'Expression of surprise' is a brilliant explanation, but FYI, the meaning of O' in Irish surnames is 'from', so he's Ardal, from the Hanlon clan. The Mac & Mc in other Irish names means 'son of'.
And in English names, it's the same if there's an "s" on the end. It's short for "son". So, for a random example, of someone is called "John Michaels", that's originally short for "John Michael-Son".
Actually it originates from when the father (typical drunk) was naming the baby, as in Ardal..... O......(long pause, tries to remember surname) Hanlon
"Why do so many Irish names have an O in front of them?" Because it's the sound that is made when a new Irish person is conceived. Seriously, though, type17 is correct.
@@nicosmind3 I didn't know about Father Ted until I saw him in Death In Paradise. I thought he was so good that I made a point of searching out Father Ted and started watching it from the beginning. Well worth it!
I grew up in the 2000s, long after Father Ted was over, but at least in the UK it's just constantly re-run by some channel or other, and it was always so popular that references to it are part of everyday language. It's an institution. I knew about Father Ted LONG before I actually sat down and took it upon myself to watch the whole thing. Only wish I'd done it sooner.
I hadn't heard of Father Ted until a couple of years after I'd made my way through My Hero ... Found IMDB "what else has he been in?", and there it was.
