The Dorgan-Family Guest Book

82 entries.

James Dorgan from Hudson, WI wrote on October 9, 2025 at 6:38 pm

My name is James Michael Dorgan, son of James Emmitt Dorgan, my dad was born March 2nd 1921 in Minneapolis.

Admin Reply:

Hello James. Thanks for your Dad's information. The Minnesota Dorgan clan is another branch of the Dorgan family. Your people come from West County Cork, especially around Carrignavar. I once knew a Bill Dorgan who settled in Tucson, AZ. He is from your people. Thanks.

Austin from Seattle, WA, USA wrote on November 25, 2024 at 5:31 pm

Thank you for creating and maintaining this site. My great grandfather came to the US (Wisconsin) around the 1920s and started a family here, since then we almost all moved westward to Washington state. I'm now a part of the fourth generation here and have learned a lot through this site. Without it, I wouldn't ever have known about my ancestry. Thank you again!

Christopher Dorgan from Liverpool UK wrote on September 25, 2024 at 7:32 pm

Found this website, amazing somebody is trying to figure out our heritage. There is still a great contingent of Dorgan’s based in Liverpool UK. Hope you are all well wherever you based around the world 👍👍

Robert Smith from Punta gorda wrote on August 11, 2024 at 5:02 pm

Hello I sent entry yesterday regarding my father Thomas James Smith His mother was Margaret Josephine Dorgan They lived in providence and Edgewood area I know both her and her husband passed away when they were fairly young My father had one brother and two sisters and they were left to raise each other Bob Smith

Robert Michael Smith wrote on August 10, 2024 at 2:58 pm

Hello My father was Thomas James Smith and his Aunt was Collette Dorgan who lived in Providence ,RI I believe she was born in Taunton , Ma So the Dorgans were related to my father on his mothers side Thanks I just ran across this site Bob H

Admin Reply by: Bill Dorgan

Bob: I emailed you a reply. Bill Dorgan

Tim Forgan from Egremont wrote on July 25, 2024 at 12:04 am

My grandad was from Cork City. He was also a Bill Dorgan, he came from a large family. He moved across to the UK either late 1920s or early 1930s I'd guess.

Admin Reply by: Bill Dorgan

I have a William Garde Dorgan married to Susannah Maria Heffernan who went to England in the 1920s-1930s Is this your guy?Bill Dorgan

Johanna Therese Dorgan from Bridgeport, CT wrote on July 11, 2024 at 3:00 am

Hi William - I was happy to find this article and really enjoyed reading it. I am Johanna Therese Dorgan, grand daughter of Cornelius Dorgan and Bridget Dillon who migrated to New York City from West and North Cork I believe. My grandfather's sister was Hannah. My father was John Dorgan and his brother was Thomas and sister Sally, all born in New York City. I've been to Ireland a few times and visited Killarney, Dublin, Kinsale, Cliffs of Mohr and Cork. I'd love to know more about my ancestry from Ireland.

Admin Reply by: Bill Dorgan

Hi Johanna: I know your DORGAN family. Most of them came from around Carrignavar, North-West County Cork. Mine are from East County Cork. Thanks for the entry. Bill Dorganhttps://www.visionofireland.org/place/27237

Fionn Dorgan from Cork wrote on June 9, 2024 at 7:09 am

I found this very interesting to read and would love to know more about the Celtic heritage of the Ó Deargáin and Ballydorgan.

John Beausang from Cloyne wrote on June 3, 2024 at 5:32 pm

HI. Bill. My name is John Beausang. I believe you are in contact with my brother Stephen who is in North Carolina. I recall reading your tree with the Dorgan , Shinnick and Sullivan connection. One of my friends is Seamus O Brien who sadly lost his daughter Karen a few months ago to Cancer. His mother was Annie Shinnick who married James O Brien.Seamus was enquiring about the Shinnick /Sullivan connection. I seem to recall a brother or sister of my grandmother Jane Sullivan Beausang marrying a Shinnick and emigrating to the US.I know Mike Sullivan emigrated to Iowa but I don't think it was him

Kathryn Cummings from ROCHESTER, Minnesota wrote on March 7, 2024 at 3:31 pm

Greetings from Minnesota. My Dorgan family moved to Wisconsin in about 1851, and homesteaded land in Richland County. Two brothers, Jeremiah and Patrick. Patrick was my great great grandfather. These brothers married sisters, Johanna and Julia Connell. They were able to bring their Dorgan siblings to Wisconsin, Catherine, Johanna, Ellen, Michael, and Margaret. Their parents are Laurence Dorgan and Ellen Healy, married in Donoughmore, Cork, Ireland 15February, 1820. That is the only information I have on the parents. Patrick Dorgan participated in the USA Civil war, was captured, and died on 3 December, 1864, in a prisoner of war camp in Salisbury, North Carolina.

