That strangely makes sense. There's a family story that our ancestors were originally called Prior from Cavan and when they registered at the Colmicille parish in the early 1800's, their name was misheard/misspelt and changed to Friary.
So far, I've managed to trace them back to my g.g.g grandparents in Augheavans, Scrabby, Bernard Friary and Anne MaGouran/MaGovern/Smith, both born around 1828- 1830. It's been tricky, given that Anne's name was MaGouran for two of her children; MaGovern on the 1851 census and Smith for other children. She seemed to stay on Smith for the later children, so I'm guessing it depended on the times and places for the English-Irish morph between documents. They were in Augheavans in 1865; in Kilmore in 1866 and in Portanure in 1871. In Bernard's later marriage to Bridget Walsh in 1873, he's living in Cloonagh and lists his father as Bernard Friary.
However, this is where the suitable Bernard's stop. The earliest Friary families I can find are listed in the 1834 Leitram congregational records- no Bernard's. And it's not as if it's a common or regular name. The name is largely Longford based. In an effort to get as far as I have, I ended up doing family trees for the Kells Friary's, the Longford Friary's and the Templemichael lot. There's also a few in Meath. The name Bernard however, only crops up now and again and none I've found match an age range for either Bernard's.
Frustrated, I am! Lol.
Was hoping this record might bring up a Friary I could place, but I have a sneaky suspicion the family story might be true.
Thank you for your help