Ryan Family of Woodford

[Michelle Rose]

Hoping someone might be able to shed a little light on my dilemma. Please note- all individuals mentioned are now deceased. 

I am trying to trace my grandmother's husband's birth family, Patrick Joseph Ryan; however, he was born in Dublin and raised in the Artane boys home before being adopted by a family with the surname Coogan. He was born in 1929 and his adoption was before adoptions were legalised, so I have little hope in finding out much about his adoptive family (although, I have narrowed it down to a family, through information my grandmother gave us).

My hope for information or connections through this post is in regard to his birth family. On his birth certificate, his father is listed as John Ryan, labourer; mother, Mary Ryan nee Hays; address- Woodford, Galway.

However, trying to find a marriage for these two has proved difficult! I found what I thought was them married in Kinsale, Cork through the Irish records online. They were the only John Ryan and Mary Hays/Hayes that correlated with my Step-grandfather's timeline and as I am on Ancestry, I managed to find a relative of theirs with an extensive family tree.
Nevertheless, bits didn't add up- they had 10 children who would have been older than Patrick and all their children were born in on their farm in Kinsale. Why travel to Dublin to have a child and get him adopted? They had three older daughters and a number of older sons (with wives) that would have taken him in, if his mother was to ill to look after him. Also, they seemed to be prominent members of their community- lots of articles on them and their contributions to the town.
I spoke to the tree creator and had it confirmed by him that Patrick was not related to them. They were very family orientated and as far as he knew, his grandparents had rarely gone beyond the town- never mind travelled to Dublin!

This placed me back to square one. I went through the Irish records again and went for the 1911 census, but without an approximate age for John and/or Mary, I couldn't narrow it down much. I think there may be connections to the U.S, but again wouldn't know where to start looking and my 'think' is just that.

Also, there is something of significance that someone out there might be able to help me with. Patrick was a hunchback, due to breaking his back as a child and developing scoliosis. As a child, my grandmother said he had been hit by vehicle on the road and broke his back as he flung on to the kerb. This happened in Dublin in approx. 1935; however, I was unable to find any newspaper articles on such an accident. If anyone out there has access to that kind of information, I would be very grateful.
 

[dathai]

What does not add up for me is the Artane bit, Artane was an Industrial School and to the best of my knowledge would not take babies or children under 6yrs old or do adoptions/foster care.
e g 1901
https://www.rootschat.com/links/01g7m/.

they would be held till age 18 but if they had an aptitude for a particular type of job they would placed in outside work at age 16 on licence till they were 18 and then allowed go their own way.

Artane was a hell hole and unless he got injured there at age 10, there were some stories documented by survivor's of boy's being thrown down the stair's by Christian Brother's.

[dathai]

What registration district is on his birth certificate

edited to add who is the informant on the birth

[Michelle Rose]

Thank you for your replies, dathai.

All I can tell you is what my grandmother told me about him and while I've checked what she told me with other members of the family and it all correlates; what I have is purely hearsay.

She used to talk about the Christian Brothers- how cruel they were- and that he was brought up by them. The adopted family may have adopted him when he was born and placed him in the Artane. She said his mother was blind and couldn't look after him after the accident- could this have been the adoptive family, rather than biological family? I don't know. What I do know is limited. She told us about the Coogan family connection and when I was young, she showed me letters from Jackie Coogan- the American film star. Apparently he was connected through his mother's family, but again- I don't know if biological or adoptive mother. I did think that his biological mother was connected to whomever adopted him, but haven't found any concrete connection between Hays/Hayes of Galway and Coogan's of Dublin.
The letters were to offer him surgery in the U.S to correct his back, but for reasons unknown, he didn't go.

He was also supposed to have spent time in Stanmore Hospital in London at the age of 10 for corrective surgery and spent many years in a plaster bed. I remember the photograph my grandmother used to show me of him in his plaster bed, flanked by a Nurse and a Doctor in a white coat. He looked to be about 8- 10 years old in the photo. 

The registration district for his birth is Dublin South City 4. He was born in Holles Street hospital. I can't read the name of who registered him, but they are listed as the Occupier.

[Michelle Rose]

Update

I wrote to St Josephs and received a reply that Patrick Ryan was not a resident in the Artane.

This post was meant to be about his parents, John and Mary Ryan (nee Hays) from Woodford, Galway, and I went off track, so will post another on the Dublin board with a link to this one in regards to Patrick Ryan.

I suspect his parents may have married in America, but with the names being so common and with no other information, I can't seem to find this John and Mary- or at least, I can't seem to nail the correct ones!

If anyone can help, I would appreciate it. Since starting genealogy, this Patrick and his family have been the ones I can't seem to get a break through on.