Friday, 16 October 2026

The Ryans of Ballymackeogh

The Ryans of Ballymackeogh represent another historically important branch of the Ryan (Ó Maolriain) clan. Settled in the civil parish of Kilvellane, near Newport, County Tipperary since at least the mid-1600s, this family carved out a unique legacy. Unlike the vast majority of their Munster kinsmen, the Ballymackeogh branch embraced the Protestant faith, a transition that fundamentally altered their relationship with the changing socio-political landscape of early modern Ireland. Settled in the parish of Kilvellane within the barony of Owney and Arra, they utilized a brilliant mix of military service and strategic intermarriage to preserve their ancestral lands through centuries of confiscation and upheaval. 

the Ryans embedded themselves into the local gentry via powerful marital alliances.

Direct Male Line

Key Genealogies & Alliances

Various family trees for the Ryans of Ballymackeogh can be found online. Here are a few of them:

The core pedigree of the Ballymackeogh branch, documented extensively through land court rentals, ancestral graves, and genealogical reports, flows down through the following generations: [1, 2]

1. Mahown O'Mulryan c1560?

According to localized historical records and graveslab inscriptions at the old Ballymackeogh graveyard, the family traces its lineage to Mahown O'Mulryan. 

2. Dermot O'Mulryan c1590?

Mahown’s son, Dermot, received a royal pardon in 1602 following the Nine Years' War. [1, 2, 3]

3. William O'Mulryan c1620?

Dermot's son, William O'Mulryan, joined the Irish Rebellion of 1641. Following the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, William's ancestral lands at Ballymackeogh and Clonbunny were confiscated and granted to a Parliamentarian officer, Colonel John Ewer. [1, 2]

4. Daniel Ryan (c1650? d. 1731) 

The family's survival as landowners was secured by William’s son, Daniel Ryan (d. 1731). Daniel, who had served abroad with the exiled Charles II, returned to Ireland following the Restoration. He successfully recovered the Ballymackeogh estate by marrying Honor Ewer, the daughter and heiress of Colonel John Ewer - the very soldier who had been granted the Ryan lands.

Through this strategic marital union and subsequent conversion to Protestantism, the Ryans of Ballymackeogh retained their gentry status, securing the family's local survival, while neighboring Catholic families faced total dispossession. [1, 2, 3] Daniel Ryan died in 1731 and is buried in the ancient red sandstone church ruins at Ballymackeogh Cemetery.

Their eldest son, William, inherited the core estate. Their second son, George, was buried alongside his father in 1756. [1, 2]

5. William Ryan c1690? - 1765 & Elizabeth Newstead: William’s 1725 marriage continued to align the family with Protestant gentry interests. This union produced several sons:

  • Ewer Ryan (1730–1802), who married Elizabeth McGrath in 1754, producing a large family of nine children.
  • George Ryan, who married Margaret Lysaght of Mountnorth, County Cork. [1]
  • Dr. William Ryan, M.D. (1739–1805): A prominent physician of the family who established his seat nearby at Derryleigh House, marrying Elizabeth Bradshaw of Cullen in 1764. [1]

6. Dr. William Ryan, M.D. (1739–1805)

The Derryleigh Offshoot: A prominent branch established by Dr. William Ryan, M.D. (born 1739), who practiced medicine and lived at Derryleigh House. He married Elizabeth Bradshaw of Cullen in 1764.

7. Wm Ryan?

Family influence continued into the 19th century, notably through a 1814 marriage between William Ryan (d. ante 1837) and Anne Pennefather, daughter of Newport rector Reverend John Pennefather. This union produced numerous children, including William Ryan (b. circa 1815) who inherited Ballymackeogh and married Jane Grogan, and John Ryan who married his cousin Louisa Richarda Pennefather. [1, 2, 3]

The Pennefather Alliance: In 1814, William Ryan of Ballymackeogh married Anne Pennefather, daughter of the Reverend John Pennefather, the rector of St. John's Church in Newport. This connected them to one of the most influential Protestant ecclesiastical and land-owning dynasties in Tipperary. They had five sons and four daughters, including a second son, John Ryan, who married his cousin Louisa Richarda Pennefather

Centered at Ballymackeogh House near the Mulkear River, the estate remained resilient through mid-19th-century valuations where William Ryan held land outright "in fee". By the 1870s, holdings in Tipperary spanned over 1,352 acres. Despite some land sales via the Landed Estates Court in June 1861 due to broader economic pressures, the family maintained residence at Ballymackeogh into the 20th century. [1, 2, 3]

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, Ballymackeogh House served as the principal seat of the family. 

