The Morgan Family

Michael Morgan (1822-1872) of Knocknagraga and Margaret O’Loughlin (b. 1824) married in 1851. They had family as follows (birth/baptism,day/month/year, most likely from church records): John, 15/9/1852; Mary, c. 1853; Margaret, 22/1/1854; Dennis, c. 1856; Bridget, -/6/1858; Michael, 16/8/1862; Kate (Catherine), 29/11/1864; and Dora, 29/6/1871.

Margaret married Johnie Matthew Keane of Kilnamona on 21 February 1892 (for their family go to here) while Margaret’s older brother John married Margaret Keane, Johnie Matthew’s sister also in 1892. This led to a Keane family saying: A Margaret went up (to Knocknagraga, Ennistymon) and a Margaret came down (to Kilnamona).

Children born to John Morgan and Margaret (nee Keane) were: Michael (Miko caol (thin)), 4/12/1892 (died in 1942!); John, 15/7/1894; Bridget (US), 9/11/1895; Margaret, 8/12/1898; and Mary, 29/12/1899. Bridget emigrated to the US in 1921 and was married to John Carey from Kilmurry-MacMahon, County Clare. John Carey’s brother Pat Carey was married to Johnnie Matthew’s daughter, Delia Keane, cementing another double relationship. The year of death of Margaret (Keane) is not available.

Kate (Catherine, 1864-1936) Morgan of Knocknagraga married her third cousin Michael Morgan (1841-1925) of Lavereen and they had twelve in family the first and sixth of whom were William (Bill) and Patrick (Pat) who were active in the fight for Irish freedom. Like his cousin Pat Keane, Pat Morgan was a member of the IRA in various capacities such as Intelligence Officer and as a member of the ASU (Active service Unit) and took part in a number of activities and ambushes.Like his cousin Pat Keane he together with his brother Bill took the republican side in the Civil War (see reference to Pat Morgan re. his cousin Pat Keane’s internment in Gormanstown).

John (Jn., b. 1894) second son of John and Margaret (nee Keane) Morgan (see above) also took a part in the War of Independence, 1917-’21. He emigrated to the US in the late 1920s but returned after the depression and married Catherine Neylon of Kilnamona in 1939, settling there. They had five in family, the last being Pat who joined An Garda Síochána, retired in 2009 returning to his roots in Kilnamona.

Two Morgan sisters (but not Margaret)

In the absence of a photo of Margaret Keane (nee Morgan), here are two photos showing the Morgan features, left photo: Lizzie Morgan Kelly (1848 – 1914), daughter of James (the Blacksmith) Morgan and mother-in-law to Jimmy Leyden (of one time Kilfinora Céilí Band fame) and right her cousin Kate (b. 1864 from Knocknagraga), mother to Pat Morgan of Lavereen, Ennistymon and aunt to the Keane family of Ballyashea, Kilnamona (grateful to Br Willlie Morgan (grandson), Lahinch; see reference below).

*Johnie Matthew’s wife, Margaret (nee Morgan), date of birth as given on the Morgan records quoted above does not tally with either the 1901 or 1911 census, which also in turn are at variance with each other. She admitted to being 38 years in the 1901 census (thus b. 1863) and to being 52 years in the 1911 census (thus b. 1859). According to above church records (compiled for Br Willie Morgan) she was born in 1854 and thus when Br Thomas was born she would then have been 54!! Did she admit to her age or did she even know?

Pat Morgan, middle son of John and Kate Morgan, Lavareen, first cousin of the Keanes in Ballyashea, married Nora Clune in 1930 and they had eight in family: PJ (US, later Dublin) Mick (Dublin, National Teacher) ,Willie (Christian Brother, Secondary School Teacher, Pastoral Counsellor, now lives in Lahinch), Chris (US), Alfie (Lavareen), Joe (UK), Donie (Garda, Kerry) and Monica (Davoren) (b. 1944, and farms in Carron, Co Clare).

Some of the Morgan family in 1959: Alfie, Willie, Donie, Monica, Nonie (Clune), Pat and Mick

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

*For much of the above information I am indebted to work of Br. Willie Morgan who is to be commended for his thorough genealogy of the Morgan families in a 2013 family publication entitled: Ó Muireagáin – The Morgans of Ennistymon.