Hourigans of Central NY

We traveled to Ireland in August of 2011.  We had the opportunity to stop in Ballingarry, County Limerick on 8/27/2011 (wikipedia link). I knew that John & Jane (Fitzgerald) Hourigan who came to Skaneateles, NY in the 1860's came from Ballingarry, Co. Limerick. Our first stop was at the church in town where we found several headstones with the Hourigan name, and many with the Fitzpgerald name as well.

The town had a ruined castle (DeLacy Castle) that we decided to explore. It was not open to the public but we decided to look at it anyway. (yes, we were trespassing!)

As we were coming out of the castle grounds and back into the town, someone waved us over and I thought uh-oh, we are going to get arrested or shot for trespassing. But we didn't. The woman who waved us over was a member of the family who owned the land and the castle ruins. She was very nice, but she told us that she did not like people, especially kids, poking around the castle ruins. She told us how the castle had been sacked and 44 men, women, and children were massacred by British troops in the late 1500's.  The troops were led by Sir Humphrey Gilbert, a half brother of Sir Walter Raleigh. NOTE: I could never find any information on the web about this massacre. Here is a web site with a brief write up on the village history: Ballingary Village

Next, we asked her if there are any "Hourigans" left in the area.  She said, no, never heard that name before.  We were puzzled because the church graveyard was full of headstones with the name 'Hourigan' inscribed.  So my mother wrote the name down on a piece of paper and she said oh, you mean "Hourigans"!  ( The H is nearly silient so you have to say Ourigan! ).  She said yes, Eamonn lives on Hill road.   At about that time another man had come upon our conversation and said that he knew Eamonn and would take us to see him.  

When we met Eamonn,  we thought he looked a lot like my grandfather, Gerald Hourigan:

Eamonn took us on a little tour to the Hourigan homestead that had been abandoned sometime around 1994:

Next, Eamonn took us to the top of Hourigan's hill. The view was breathtaking!!

We talked to Eamonn about the Hourigan family history. He seemed to know that John and Jane (Fitzgerald) Hourigan did leave for America sometime in the 1860s.  In a short period of time, 12 Hourigans left Ireland for America in the 1860s.  This is somewhat strange because they survived the potato famine and then went to America, some during the height of the Civil war(!).

I am pretty sure my ancestors came from the farm on this hill in Limerick county.

Prepared by Edward Hourigan on 11-20-2011.