O'Mahony in Clare

[tomzzz]

Hi, I was wondering if anybody on here could give me some insight into the Mahony surname in Clare. As I understand it the name is traditionally associated with Cork, West Cork in particular. Is it likely that Mahonys would have been resettled here after the Cromwellian settlement (1659 census show Mahonys in east and west of the county) or would they have been present here before this? I realise there's no way to know for certain but just curious about he most likely scenario.

Thanks
Tom