Though briefly occupied by a Mr. Hawkshaw around 1840, the Ryans held the property "in fee" at the time of Griffith's Valuation. 

By the 1870s, William Ryan of Ballymackeogh owned 1,352 acres of land across County Tipperary.

Modern Genetic Genealogy

DNA testing confirms a shared medieval paternal lineage connecting the Protestant Ballymackeogh line with the Catholic Ryans of Scarteen. 

Detailed archival records, court cases, and collection references supporting these lineages are available across major repositories like the National Library of Ireland, National Archives of Ireland, and University of Galway. 

Full database registries and churchyard transcripts can be consulted via resources like the Landed Estates Database and Tipperary Studies. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Links & Sources

For genealogists seeking to verify this lineage, several core records remain available:

• The Landed Estates Database: Maintained by the University of Galway Landed Estates Database, offering historical overviews of the Ballymackeogh estate and its connections.

• Local Architectural History: Details on Ballymackeogh House can be viewed on the Galway Landed Estates Property Profile.

• Graveyard Inscriptions: Transcripts of the Daniel Ryan (1731) gravestone are documented in the Kilvellane parish studies via Tipperary Studies


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The Ryans of Scarteen

The Ryans of Scarteen (a.k.a. Scartern) represent one of the most resilient, celebrated, and uniquely continuous lines of the surviving Catholic gentry in early modern Ireland. They were based at Scarteen House near Knocklong, County Limerick, in the fertile Golden Vale on the border with County Tipperary. 

Like their genetic cousins, the Ryans of Inch and the Ryans of Ballymackeogh, they descend from the ancient O'Mulryan (Ó Maoilriain) sept. However, while many Gaelic families were completely fractured by the land confiscations of the 1600s and the restrictions of the Penal Laws in the 1700s, the Ryans of Scarteen managed to navigate the sociopolitical landscape, holding fast to their ancestral lands and Catholic faith, and in addition created an equestrian and hunting tradition that spans over three centuries. 

The identity of the Ryans of Scarteen is inextricably linked with the Scarteen Hunt, which features a unique pack of Kerry Beagles. These large, ancient hounds are famous for their black-and-tan coats, high domes, and low-slung ears, and are believed to have ancient roots or early Iberian influences. The short video below features Chris Ryan, a modern direct-male-line descendant and current Master of Scarteen, who gives a wonderful overview of the famous Scarteen Hounds.


Chronological Genealogy

Various family trees for the Ryans of Scarteen can be found online. Here are a few of them:

1. The Jacobite Soldier: Thaddeus Ryan (1642–1740)

The family's earliest recorded modern patriarch, Thaddeus Ryan (1642–1740), lived through the most volatile period of confiscations. A staunch Jacobite officer, historical accounts record that he fought in St. Ruth’s Regiment of Horse at the pivotal Battle of Aughrim in 1691 and was present throughout the historic subsequent Siege of Limerick. Following the Williamite victory and the defeat of the Catholic forces, the family moved from Ballykeveen and settled in Ballyvistea, Emly, County Tipperary, where they established their primary leaseholds. They remained based at Ballyvistea until approximately 1796, navigating the opening salvos of the anti-Catholic Penal Laws. Thaddeus married Katherine Hayes of Dromkeen.

2. John Ryan (1699–1721/24)

Son of Thaddeus, John maintained the Ballyvistea estate. He married a Miss O'Brien of Bansha, anchoring the family’s alliances with other surviving Catholic families in the region.

3. John Ryan of Ballyvistea (1722–1810)

This generation saw the family expand geographically. Around 1755, John acquired the lease of Scarteen House, near Knocklong, County Limerick, from William Ryves. For several decades, the family bridged both the Ballyvistea and Scarteen properties. 

John first married Grace O'Grady of Bilboa Court, and later Eliza O'Brien of Abercross (1720–1800). 

The defining asset of the Ryans of Scarteen was not just their land, but their hounds. Around 1755, while still residing at Ballyvistea, the family established a pack of pure-bred Kerry Beagles. 

