Phyllis ROANTREE [Parents] was born about 1914 in Dublin. She died 23 Apr 2004 in Nova Scotia, Canada. Phyllis married Emmet O'RAFFERTY.

Phyllis lived in Cape Breton, Novia Scotia, Canada.

Michael ROANTREE [Parents] was born 1919 in Dublin. He died 27 May 1972 in Vancouver, Canada. Michael married Joy 'UNKNOWN'.

Siobhan O'RAFFERTY [Parents] was born about 1957 in Canada. She died 2000. Siobhan married John SWAIN.

Loughlin RYAN was born 1824 in poss. Co. Carlow. He died 10 Jul 1887 in Garryhill, Co. Carlow. Loughlin married Bridget NOLAN.

THANKS GO TO CORMAC GORDON, BRAY, FOR PROVIDING SO MUCH OF THE INFORMATION BELOW ON THE RYANS.

Ryan is one of the most common surnames in Ireland. The vast majority of Ryans today are descended from the family of "Ó Maoilriagháin", meaning "descendant of a devotee of St. Riaghan". In Co. Carlow and adjoining areas, Ryan may also derive from "Ó Riagháin". From their origin in the barony of Idrone in Co. Carlow, the Ó Riagháins spread widely into the adjoining counties of Wexford and Kilkenny. We're unsure as to Loughlin's place of birth but given the above it's likely he was born in the Carlow area. He lived in Garryhill, Co. Carlow where he was headmaster of the local national (primary) school.

Bridget NOLAN was born 1815 in poss. Garryhill area, Co. Carlow. She died 9 Apr 1886 in Garryhill, Co. Carlow. Bridget married Loughlin RYAN.

The Nolan surname is very common throughout Ireland, especially in the south-east. It's strongly linked to the Carlow area where it's an anglicised form of O Nualláin. The prevalence of the name in counties Mayo and Galway is explained by the migration of a branch of the Carlow family there in the sixteenth century. There was also a separate Ó hUallacháin family from west Cork, whose name was also anglicised as Nolan. Given the above it's almost certain Bridget was descended from the Carlow Nolans. Unfortunately it's not known where she was born. However given that rural people tended to marry into local families in 19th century Ireland, and that Bridget married someone who was probably living in Garryhill at the time, it's possible she was born in the Garryhill area.

John MURPHY [Parents] was born 1811 in prob. Knocklonogad area, Co. Carlow. He died 1887. John married Mary MACDONALD / MCDONNELL.

Mary MACDONALD / MCDONNELL was born 1814 in prob. Knocklonogad area, Co. Carlow. She died 24 Oct 1894. Mary married John MURPHY.

It's thought the MacDonald / McDonnell family may have come from the Knocklonogad area in Garryhill, Co. Carlow. Note: In some older references to Knocklonogad, its parish is given as Sliguff rather than Garryhill.  

Mary's surname was probably MacDonald rather than McDonnell, but on the baptismal records of some of her children, Mary's surname is given as McDonnell. The McDonald spelling is also used.

Both the MacDonald and McDonnell surnames are very common and are widely distributed throughout Ireland. The names are commonly confused with each other, but they do share the same origin, coming from the the Scottish or Irish personal name "Domhnall", meaning "world mighty". However true MacDonalds are descendants of the powerful Scottish clan of the same name. The Scottish MacDonalds' involvement in Ireland started in the thirteenth century when they first arrived as gallowglasses or mercenaries. Such was their success that they were employed in virtually every local war, spreading and settling throughout the country over the following centuries. Their main connection however remained with Ulster. A secondary influx into that province of settlers bearing the MacDonald name occurred in the eighteenth century, when the Highland clearances caused great forced migration from Scotland. There was also a native Irish McDonnell family in Ulster who were rulers of Fermanagh before they were displaced. They then settled in the north of adjoining Co. Monaghan and remain numerous in the area. Another McDonnell family arose in the old kingdom of Thomond in the Clare/Limerick area.

Cormac or Thomas GORDON [Parents] was born about 1785 in poss Kilgarriff, Fairymount, Co. Roscommon. He died in prob Kilgarriff, Fairymount, Co. Roscommon. Cormac married Anne HUNT on 1816.

