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After the WDYTYA show and Liz Carr, where did the Ryan family name in Down and Armagh originate? -

DownNewry (Down)

A recent episode of the BBC TV Series Who do You Think you Are showed the ancestry of the actor Liz Carr.  It traced one of her ancestors, Bernard Ryan, to the Parish of Killevy, Townland of Aghadavoyle and showed his appearance in Griffiths evaluation.  She discovered an interesting story about his involvment in politics and a murder.   But that programme made no mention at all of the Ryan is a rather rare name in Co. Armagh (and Co. Down), very common of course in the centre west of Ireland.   My own ancestors were Ryans living in or around Newry, border of Co Armagh and Co. Down.  I have tried hard but could trace absolutely no links in all the records that I was able to access indicating that 'my' Ryans came from anywhere else, but I get the feeling that they must have done, perhaps in times for which no records really exist.  I would be interested to hear the views of others on this.

The Liz Carr episode of WDYTYA is described here:  https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2020/who-do-you-think…

 

 

David A.

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David,

MacLysaght’s The Surnames of Ireland makes no mention of Ryan in Down or Ulster generally. Perhaps an ancestor had an occupation that led to him moving to the area eg a Police Officer, Stonemason? They were occupations that caused folk to travel. The Newry Canal opened in 1742, built to bring coal from Coalisland in Tyrone down to Carlingford Lough. Perhaps an ancestor got work labouring on the canal, in much the same way as many navvies went from Ireland to England to build canals and railways?

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

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