4. Thaddeus Richard Ryan (1760–1843)

In about 1798, Thaddeus Richard Ryan (1760–1843) moved the family seat from Emly to Scarteen House in County Limerick, leasing the estate lands from William H. Ryves. The famous pack moved with them, cementing what became known globally as the Scarteen Hunt. Thaddeus Richard fully consolidated the family's base at Scarteen, and in July 1840, he officially renewed the lease for Scarteen and Rathgullane from the Ryves estate. 

In 1796, he married Helen Howley, daughter of John Howley of Rich Hill. 

The family insulated their status against the Penal Laws through careful marriages, connecting themselves directly with major Catholic figures across Munster. Around 1820, Daniel O'Connell ("The Liberator"), who was a close relative of the Ryans of Scarteen, disbanded his own pack of Kerry Beagles at Caherdaniel and sent his premier hounds to Scarteen to augment the family's pack, securing the breed's survival.

Thaddeus died at the age of 83 in 1843 and is commemorated (along with 24 other family members) on a Celtic Cross in Emly Graveyard in county Tipperary.

Daniel O'Connell, "The Liberator"
portrait by Bernard Mulrenin 1836
National Portrait Gallery, Public Domain
from https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5929041

5. John Ryan (1798-1863)

However, the 19th century brought severe economic peril. John Ryan (1798–1863) served as a director and guarantor for the Sadlier Bank in Tipperary Town. When its founder, John Sadlier, committed massive fraud, the bank collapsed in 1856, throwing the Ryan family into a devastating financial crisis. 

Following John’s death in 1863, his formidable widow, Alice Ryan (née Hartigan, daughter of John McKnight Hartigan of Mount Sion), took control of the family's destiny. Through strict administration, she managed to shield their core assets, which Griffith’s Valuation recorded as property holdings across the townlands of Kilteely, Ballyscaddan, and Knocklong.

6. Major-General Thaddeus Richard Ryan (1837–1905)

Reflecting the family's gradual integration into the wider British imperial framework, Thaddeus became a high-ranking officer in the British Army. Because his military duties kept him posted abroad, the day-to-day operations of the Scarteen estate fell to his mother and extended family. He married Gwendaline Power, daughter of the prominent Wexford whiskey magnate Sir James Power (1800-1877) of Edermine House.

His younger brother was Father Arthur Ryan (1852–1922), a talented poet, canon, and influential president of St. Patrick’s College, Thurles, from 1887 to 1903.

7. Colonel John Joseph Ryan (1871–1954)

Born at Edermine House, John Joseph Ryan excelled in several spheres. He was one of Ireland's legendary horsemen, he served as High Sheriff of County Limerick in 1908, and he was a highly decorated veteran of both the Boer War (1900-1901) and World War I, where he served in the 16th Lancers and spent three years as a prisoner of war in Germany (1915-1918). In his absence, the farm and the hunt were managed by his siblings Janey, Tha and Willy. Returning to Ireland, he took over the family estates and modernised the lineage of their famous hounds. In 1919, he married Anita Purcell of Burton Park, Churchtown, County Cork, which brought the historic Burton Park Estate into the family holdings.

The Scarteen Hounds have a unique, deep-domed structure and distinctive black-and-tan coat patterns, which earned them the nickname the "Black and Tans". However, during the Irish War of Independence in 1920, the British administration named its notorious auxiliary paramilitary force after the Scarteen hounds due to their matching khaki and dark green uniforms - a historical irony for an old, resilient Catholic gentry family. The nickname stuck, even after the men received full RIC uniforms.

8. Thaddeus "Thady" Francis Ryan (1923–2005)

Perhaps the most internationally renowned member of the family, Thady Ryan was educated at Ampleforth College and Glasnevin Agricultural College. He was a visionary horseman, a founder of the Irish Horse Board, and served as the chef d'equipe for the Irish Olympic Eventing team in 1964 (Tokyo) and 1968 (Mexico). He married New Zealand-born Anne Peter, eventually retiring to South Canterbury, New Zealand, in 1987.

Scarteen Hounds in the 1930s, by Cardiff Potter  CC BY 2.0 
from https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=54167966

9. Christopher "Chris" Ryan

The current representative of the lineage at Scarteen House, Chris Ryan took over the estate and mastership in 1986. Alongside his wife Sue, he transitioned Scarteen into a world-class sport horse production venue, maintaining the unbroken hereditary link to the land.


