clonakilty. In Ulster they were in Co Armagh, Down, and Fermanagh, the latter being 3,670 acres, the property of Eleanor Collins, Ardbracken, Co Meath. In Connacht there were 110 acres in Co Galway, and 133 acres in Co Sligo. Our favourite Collins persons are Corkmen, freedom fighter Michael Collins (1890-1922) and Sean O Coileain (1754-1817), poet and presumed author of Machtnamh an Duine Dhoilghiosaigh, the "Meditation of the Sorrowful One."