Egan (No.1) family genealogy

Hereditary Chief Judges of Ireland

Arms: Az. two palets ar. over all a saltire or. Crest: A cross patriarchal gu.

COSGRACH, brother of Inrachtach, who is No. 100 on the (No. 1) "O'Kelly" (Princes of Hy-Maine) pedigree, was the ancestor of O'h-Aedhagain; anglicised O'Egan, MacEgan, and Egan.

The O'Egans or MacEgans were hereditary Brehons (or Chief Judges) in Connaught, in Leinster, and in Ormond. In this genealogy we are able to trace the pedigree of the Connaught (or Parent) stock of the family in regular lineal descent down to the reign of King Charles I.; but we regret our inability to trace the regular descent down to the present time of any of the Connaught and Leinster branches of this ancient noble stock. Our research enables us to trace only a few generations of two of the Ormond branches of the family, namely—the "Egan" (No. 2), and the "Egan" (No. 3), infra.

The following is the pedigree of the Connaught (or Parent) stock of the O'Egan, MacEgan, or Egan family:

100. Cosgrach: son of Fichollach.

101. Flaithgheal: his son.

102. Anluan: his son.

103. Flaitheamh (also callcd Felim): his son.

104. Gosda: his son.

105. Aedhaghan ("aedh:" Irish, the eye; "aghain," to kindle): his son; a quo O'h-Aedhaghain.

106. Flann: his son.

107. Murtach: his son.

108. Donoch Mór: his son; had a brother named Saorbhreathach, and another named Dermod.

109. Donoch Oge: son of Donoch Mór.

110. Simeon: his son; had two sons—1. Saorbhreathach or Justin, and 2. Maoliosa.

111. Justin: son of Simeon.

112. Maoliosa: his son.

113. Flann (or Florence): his son.

114. Finghin: his son; who had two sons—1. Owen, and 2. Conor Ruadh.

115. Owen: son of Finghin.

116. Teige: his son.

117. Conor: his son.

118. Teige (2): his son.

119. Melachlin Egan: his son.

At this stage in the history of this ancient Irish family the estates of Melaghlin Egan, No. 119 on this pedigree, were confiscated by the Earl of Strafford, then the Irish Viceroy, under Charles I. It appears that other members of the family held their estates down to the Commonwealth period, and others later; for (see our Irish Landed Gentry when Cromwell came to Ireland), among the "Forfeiting Proprietors" under the Cromwellian Confiscations in the county of Mayo, barony of Tyrawley, and parish of Leckan, we find the name of Solloman Egan of Cashelldowna and Killdavioge, in said parish, whose estate was conveyed to William Webb. Again (ibid.) we find among the "Connaught Certificates" of that unhappy period in Ireland the names of Carbury Egan; Constantine Egan; Cormac Egan; Daniel Egan; Eganin Egan, son of Carbury; Feigh Egan; Rose Egan; Teige Egan; and Una Egan. Next (ibid.) we find, among the "Names of Persons in the Grants," under the Acts of Settlement and Explanation (A.D. 1661—1665), the names of Carbery Egan; Carbury, Dan, and Constantine Egan; Flan Egan; James Egan; and Una Egan. And last (ibid.), among the "Forfeiting Proprietors in Ireland," under the Confiscations of William III., whose estates were sold in Dublin in 1702 and 1703, we find the name of Daniel Egan. In the Irish Parliament of 1797, we find the name of John Egan, M.P., who (a writer in Notes and Queries, Second Series, suggests,) was the author of a number of letters on political characters of the day that appeared during his life-time in the Dublin Evening Post, over the signature of "Junius Hibernicus."

(For further information respecting John Egan, M.P., see the "Egan" (No. 3) pedigree.)