The Direct Male Line of the Ryans of Scarteen


                [Thaddeus Ryan] (1642-1740) - Jacobite Horseman at Aughrim

                        │

                [John Ryan] (1699-1721/24) - Settled at Ballyvistea

                        │

                [John Ryan] (1722-1810) - Acquired Scarteen lease c. 1755

                        │

            [Thaddeus Richard Ryan] (1760-1843) - Consolidated Scarteen

                        │

                [John Ryan] (1798-1863) - Occupier in Griffith's Valuation

                        │

         [Maj.-Gen. Thaddeus Richard Ryan] (1837-1905) - Imperial Officer

                        │

            [Col. John Joseph Ryan] (1871-1954) - Boer & WWI Veteran

                        │

             [Thady Francis Ryan] (1923-2005) - Olympic Chef d'Equipe

                        │

                [Christopher Ryan] (Current Master of Scarteen)


Links & Sources

For researchers wishing to verify or expand upon the genealogy of the Ryans of Scarteen, primary records are distributed across several repositories:

Landed Estates Database: The University of Galway's Landed Estates Record for Ryan (Scarteen) catalogs the historical ownership, leases, and cross-familial alliances with the Ryves family.

The Dictionary of Irish Biography: Detailed professional and personal profiles exist for Colonel John Joseph Ryan and Thady Francis Ryan.

Griffith's Primary Valuation of Ireland (1850s) for the civil parish of Ballyscaddan and barony of Coshlea, Co. Limerick, lists specific land tenures under John Ryan.

Thady Ryan's autobiography, "My Privileged Life" (2002), provides a first-hand account of 20th-century life, farming, and hunting operations at Scarteen House.


Caveat: this article was created with the help of AI. If you notice any errors, please leave a comment below or contact the author at mauricegleeson AT doctors.org.uk

Maurice Gleeson
Oct 2026





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The Ryans of Inch

The Ryans of Inch (based at Inch House near Thurles, County Tipperary) represent one of the most resilient and historically significant families of the Catholic gentry in early modern Ireland. Descended from the ancient O’Mulryan (Ó Maoilriain) sept, they achieved what few Gaelic Catholic families managed: they preserved their ancestral lands, social standing, and faith through the land confiscations of the Cromwellian era, the restrictions of the Penal Laws, and the political shifts of the Protestant Ascendancy.

Origins and Early Lineage

The documented lineage of the Inch branch dates back to the late 1500s and early 1600s, but the family’s ancestors likely arrived in County Tipperary during the 1200s. Historical consensus places their immediate roots with John Ryan of Lisnasella, who held hundreds of plantation acres prior to the mid-1600s. 

In his 1938 book, Records of Four Tipperary Septs: The O'Kennedys, O'Dwyers, O'Mulryans, O'Meaghers, the antiquarian Dr. Martin Callinan asserted that the Ryans of Inch descended directly from the chieftain line via Teige McShane Glas O'Mulryan (the younger son of Shane Glasse O'Mulryan, "Captain" of his country). Callinan based this connection primarily on the geographic fact that the Ryans held the lands of Lisnasella by 1641.

However, Dr. Richard Fitzpatrick's modern historical research (for a 2018 PhD thesis) disproves this direct line (see pages 21-22 of The Ryans of Inch and Their World: A Catholic Gentry Family from Dispossession to Integration, c.1650–1831). Fitzpatrick points out that a family pedigree drawn up in 1708 makes absolutely no mention of Teige McShane Glas or Shane Glasse. Instead, it traces the family back to an individual named Art, son of John. Fitzpatrick notes that in 1611, while Teige McShane Glas held Lisnasella, Art (son of John) was merely a small freeholder in Kilnelongurty. Rather than being the direct successors to the high chieftains, the family emerged from a distinct, complex branch of the O'Mulryan clan negotiating the unstable, overlapping frontier borderlands of the Gaelic Upper Kilnamanagh region and surrounding Anglo-Norman influences.

Dr. FitzPatrick's thesis draws heavily upon the surviving Ryan of Inch Collection housed in Cork and related historical records.

