Hogan's, Lorrha, Co. Tipperary

I have recently discovered that my 2 and 3 x great grandparents are from Lorrha, Co Tipperary and am curious about any additional information anyone can provide and of any relatives I may have remaining in that area. My 2 x great grandfather, Patrick Hogan, was baptized in 1842 in Lorrha, RC parish and his parents, Michael and Margaret (Curtin) Hogan were married there in 1841. Besides my 2 x great grandfather Patrick (who was the eldest), Michael and Margaret had the following children: Anne (married William Carey), Michael, John, Margaret, Mary (married Mark Hoctor) and Catherine (married Lawrence Bligh). Mary, Anne & Catherine were married in Lorrha and had several children there, but I do know they eventually immigrated to Biddeford, Maine, USA, where Patrick ultimately wound up, dying there in 1900. I am curious about what happened with their brothers, Michael (born 1848) & John (born 1854), if they stayed in Co. Tipperary and married and if they raised their families in the Lorrha area. Anything anyone could provide to assist me would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Catherine Hogan,
Saco, Maine, USA.

Hi Catherine, 

It's so exciting to hear about your Irish roots! You've already have quite a lot of information already. Did you find any official documents like birth or death certificates from the Hogan line?

Between 1847 and 1864, during Griffith's Valuation, we see the name Hogan all over Ireland, but the county with the most households by this name (800) is Tipperary. Before 1864 records were kept in the form of church and parish records, and while some of these have regrettably been lost over the years, all the surviving records have been sorted into county based genealogical centres. Have you been in touch with the genealogy centre over in Tipperary yet? 

If you would like to connect with still living relatives in Ireland, my advice is to get in touch with Ireland Reaching Out, where great volunteers attempt to connect Irish descendants to their roots, through reverse genealogical research. 

I hope this was helpful, and keep us posted on your search! :) 

Melin

Hi Melin,

Thanks so much for your prompt response! I have found many church birth records on my relatives from the church in Lorrha and death certificates for many of them in Maine, which was helpful in piecing together some of the puzzle. I have found my search of the Hogan's in Tipperary exhausting and confusing because there are so many Michael and Patrick Hogan's of comparable ages. I do feel that the only family members that may have remained in Ireland would have been Michael & Margaret's sons, Michael & John.  If that's the case, then I would love to figure out this mystery, so that I can possibly meet my relatives upon my visit in March.  Or if I could figure out who my 3x great grandfather Michael's parents and siblings are then I would have a better opportunity in meeting relatives of Michael's siblings. Based upon your recommendation, I have emailed the Tipperary genealogy center and Ireland Reaching Out. Fingers crossed that they can send me in the right direction.
Again, many thanks!
Cathy

Hi Catherine, 

It's so exciting that you're coming over to visit us this March! :D What are your plans besides researching your roots? If you're ever in need of some tips or ideas for your trip, please feel free to post another thread. 

I hope you hear back from the Tipperary genealogy centre and Ireland Reaching Out soon, and please keep us posted on your findings! 

Best of luck, 

Melin

Hi Catherine Hogan,
My name is  Noel L'Abbe Whitney and I believe my great grandmother Mary Hogan who was married to Mark Hoctor was your great  x2 grandfather Patrick's sister. I recently found their grave in St Mary's  cemetery in Biddiford Maine. Mary and Mark had 4 daughters. Jane, Margaret, Sarah and my grandmother Catherine Hoctor L'Abbe. Sadly, my grandmother passed at the age of 32, leaving 4 boys they were raised by her maiden sister Sarah. My father was the oldest of her 4 sons. Joseph Phillip L'Abbe. Any information you may have on the Ireland Hogan's would be great!

Sincerely, 
Noel L'Abbe Whitney

Hello Noel,

Thanks so much for reaching out to Catherine! It would be absolutely fantastic if there is a family connection here, and I hope you're able to share and exchange information with each other. :) 

Keep us posted on your findings, and feel free to start your own thread with your questions here on the Community as well! 

Hi Noel,

Yes, we do share the same ancestors and I have some information that I am happy to share with you. Michael & Margaret (Curtin) Hogan married in the RC Parish Lorrha, Co.Tipperay in 1841 and had Patrick (1842), Anne (1844), Michael (1848), John (1854), Mary (1859), and Catherine (1860). Patrick, Anne (married William Carey), Mary (married Mark Hoctor) and Catherine (married Laurence Bligh) all emigrated to the US, with Patrick arriving first. He somehow made it to upstate New York where he and his wife, Ellen (Sullivan) had their children with my great grandfather John Hogan being the oldest. Patrick, Ellen and John all ended up coming to Biddeford, Maine around 1891 where I believe the men found employment at the Biddeford Textile Mills (which was known around the globe as it employed thousands). I believe his sisters and their spouses and children found their way either right before Patrick or they arrived around the same time.  Catherine Hogan Bligh and family were the last to arrive as it appears she remained in Annagh, Ireland to stay with their mother, Margaret, until her death. Michael had died on Aug 18, 1879 at the age of 61 and Margaret died on June 9, 1890 at age 71, as per Civil Death Records from Annagh Townland, Co. Tipperary.

I have learned that their brother Michael remained in Ireland and married Maria Heenan on Feb 24, 1876 in RC Parish Lorrha. and went on to have several children. We don't know for sure what happened with brother John, although I strongly believe he remained in Ireland. I found a few potential spouses, but couldn't confirm as there was very limited information on the documents to say for certain he was our John.

I have this on your great grandparents:
Mary Hogan and Mark Hoctor (born 1845) married on Feb 20, 1882 in RC Chapel of Rathcabbin in Registration District Riverstown. Mary Hogan's residence was Annagh and Mark Hoctor's residence was Townland Derininsalla, which borders Townland Annagh. They went on the have daughters:
Bridget (1883),
Mary (1884),
Jane (May 15,1886, Killinaul, Civil Parish Riverstown, Co Tipperary),
Margaret (Dec 23,1887,Killinaul, Civil Parish Riverstown, Co Tipperary ),
Sarah (July 8,1890 Derrinsallan, Civil Parish Riverstown, Co Tipperary) 
"Katie" (Dec 1895, Maine). A record of death states your great grandmother Mary Hoctor died from "lobar pneumonia" in 1918.

I had the pleasure of going to Ireland in March and was able to visit the Parish in Lorrha where the marriage/baptisms took place and visit the surrounding Rathcabbin area where their homestead would have been. It was very moving and humbling to see and walk the land of our ancestors. They were modest farmers and laborers and were very brave to have left their family, friends and country. 

I hope this information is helpful. Anything you can share with me would be greatly appreciated. Could you fill me in on the location of their gravesites? I know they're buried in St Mary's Cemetery in Biddeford, but that's about all I have.

Thank you,
Cathy Hogan
Saco, Maine (I grew up in Saco, right beside Biddeford, and never knew any of this information on our ancestors)

This is absolutely wonderful, Catherine and Noel! I hope this is helpful for both of your research, and all of us would love to hear more about what you're able to find out. :)

Hello Noel,

Oh, it's great to hear you both started shaping that lovely family tree with each other's help! :D

Keep us posted on your findings, and we're always here if you need anything!

Have a lovely day! :)

Romina

Hi Catherine,
We just got back from 3 week road trip. I've  shared your info with family  members. Passing on their many thanks!
Mary Hogan Hoctor  and Mark Hoctor grave is located in St. Mary's Cemetary in Biddiford. If you enter the center gate (the one with a work shed at the very end of the road) proceed down 6 rows on the right their grave is the 4th monument down that row.
Thank you once again.
Sincerely,
Noel Whitney