THE DORGAN FAMILY

OF

BALLYBRAHER

THE CIVIL PARISH OF CLOYNE, EAST CORK

 AND

CARRIGKILTER

THE CIVIL PARISH OF BALLINTEMPLE, EAST CORK

The earliest references I have been able to find for the name Dorgan (and its variants) in County Cork are:

1741 probated will of  John Dorgin of Cork. Probated wills appear in the Index to irish wills, Volume2, Diocese of Cork and Ross: 1548-1800.

1766 Census Records of the Parish of Kilshannig, Diocese of Cloyne lists: Dennis, John, and Michael Dorgan as "Papists" (Catholics)

1766 Census Records of the parish of Mourneabbey, Diocese of Cloyne, lists: Patirck Dorgan as a Papist (Catholic).

1771 probated will of Lucy Dorgan (nee: Saggison or Siggerson) of Blackpool, County Cork.

There is an interesting citation in the 'Freeman's Journal', Tuesday, 21 April 1767, page 3:

"Patrick Dargan
Jeffrey Purcel tried for murder of Patrick Dargan at Corke. Purcell allegedly murdered Pat Dargan on Mushery Mountain, Co. Kilkenny."

There was a place called Mushery District in the Civil Parish of Kilcorney according to the 1766 Religious Census of Clonmeen & Kilcorny. There is also a townland called Mushera in the Civil Parish of Kilcorney, Barony of West Muskerry according to the 1851 "General Alphabetical Index to the Townlands, Parishes and Baronies of Ireland". Mushera Mountain belongs to the Boggeragh Mountain chain, with unparralleled views of Clara Mountain and the North Cork Valley. Also there is St. John's Holy Well and the Millstreet Country Park.

The first, oldest and directly connected Dorgan is Timothy Dargan (Dorgan) and his wife, Johanna. They are the Grandparents of Patrick Dargan who married Ann Flynn. I suspect Timothy Dargan is our oldest ancestor based on the family graves at Ballymacoda Hill Cemetery. There are three DARGAN (DORGAN) graves immediately on the right side after the entrance gate. One of the graves reads: 

Timothy Dargan and his wife Joahanna had two known children: Mary Dargan and Edmond Dargan.

Mary Dargan died very young at 21 years old. Her father, Timothy, erected a headstone in Ballymacoda Cemetery that reads:

Edmond Dargan married but the name of his wife is not known. They had two known children: John Dargan and Patrick Dargan.

John Dargan erected a headstone to the memory of his father in the Ballymacoda Cemetery Edmond that reads:

Erected by John Dorgan

of Kilmachill

in mem. of his beloved father

Edmond Dorgan

who died Dec. 24th 1877

Griffiths Valuation lists John Dargan living in Garryvoe, Garryvoe Lower in 1853. He married Mary Burke. I found this notation in the CMCR Project (Christening, Marriage, Cemetery Record) Project Marriage Registry:

County: Cork
Groom_Given: John
Groom_Surname: Dorgan
Bride_Given: Mary
Bride_Surname: Burke
Groom_Residence:
Brides_Residence :
Marriage_Date: 08/02/1831
Church_or_Location: Killeagh
Priest: J. Noonan
Witness1: Wm Burke
Witness2: Dl Ahern
Record_Source: National Library of Ireland

John Dargan and Mary Burke had three known children: Edmund, John who married Nora and Francis. There is a Francis Dargin of Ballycrenane, Cloyne Parish who is listed in Griffith’s Valuation 1851-1853. I am not sure if this Francis is the son of John Dorgan and Mary Burke.

Here is what is known of Edmund Dorgan, the son of John Dargan and Mary Burke:

Edmund Dorgan

Birth Place:    Kilmacahill, County Cork, Ireland

Father:    John Dorgan (-1873)

Mother:    Mary Burke

Griffith's Valuation of 1851-53 lists an Edmond Dargin who had a House, Offices, and 11 acres and 3 roods of land in Kilmacahill.  Edmund's marriage certificate lists him as a farmer of Kilmacahill.  He moved to Mary Scannell's home in Sheenless when they were married.

He is buried in the Hill Cemetery, Ballymacoda, Parish of Ladysbridge, East Cork.  His headstone reads:

"Erected by John Dorgan of Killmacahill in memory of his beloved father Edmund Dorgan who died Dec. 24th 1877 Aged 78."

Spouse:        Mary Scannell

Birth Place:  Sheenless, County Cork, Ireland

Father:          John Scannell (-<1890) Griffith's Valuation lists John Scannell in Sheanliss who had a house, offices, and land: 2 acres, 1 rood, 29 perches & 27 acres, 1 rood and 34 perches.  He also had an adjoining plot with a house occupied by Patrick Browne.

Marr Date:    21 JAN 1890

Marr Place:   St. Coleman's Church, Cloyne, County Cork, Ireland

Witnesses:    John Dorgan and Nora Dorgan (Edmund's brother and sister)

Mary Scannell was a widow when she married Edmund Dorgan.  Her first husband was a man named Rohan.  He could have been a Ronayne rather than Rohan since these names are often confused in the records. Her father, John Scannell, was deceased when she married Edmond Dorgan in 1890.

John

Birth Date:    29 OCT 1890

Birth Place:   Sheenless, County Cork, Ireland

Birth Date:    26 DEC 1891

Birth Place:    Sheenless, County Cork, Ireland

William was born at 2 AM.

Bridget

Birth Date:    26 DEC 1891

Birth Place:    Sheenless, County Cork, Ireland

Bridget was born at 3 AM.

Birth Date:    5 NOV 1894

Birth Place:    Sheenless, County Cork, Ireland

Birth Date:    19 APR 1896

Birth Place:    Sheenless, County Cork, Ireland

Patrick Dargan, the brother of  John Dargan of Garryvoe, is our direct ancestor and the starting point of the Dorgan Family Website.

This is a copy of the original map of Ballybraher, c. 1840

Ballycotton was mentioned in the Townland listings as Ballycottin (town, townland, and island) although it is shown as Ballycotton on the Townland Index maps and, of course, the Discovery maps. Ballycotton is about 10 miles SE of Middleton and 15 miles SW of Youghal, and is located on - what else - Ballycotton Bay. The largish (over 550 acres) townland of Ballybraher is situated to the immediate west and northwest of Ballycotton and nearly isolates it from the rest of Co. Cork. The dividing line between the civil parishes of Cloyne (eastern portion) and Kilmahon passes through the townland, hence it is listed under both parishes. The other Ballybraher listing is up in Ballyoughtera parish, near Castlemartyr. 

BALLYBRAHER, CIVIL PARISH OF CLOYNE, EAST COUNTY CORK, C. 1840

 This is a description of the nearby townland of Ballycotton in 1837:

From Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837