Dispossession, Survival, and the Penal Laws

The family’s modern history crystallizes during the mid-1600s. Following the Irish Confederate Wars and the subsequent Cromwellian conquest, the Ryans faced widespread dispossession of their lands in the 1650s. In addition, following the Williamite War and the introduction of the Penal Laws after 1691, Irish Catholics faced strict statutory limits designed to strip them of land ownership, restrict their inheritance rights, and force the fragmentation of their estates. For example, if a Catholic landowner died, the Gavelkind Act (1704) forced the estate to be split equally among all sons, unless the eldest son converted to the Protestant Church, in which case he inherited everything. However, the Ryan family not only navigated but survived this oppressive landscape through strategic marriages, legal manoeuvring, and occasionally downright deception. 

The Massacre at Drogheda 1649 (public domain)
- an illustration from Chapter XXX of
An Illustrated History of Ireland from AD 400 to 1800,
by Mary Frances Cusack, Illustrated by Henry Doyle

The extended Ryan family utilized complicated legal settlements and trusts to ensure that their estate survived. They drafted dense, overlapping legal settlements, which effectively blocked the state from forcibly subdividing or selling the property by technically divorcing "ownership" from the actual right to reside on and profit from the land. Local lore and surveys record that friendly Protestant neighbors, such as Aneas Burke of Kilkenny, legally held titles to the lands on behalf of the Catholic Ryans to protect them from forfeiture. However, this arrangement left them asset-rich but cash-poor, a precarious situation that frequently threw them into debt.

The family protected their social standing through highly strategic marriages with influential Catholic dynasties, notably the Mathews of Thurles (who had close family ties to James Butler, the 1st Duke of Ormonde) and the McCarthys of Springhouse.

Key Genealogies & Alliances:

There is a very detailed family tree (1600-1839) of the Ryans of Inch on page vi of Dr. FitzPatrick's thesis. Other family trees for the Ryans of Inch can be found online. Here are a few of them:

Around 1660, the sons of John Ryan married the daughters of Dr. Patrick Raggett, a surveyor who worked on the Down Survey, helping anchor the family's local footholds. One of the sons (Daniel Ryan 1660-1692) in turn had a son, John Ryan (1692-1724).

Genealogy of the Ryan family of Inch

In 1720, Lieutenant John Ryan (1692-1724) built the striking, three-story Queen Anne-style Inch House on the site of their previous family mansion. In 1723, he married Frances Mary Mathew. This plugged the Ryans into a highly influential network: Frances was a granddaughter of Lady Thurles (Elizabeth Poyntz) and a relative of James, 1st Duke of Ormonde. This connection also linked the Ryans to Nano Nagle, founder of the Presentation Sisters. However, just a year later in 1724, John Ryan was tragically killed in a duel by John Whyte. (Their descendants would go on to marry each other).

His death left his young son Daniel as an orphan under the law, forcing the extended family into further legal acrobatics to prevent the state from seizing or dividing the property. Under the Penal Laws, the court was required to appoint a Protestant guardian to oversee the boy's education, which was intended to facilitate his conversion to the established Church. The Ryans circumvented this rule by conspiring with friendly, sympathetic Protestant relatives and neighbors. These proxies acted as legal guardians on paper but allowed the family to raise the children as Catholics. Additionally, the family actively hid the existence of Daniel's younger brothers from official court registries. By legally concealing the other children, they made it appear as though Daniel was the sole surviving heir, thereby preventing the court from stepping in to partition the estate among multiple siblings.

The family also relied on Protestant legal figures who were willing to look the other way or actively push the boundaries of the law. For example, a legal professional named Howard Egan, who served as a guardian and handled estate administration accounts for the young Daniel Ryan in 1730, frequently acted in ways that undermined the Penal Laws. Egan explicitly left prohibited items, such as fine firearms, to his Catholic "cozen" Daniel Ryan of Inch in his own will, demonstrating the extent to which local networks prioritized family loyalty and class solidarity over sectarian laws.

Daniel Ryan (1710–1767): for over 40 years, Daniel and his extended family managed a highly commercialized demesne farm at Inch, heavily documented through economic accounts shared with his father-in-law, Justin McCarthy of Springhouse. While the family's "skullduggery" (as it has been described) successfully protected the estate from state confiscation, it created a massive financial burden. Because the property was permanently locked inside complex legal trusts to keep it safe from the Penal Laws, it could not be sold or leveraged to clear debts. This left successive generations of the family asset-rich but cash-poor, forcing them to either flee the country or take extreme measures to salvage the family finances. 