There's some confusion as to whether the son of John Gordon who married Anne Hunt was Thomas or Cormac. According to information from family members it was Thomas. However in the LDS Vital Records Index (VRI), there's a record for the christening in Loughglynn in 1817 of a Brigid Gordon whose parents were Cormac Gordon and Anne Hunt. But the year of Brigid's christening doesn't tie in with the approximate year of Bridget Gordon's birth provided by the family, i.e., 1830.  

Thomas (or Cormac) may have had a brother, or other relative, called Martin, who married Elizabeth Hunt (same family as Ann Hunt?) because there's an VRI record for the christening in Loughglynn in 1817 of an Anne Gordon whose parents were Martin Gordon and Elizabeth Hunt.

According to the Co. Roscommon Heritage and Genealogy Company, the sponsors at Bridget's christening (in 1817) were Martin Gordon and Elizabeth Hunt. And at the christening of Thomas, brother of Bridget, the sponsors were Patrick Gordon and Mary Hunt. Could Cormac (or Thomas) have had two brothers named Martin and Patrick, and could Anne have had two sisters named Elizabeth and Mary?

Anne HUNT was born in Co. Sligo. She died in prob Kilgarriff, Fairymount, Co. Roscommon. Anne married Cormac or Thomas GORDON on 1816.

Unfortunately the only information we have on the Hunt family is that they came from Co. Sligo.

Note: The Hunt surname is common throughout the country, especially in Connaught and Munster. The fact that it's an English name may account for much of its presence in Ulster and Leinster, but generally it's an anglicisation of Ó Fiaich, Ó Fiacha, Ó Fiachna and Ó Fiachra because of their resemblance to the Irish word 'fiach', meaning 'chase' or 'hunt'. In the mid-19th century, the Hunt surname was most common in counties Mayo and Sligo.

John GORDON was born 1750 in poss. Scotland. He died 1801 in Kilgarriff, Fairymount, Co. Roscommon. John married Mary 'UNKNOWN'.

I'M INDEBTED TO CORMAC GORDON FROM SHANKILL (FORMERLY FROM MOUNT MERRION), HIS SON, CORMAC, FROM BRAY, AND DAVID HEGARTY FROM BLACKROCK, FOR PROVIDING SO MUCH OF THE GORDON INFORMATION BELOW.

It's believed John Gordon was born in Scotland. According to family lore, he came to Ireland as a horseman with the army of Catholic King James II of England. However this doesn't tie in with John's date of birth as provided by the family (1750) because James II was in Ireland from 1689 until 1690. Perhaps it was John's father or grandfather who came from Scotland with King James's army. According to the family, John had a wife and two sons and lived in the Roscommon town area before settling in the townland of Kilgarriff in the parish of Tibohine (now Fairymount).

According to another family source, the Gordons were brought to Roscommon from Scotland by Baron de Freyne of Frenchpark, the date of their arrival and the reason they were brought over being unknown. What is certain is that our Gordons were Catholic, unlike most of the Gordons of Northern Ireland who, for the most part, are descended from Scots who had come to Ireland during the Plantation of the 17th century.    

To further complicate matters, in Connaught, according to M. O Droighneáin and M. A. O Murchú in 'An Sloinnteoir Gaeilge agus an tAinmeoir' (1991), 'Gordon' is an anglicisation of the Irish surnames 'Mag Muirneacháin' and 'Mórbhoirneach'.  So perhaps our Gordon family was native Irish rather than Scottish, but this doesn't tie in with the belief held by generations of our Gordons that their particular family originated in Scotland. Any information which would help solve this mystery would be much appreciated.

Gordon researchers may be interested in the following entries in the 1749 Elphin census (from www.leitrim-roscommon.com) which show there were three Gordon families (all Catholic) living in Tibohine at the time of the census (although there's nothing to indicate any connection to our Gordon family):

1. A. Gordon lived in the townland of Clooncagh with his wife and one child under the age of 14.
2. M. Gordon lived in the townland of Aghalour with his wife and four children over 14.
3. J. Gordon lived in the townland of Aghalour with his wife and two children under 14.

Mary 'UNKNOWN' married John GORDON.

Unfortunately we have no information available on Mary or her family.