Anne Ryan did not take in orphaned children; it was her daughter Sarah who did that. They were not orphaned in the sense that we understand - they were unwanted, or seperated from their mothers and then boarded out. A lady in USA was commissioned by the Sisters of Mercy to collate records from these types of homes. She produced lists, photos and records for most of the children who passed through this system. I have met one or two of them. However, the records only show what could be shown.
During my research, I was told of a rumour where someone believed that Bernard Ryan could have been the illegitimate child of Sarah Ryan and that he was passed off as Anne Ryan's child. This may explain the lack of any birth records. I must stress that it was one person's opinion.
I also have a newspaper cutting from a paper in New Zealand where it reports that Sarah Ryan was involved in the abduction of a child which was found hidden at 8 Royal Canal Terrace. Whilst this seems incredible, the paper seems to know quite a bit about her.
So there are quite a few mysteries surrounding the Ryans. The files I have depict them as highly thought of and well-respected in the community. Ann Ryan received many tributes and letters of support from high places and was given very sympathetic press coverage when Bernard was convicted.
