Hi anne jane,
This probably has nothing to do with your Meehans but I thought, just in case, I should include it.
One of my Duffy's sisters married a John Meehan in Dublin in 1885. On the marriage certificate it lists the father as Cornelius Meehan, book keeper. On the 1901 census my ancestor's sister, Catherine, is listed as a widow.
It seems highly unlikely that this Meehan is related to your Meehans but as every little helps, if only to exclude, I thought I should send you the details.