Admin Reply by: Bill Dorgan

Thank you, Kathryn Cummings for signing the Guestbook of www.dorgan-family.com. Your Dorgan family is another branch. All of my Dorgan's come from East County Cork. I believe yours come from West Cork or Northwest Cork. I once taught High School in Tucson, AZ with a Bill Dorgan from MN. Perhaps you know him as a member of your extended family.

Aliya Gough from New York, NY wrote on February 24, 2024 at 4:29 pm

Hi, so glad I stumbled upon this! My grandmother’s maiden name was Dorgan. We believe her Great-Grandfather James L. Dorgan immigrated to America in the Great Hunger and settled in Maine for many generations after, all also marrying into other immigrated Irish families including those of the maiden names Tracy and Googins. My grandmother herself married my Welsh grandfather, Charles Gough (originally Coch/Goch, interestingly also meaning red-haired). Love learning about one’s heritage and history, and this website is wonderful!

Admin Reply by: Bill Dorgan

Thank you, Aliya, for visiting my family website: www.dorgan-family.com. Your Dorgan's are another branch from West Cork. Look for your James L. Dorgan on the passenger list for Castle Garden. It was located in Battery Park, Manhattan, and was the first official immigrant processing center in the United States. It operated from 1855 to 1890. If James came before 1855, he could have landed anywhere. Good luck.

Stephen Francis Spencer from Valencia wrote on November 17, 2023 at 10:55 pm

Adding to my post...Her father's name was William Jeremiah Dorgan.

Admin Reply by: Bill Dorgan

Stephen: Your Irish Dorgan are from around Carrignavar, North/West County Cork. Bill Dorgan

Stephen Spencer from Valencia, California USA wrote on November 15, 2023 at 9:48 pm

Hi, My mother’s maiden name was Vivian Dorgan. She was born in Bear Valley, Wisconsin USA in 1920. My wife and I visited Cork in July of this year. It was a great trip.

Admin Reply by: Bill Dorgan

Thanks for the message. I know your Dorgan family. They are from West County Cork. Mine are from East County Cork. Different branches. Bill Dorgan

Joyce Terrana from Whiting, NJ wrote on November 2, 2023 at 1:36 pm

Hi again. We found more info. My Great Grandmother's sister was Julie Ambroise. We have a Mike O'Brien who is Josie O'Brien's son. His wife's name is Judy. Their children are Julia and Joann. My mom met a Mary Hogan whose father was Bat Dorgan who was my Great Grandmother's brother. She met a John Dorgan whose father was also Bat Dorgan. John's wife's name was Nellie. Nellie was from Coolmey Ballyhooly, Co Cork.Ireland. Their children are Pat Dorgan,Bat Dorgan and Eileen Dorgan. Pat has a wife named Mary. Pat and Mary have 3 kids. Alan,Roy and Colin. Eileen married Johnny Fitzgerald. They lived in Ballyhooly, County Cork. Eileen has a daughter in Australia (or did) named Liz. She has 2 other girls. She also had 3 sons. Their names are Bertie,Willie and Tomas.Bat and his wife Mary live in Watergrass Hill, Ireland. Which is 10 miles from Cork. We have a Theresa Joyce who was a cousin somewhere. Sorry if this all confused you. LolJoyce

Admin Reply by: Bill Dorgan

Hi Joyce: Thank you for the two messages. They are somewhat confusing. Smiles. You mention Ballyhooly. That village is in the north of County Cork. All my DORGANs come from East County Cork: https://www.bing.com/search?pglt=675&EID=MBSC&form=BGGCMF&pc=BG02&q=ballyhooly+cork&FORM=ANNTA1&PC=U531Good luck with your research. Bill Dorgan

Joyce Terrana from Whiting, NJ wrote on November 2, 2023 at 12:54 pm

Hello. Just saw your website and wanted to say Hi. My Great Grandmother was Mary Dorgan from Cork. She moved to New York when she was 17. Her father's name was John Dorgan from Cork. Her mother's last name was Murphy. We don't remember her first name. My parents were in Cork in 2001. They met cousins named Josie O'Brian and Tess Amberose e(think spelled wrong). Their mother was Julia Ambrose who was Great Grandmother's sister. . They also met a Pat Dorgan whose father was Bat Dorgan who was my Great Grandmother's brother. My parents also met Sheehan relatives. She can't remember their names though. My mother has a letter written by a Jane Dorgan in New Hampshire who says she put together a 2 page book on the Dorgan family history. She mentions another John Dorgan who was my Great Grandmother's nephew I think. I'm coming over to Ireland in April to celebrate my 50th Birthday which is in February. I'm not going to be in Cork. But I will be in Dublin, Waterford, Kilkenny and Glendalough. I was told Cork was only a few hours away. So any info you can give me on relatives still in Ireland would be appreciated. Maybe they could drive to meet me. I'm going to be on a couch bus tour so won't have a car to drive there. I look forward to hearing from you.Joyce

