Search for lost ‘King of Owney’

Appeal to descendants of Batholomew Ryan of Newport

A local history researcher is hoping to find living descendants of a man recorded as the ‘King of Owney’ in an old parish register.

The name of this ‘King’ was was Bartholomew Ryan. He was born about 1750 and died at Carrowkeale near Newport in 1828. His ‘title’ as ‘King of Owney’ is alluded to in an old parish register recording the birth of his grandson Bartholomew Carey in Birdhill.

Derek Ryan of Arra Historical & Archaeological Society writes a blog about archaeology and heritage of sites in Tipperary and surrounding areas. He mentions Bartholomew Ryan in his latest blog entry and a reference to him being descended from the Chiefs of Owney O’Mulryan, which roughly encompassed the modern area around Birdhill, Newport and Murroe. “We hope to find some of his living Ryan ancestors and encourage them to take part in the Ryan DNA Project,” Derek writes. “We already have over 50 Ryans that have taken detailed DNA tests, and it would be interesting to see how his ancestors compare with these.

“Bartholomew Ryan is buried within the ancient church walls of Ballymackeogh outside Newport. To learn more about him and his family, we need help to find his living descendants, of whom we know many remained on a small farm in the parish of Carrowkeale in Tipperary well into the turn of the 20th century.”

Bartholomew Ryan was married to Margaret Collopy of Limerick and is known to have had at least one son and four daughters; some of his grandchildren were still living at Carrowkeale in the 1901-1911 era.

Son: Pierce Ryan, Esquire: c1792 – 1831, died, Carrowkeale, possibly unmarried.

Daughter: Elizabeth Carey / Carew of Birdhill, c1794 – 1849, innkeeper and wife of Michael J Carey, whose family had owned an inn previously where Elizabeth ran her business. Had a son -Bartholomew Carey, 1827 – 1860, who lived in Birdhill, and married Kate Smithwick. Following Bart Carey’s untimely death, his widow Kate remarried to John Hayes of Killaloe.

Daughter: Ellen Dartnell of Ellen St, Limerick, 1796 – 1852, wife of printer John Dartnell, who had a daughter Mary Dartnell, born 1835 in the parish of St Michael in Limerick.

Daughter: Bridget Carroll, née Ryan, 1799 – 1884, wife of Patrick Carroll of Kilteely and Carrowkeale. Large family lived on Carrowkeale up until at least 1911-1921 era.

Daughter: Mary Bourke, née Ryan, 1801- ?, wife of William Bourke, whose father Captain Andrew Burke was murdered near Newport in 1839.

Derek is particularly looking for the families of the following, known to have lived at Carrowkeale (also spelt Carrickeal, Carhuecaoil, etc): Bartholomew’s grandson: Bartholomew ‘Bart’ Carroll (1840-1920) and wife Kate Young, who had six children at Carrowkeale between 1875 – 1889 (Bart Carroll was the son of Patrick Carroll and Bridget Ryan, and inherited a farm at Carrowkeale from his uncle Pierce Ryan).

Carroll children who survived to adulthood and who lived at Carrowkeale: Margaret Carroll (born 1877 and married Patrick Hourigan and lived Carrowkeale), Mary Carroll, 1878 – 1963; Katie Carroll, born 1881, who married Jeremiah Hartnett; Samuel Carroll, born 1882, died 1961 in Shannon Home, Limerick, but lived at Carrowkeale; Annie Carroll, born 1889 and died 1945, Carrowkeale.

For more information, you can visit Derek Ryan’s blog - Derek can be contacted at derekryanbawn@gmail.com.