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

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

It's not known where our Ryan family originated, but Loughlin was headmaster of the school in Garryhill, Co. Carlow.

Note: Ryan is today 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.

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

Unfortunately it's not known where the Nolan family came from. However, given that rural people tended to marry into local families in 19th century Ireland, and that Bridget Ryan married a man who was probably living in Garryhill at the time, it's possible the Nolan family came from the Garryhill area.

Note: The Nolan surname is very common throughout Ireland, especially in the south-east. It's strongly liked to the Carlow area where it's an anglicised form of O Nualláin. There was also a separate Ó hUallacháin family from west Cork, whose name was also anglicised as Nolan. 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.