Mike Kaufmann from Calgary wrote on September 4, 2023 at 1:56 pm

Just discovered your website and had to say hello. My maternal great great grandfather was John Dorgan, born 1816 (or 1819) in Cork. His wife was Mary Delaney. He died in 1898. Their children were Denis, Hannah, Betsy and James, my great grandfather, b. 1844 also in Cork. He moved to Minnesota and began a flourishing line of Dorgans spreading from Minnesota and, through our incredible grandmother Petrine Dorgan, to Pangman (southern Saskatchewan) and from thence to every place you could think of in Canada and the US. Salute to Dorgans where ever you are.

Admin Reply by: Bill Dorgan

Hello! Thanks for stopping by my DORGAN website. It is always a work in progress. Do you have Dorgan's in or near Tucson, Arizona? I taught with a Bill Dorgan at Salpointe Catholic HS in the 1970s. His branch also came from Minnesota.Bill Dorgan

Anne Marie Dorgan Omweg from North Smithfield, RI wrote on April 10, 2023 at 5:51 pm

Hi Cousin Bill! Last saw you in Portland, OR, with my daughter Katie O, for such a lovely dinner! My brother Tom passed away right at Christmas time, and I so miss him.I am once again perusing the extensive site you set up for the Dorgan Family history, and found that the pages for Anne (Dorgan) Maguire, Michael Dorgan (my grandfather), Patrick, David and John are no longer available. Also the site listed RI Dorgans links are no longer good. Any way to get this material? Thanks!

Admin Reply:

Cousin Ann Marie: I responded to your personal email. I will certainly get to the bottom of this. Thanks for pointing it out! Bill Dorgan

Sally Spillane from Sarasota, Florida, USA wrote on November 25, 2022 at 7:42 pm

To Bill Dorgan,Googled my Beausangs and your site with my Dorgans and Millericks... and all my maternal 'Usual Suspects'... popped up. Best Google search ever!Thank you so much for your hard work.Sally

Admin Reply:

Hi Sally: Glad my DORGAN website was helpful. Do you know Stephen Beausang in North Carolina, formerly from Cloyne? How about Una Millerick living in Dublin? Una is the best source for Millerick and Beausang.Bill Dorgan

Jean Maguire from Reading, PA wrote on September 15, 2022 at 2:08 pm

Hello!I'm on your family tree, great granddaughter of John Henry Maguire, Sr., daughter of Francis Leo Maguire, and daughter of Leo Russell Maguire.I'm looking for any family photos which have my great grandfather and grandfather and/or his brothers. My late father had no family pictures from the Maguire side of the family. I so want to put faces to names in my family tree book.Thank you,Jean

Admin Reply:

Hi Jean: 1. Thanks for signing my guestbook for the dorgan-family.com website. 2. Here is a photo of your great-grandfather JOHN HENRY MAGUIRE:https://dorgan-family.com/mary-hartnett/3. Your grandfather, Francis Leo Maguire may also be in this photo. There are two unknown Maguires in this photo.Let me know what you think.Also, can you fill me in with the names, places, and dates of your siblings, parents etc?Thanks, Bill Dorgan

Kevin C Hay from Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina wrote on August 20, 2022 at 1:10 pm

My great great grandfather was Thomas Dorgan (I am told it was pronounced "Darrigan." Sadly he died in the American Civil War in 1862 while serving in the 73rd Ohio Regiment. He is buried in a Catholic church yard in Chilicothe Ohio. His brother James was in the same regiment and was wounded three times, yet survived. He is buried in the old soldiers home in Lexington, Kentucky. We have reviewed both of their medical files at National Archives in Washington, DC. They left Cork as boys and were building railroads in Tennessee when the war broke out. Their father died before they left Ireland. Their mother was in the poor house in Philadelphia. We don't know what part of Cork they came from, though my DNA shows a concentration on the Beara penninsula. Thank you for building a wonderful website. We look forward to exploring it more. Kevin Coyle Hay

Admin Reply:

Hi Kevin: Thanks for your comment on my DORGAN-FAMILY.com website. All my DORGAN ancestors are from East County Cork. I don't have a DORGAN ancestor with the forename, Thomas. I suspect your DORGAN'S might be from or near Carrignavar. There are a number of Thomas Dorgan living there. Good luck. Hope to hear from you again. Bill DorganP.S. I'm down the street from you in Charleston, SC.P.S.S. Check out this page of Thomas Dorgan's: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Special:SearchPerson

The Dorgan-Family Guest Book

Write a new entry for the Guestbook

DORGAN FAMILY