James & Catherine Egan origins

[dmr6596]

James and Catherine are my 3x great grandparents who immigrated to America in the mid 1800s. James Egan was born in 1843 in Ireland, and died in 1894 in Massillon, OH. I don't have any further information about James' Irish origins, so any information would be appreciated! In Catherine's obituary, it states she was born in Queen's County in 1845, and immigrated to America in 1859-1860, and I believe her maiden name was Ryan. Has anyone got any information about Egan's or Ryan's in Queen's County? Thanks!

[conahy calling]

Welcome to Rootschat 

Following link from the Ireland Resources board.  Also check resources on Laois board
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=498742.0

Egan and Ryan names are common in Co Laois.  What religious denomination were they?  If RC the parish registers have been recently put online  - free - but the problem is unless you have the parish you would have to search the whole county!   

http://registers.nli.ie/

[dmr6596]

Thank you for your reply! I'm not sure of their religious denomination, but my great grandfather, who would be James and Catherine's grandson, was raised Catholic, so I'm assuming they were. I don't know what part of Ireland James Egan was born in, nor do I know his parents's names. I know Catherine was born in Queen's County, but I'm not sure which parish so I'll probably have to search all of them. Her death record lists her maiden name as Rhine, and her father is listed as James Rhine, but I'm making the assumption that it was Ryan, and misinterpreted on the record. I've also seen a census where her maiden name is listed as Rihm, which I'm also assuming is misinterpreted. I don't know when James came to America, or when he and Catherine married. Catherine immigrated here in 1860 and the next record of her is in Connecticut in 1866, having given birth to her son, John.