Patrick Harrigan tried in Castlebar - aliases include Haddigaddy, Hargedon etc

[AmandaP]

I'm looking for information on my Gx4 Grandfather Patrick Harrigan who was tried in Castlebar Mayo in 1806 and sent to Sydney Australia as a convict aboard the ship the Duke of Portland.  He was born around 1774.  Family legend says that he was a prize fighter, apparently (Paddy?) Haddigaddy was his fighting name.  Unfortunately there is no record of him prior to this.  Are there any Irish descendants of Patrick out there?

Amanda

[Christopher]

Hello Amanda,

A letter to the Editor of the Mayo News may produce some living descendents Click for contact details.

Christopher

[Muddyboots]

Fairly sure that the Patrick Harrigan you seek is an ancestor of mine too.He was pardoned in 1815  after assisting lay the Blue Mountains road which was surveyed by Cox.He married one of James Ruse's adopted daughters, Susannah and had at least six kids with her until he decided that her sister Ann looked pretty good too.
Info should be fairly easy as James Ruse was pretty famous First Fleet convict.
Good luck

[leprechaun]

 There was a James Harrigan [Haddigaddy] in 1845 bound over to keep the peace for Threatening Behaviour.
  There is alot of info on a Patrick Harrigan regarding the Blue Mountains etc.
      But  it does not say if he was a pugilist. But he did have an eye for the ladies. who were all convicts. Lep

[AmandaP]

Hi Muddy Boots and leprechaun - James Harrigan was Patrick's son, both were prize fighters.  I have all the information on Patrick that you speak of and more - I am more interested in his earlier life in Ireland, though I realise that I might be seeking the impossible, thanks anyway.

Muddyboots - There is no evidence that Susannah was adopted, all the records point to her being James and Elizabeth's daughter.  There is also no evidence that Patrick ran off with Ann Kiss.  The information on James Ruse Agricultural High School by Bill Jocelyn is only his speculations because a birth record hasn't turned up for Susannah.  The information published on that school's website is very misleading, the fine print does say that its just Bill's theories and not proven fact but a lot of people don't read the fine print.  A few cousins and myself have tried contacting that school in vain requesting any sources Bill may have or that the information be removed, so far not one of us have received a reply - very unprofessional, especially for a school with an elite reputation!  During the period when Susannah would have been born 1796/7 there was alot of turmoil on the Hawkesbury including severe floods so it would not be unreasonable for her baptism not to be recorded.  If anyone has proof that Susannah was not the child of James Ruse and Elizabeth Perry than I would be really interested to see it.

Amanda

[Muddyboots]

Wow,that is an eye opener.As you say,very unprofessional for the school to publish unsubstantiated "facts", thanks for that.

[Judy Hess]

Amanda
I am related to Patrick Harrigan.  My line is his daughter Elizabeth who married Thomas Kelly.
I do not have much information on Patrick. I would be happy to share any information with you. Unfortunately I do not have any information on his life in Ireland.
Judy Hess

[AmandaP]

Hi Judy,

Thanks for your reply, please have a look at your personal messages section of the boards .

@ Muddyboots, on a side note, my cousins and I were finally successful in getting a response out of the principal from James Ruse Agricultural High School and she graciously complied with our request had the false and misleading information removed from their website as it had no factual backing.

Cheers,

Amanda

[corisande]

I don't know if you have checked out Griffiths, but it gives 2 Harrigans and 3 Herrigans in Mayo in mid 19th cent, in addition the 1901 census has some

That would give you the parish, and you could then do some local work by contacting priest or local historian in that area.

If you want to go the whole hog you get dna tests done from male Aus Harrigan and compare with any Irish Harrigans that you can get to do the test (it is possible, I have done this with my own family, including tracing descendants of a convict in Australia)