Although this website is aimed particularly at my own Callery family and relations the word 'clan' better describes the idea of an extended family and all Callerys, wherever they may be, are welcome to participate in building up a broader picture of the origin and distribution of the clan.  Callery is a relatively rare name, so embracing the world wide clan idea is not so formidable a task as it would be with, say, Smith or Jones.      
The Name Callery is Irish in origin, and more specifically the counties of Mayo, Sligo, Roscommon, Cavan and Meath.  The name has been traced back to the mid 1700s in County Roscommon.  I came across a reference to a few instances of the name, dating back to pre-famine times  i.e. before 1845, at the Famine Museum in Strokestown, Co Roscommon, which was opened in 1994.  By coincidence I discovered  the prime mover in establishing the museum was a local man James Callery.  A relation of James, and a very good friend of mine, Pat Callery lives in Raheny in Dublin - his ancestors hail from County Roscommon.  Pat has done a great deal of research into the Callery genealogy including the derivation of the name.  He traced the name in the form "M'Callerie" back to the reign of Elizabeth 1 and also discovered "Mac Callery" amongst the landlords of County Sligo in 1633.
The Irish version of the name has many interpretations - two in particular were used during Pat Callery's and my own schooldays in Ireland:  1. Mac Cathailriabhaigh - son of Charles the small king and
2. Mac Giolla Riabhaigh - son of the servant of the small king.
I was brought up with the former, more upmarket version and I am
sticking to it, unless the evidence to the contrary is overwhelming!  I have had numerous other versions suggested since setting up this web site and I hope to get around to compiling a list in due course .
My Mini Callery Clan 
Top left a picture taken over seventy years ago of my mother, Anne, nee Garvey, father, James Callery, my sister Maureen (Perkins),  who lives in Drogheda and writes poetry as a hobby, (see Maureen's Ode to James). In the centre my brother Bertie Callery, a retired detective, living in Dublin  and myself, Mike Callery.  I was number three of six and was followed by Anne (junior), who paints landscapes, Tony, a school headmaster and part time producer of plays - both living in the Drogheda area and Jane, a nurse at St Lukes in Dublin. I was the only emigrant to England, where I have spent much of my civil engineering career contributing to the creation of the UK transport infrastructure, particularly the motorway network.   More recently I have become involved in helping compile the history of  the UK motorway era : http://ukmotorwayarchive.org/
My Callery Roots
My father was born in Lisdonish, near Ballyjamesduff in County Cavan -  his father Michael (Mick) Callery at the nearby ancestral home in Killytogher - see Cavan Callery Ancestry : Uncle John's Account.  My mother came from County Mayo, 'God help us'.   I was born and lived for a few years in Mayo and still make an annual holiday pilgrimage to that lovely part of Ireland.   My father was a recruit to the Garda Siothana, (guardians of the peace) following Irish independence in 1922.  My cousin, also a Michael Callery and his family, live in Lisdonish.  My aunt Mary Callery lived in the family home close to her son Michael, until June 2005, when sadly she passed away - see the glowing tributes  to a greatly loved lady in: Mary in Cavan; Professor Peter Callery's Tribute to Auntie Mary; Bernadine Callery's Tribute