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Researching for canonization Fr. Patrick Ryan

TipperaryNenagh (Tipperary)

I am secretaryof the Historical Commission for the Cause of Sainthood for Fr. Patrick Ryan. We have little info about his origins. He was born September 29,1844 near Nenagh in CountryTipperary. He had a brother Michael born around 1849. They left for America and Fr PatrickRyan died in Chattanooga,Tennessee September 28, 1878 caring for yellow fever victims. We have copy ofa letter of excorporationfrom Bishop Nicholas Power dated 1869 which gives Patrick permission to be released from the Diocese of Killaloe to serve for another Bishop The only other info we have is that The Ryanfamily was friends with thefamily of Patrick AugustineFeehan, born1829, from Killenaule, who became bishop of Nashville and later archbishop of Chicago A group from ourChattanooga Parish is planning a pilgrimage this July to Ireland in Fr Ryans honor and want to visit his birth area on July 13 My commissionis in the midst of writing our positio paper for the Vatican and would be so helpful if you could find any info to help fill in our blanks

Thank you so much

Barbara DeGaetano

IrelandXO member

6 replies

To get you started - the Ecclesiastical Directory of Thom's 1868 and 1869 confirm that Right Reverend Nicholas Power was Coadjutor Bishop of the Diocese of Killaloe, the Bishop is listed as Right Reverend Michael Flanney D.D. I've attached a list of the parishes of the Diocese and an image of the listing for 1869. There's a James Ryan P.P. at Youghal-Arra parish but no sign of a Patrick Ryan among the Parish Priests or Curates officially assigned to any of these parishes. Possibly he didn't serve here long enough to be listed.

The Ryan surname is the most common surname in Co. Tipperary so multiple household with similar name, making searches difficult. The baptism registers for the parish of Nenagh go back to 1792, but there is an unfortunate gap in the surviving records between December 1842 and January 1845 - possibly lost or damaged pages (the last few pages for 1842 some some damage & missing sections).  The register images for the parish are available on the National Library of Ireland website - see Nenagh RC parish. 

To allow for the 'near Nenagh' reference it might be worth checking the adjacent parishes :

Monsea  (Cloghprior and Mount-Sea)   
Cloughjordan  (Ardcroney and Ballygibbon)   
Toomavara
Silvermines
Youghal-Arra (Burgessbeg and Youghal)

I'd allow a little leeway with regard to the date of birth - people rarely knew their exact date, in any case early baptism records do not usually include this detail, just date of baptism. However at that time Catholic baptisms usually took place within a couple of days of the birth (sometimes the same day. It might be worth checking for full civil death record for Patrick in case his parents are named, as this could help locate his family e.g. by searching for younger siblings, also might be worth tracking marriage and death certs for Michael to see if any family details are mentioned.
 

shanew147IrelandXO Volunteer

 

 

 

Thank you for all of your suggestions and attachments. One important point I left out was that Patrick Ryan came to America as a child.  He became a priest in the Diocese of Nashville in 1869 after seminary in St. Louis  Missouri. A visit to the seminary records showed no mention of parents. Actually, the 1869 letter of ex corporation is what points us to the Diocese of Killaloe, along with secondary sources mentioning Nenagh as his area of birth.

Father Patrick’s date of birth was listed in the original cemetery record book of 1886, where he was reburied 12 years after death when the new Catholic cemetery opened in Chattanooga. As you indicated, it might not be exact.

I will check out the surrounding parishes you listed; an earlier query to all present day Killaloe parishes did not achieve any results. 

Again, thank you for all of your help. I look forward to seeing Tipperary in July.    Barbara

 

 

 

 

 

IrelandXO member

Hi Barbara, I have copied and posted your query on to Ryan Genealogy and DNA Forum on Facebook where someone who isnt a member here might see it. It might also help if you were to email the Nenagh Guardian and possibly the Tipperary Star looking for help in your search. Nenagh Guardian info@ nenaghguardian.ie and Tipperary Star mheverin@nationalist.ie 

I have had a look through the back issues of the Nenagh Guardian and I have found no reference to Fr Patrick Ryan Chattanooga TN

kind regards

Margaret

 

 

 

Tippgal

Barbara,

from reading I noticed that Fr Patrick Ryans brother , Michael , was also ordained a priest. Has Fr Michaels files ie diocesian, death, obituary etc been checked to see if there is any reference to their parents? Just a thought

Margaret 

Tippgal

Hi, Theres a lot of material on his cousin Patrick Augustus Feehan born in Killenaule  1829.

Perhaps it might be possible to contact one of descendants of siblings of this Priest, perhaps

his family have a Family tree done.

Let me know how you get on.

Christina Volunteer Irelandxo.

ChristinaIrelandXO Volunteer
My great, great grandfather was Patrick Ryan born in the Killenaule or Ballaghboy (Ballaugh bue) area. My DNA has informed me of roots to that specific area. My close line shows a Edmund Ryan in my tree, from a few years later. The 1850 Griffiths shows a Patrick, Michael and James Ryan. The 1830 land tax record shows a Michael and a widow Ryan on properties in Ballaghboy. I’m hoping to find the names of my Patrick’s parents and perhaps a baptism record. Thank you.
McEvoy Ryan Walsh Cahill

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