When Daniel died in 1767 (he is buried in Holycross Abbey) the estate passed to his eldest son (another John Ryan) but he died 11 years later in 1778 and without any heirs. The family's volatile financial situation produced one of their most colourful historical figures: George "Don Jorge" Ryan (1737–1805). 

As a younger son, George Ryan was never expected to inherit the estate and was sent to Cadiz, Spain, (at just nine years old) to learn the merchant trade from his uncle who lived there (see a longer account here). He eventually migrated to South America, rising to become the deputy governor of the Huanta province in Peru during the 1770s. He became known among the populace as "Don Jorge". When his older brother died in 1778, George returned to Ireland to take over the estate. He arrived to find the accounts completely in the red and Inch House entirely stripped bare of its contents by his late brother's widow (Mary Kennedy). To dodge aggressive creditors, George fled back to continental Europe, living in Belgium and France (where one of his children was born on Bastille Day in 1789) before finally returning to Ireland and successfully salvaged the heavily indebted estate by liquidating half of it and fostering connections in the Cork wine trade. He thus saved the family's finances for the next generation. 

Don Jorge's son, George Ryan (1791–1875), served as High Sheriff of Tipperary, indicating that by the mid-1800s, the family had successfully reintegrated into the local political landscape. Griffith’s Valuation (1848-1864) recorded the Ryans holding the estate "in fee" spanning roughly 1,700 acres across Eliogarty and Kilnamanagh Upper.

The Ryans maintained an unbroken line of residency at Inch House for over 260 years. The estate was finally sold in 1985 by Arthur G. Ryan, who emigrated to New Zealand. Upon leaving, he preserved his family's incredible history by donating the Ryan of Inch Collection (spanning documents from 1656 to 1964) to the Boole Library at University College Cork (UCC).

The Inch House and the associated farm were sold to the Egan family (John, a farmer; Nora, a nurse; and their 8 children). Today they run Inch House as a guesthouse. The family has extensive experience in the hospitality and food sector and have run an award-winning restaurant there for the past 25 years. 

Inch House
from http://www.inchhouse.ie/

Links & Sources

For historians and genealogists seeking primary evidence, the Ryans of Inch left an uncommonly rich paper trail:

The Ryan of Inch Collection (University College Cork)

  • Donated by Arthur G. Ryan in 1997, this archive spans 27 boxes covering 1656–1964 (Reference: IE BL/EP/R). 
  • Section 1 (Land Ownership): Contains deeds of title, wills, and marriage settlements that illuminate how the family bypassed Penal code restrictions. 
  • Section 2 (Personal Papers): Includes 18th-century correspondence detailing the lives of Irish Catholic exiles in European armies, the commercial accounts of Daniel Ryan (1738–1756), and the letters of Mary Nash (née Ryan) detailing Ascendancy life. Check the UCC Library Archives Catalog and the Irish Archives Resource for full descriptions.

Fitzpatrick, Richard John (2018). The Ryans of Inch and Their World: A Catholic Gentry Family from Dispossession to Integration, c.1650–1831 (Ph.D. Thesis, Maynooth University).

Commentary on Dr FitzPatrick's thesis above by Nicholas Whyte, political scientist, book reviewer, historian, and descendant of the Ryans of Inch - available here.

Ryans of Inch, Landed Estates database, University of Galway ... https://landedestates.ie/estate/2688.

Dr. Martin Callanan (1938). Records of Four Tipperary Septs: The O'Kennedys, O'Dwyers, O'Mulryans, O'Meaghers. Available via NLI (National Library of Ireland) - details here.

The National Library of Ireland (NLI): Holds various estate documents, leases, and cross-referenced papers relating to the Mathew, Fogarty, and Lenigan families with whom the Ryans intermarried.

Condon, James (1986). "Don Jorge Rian of Inch, Co. Tipperary (1748-1805)." The Irish Ancestor, Vol. XVIII. No. 1, 1986, p. 9. Not available online. Access via local library - details here.

Hayes, William and Kavanagh, Art (2003). The Tipperary Gentry, Volume I. Not available online. Access via local library - details here.


Caveat: this article was created with the help of AI. If you notice any errors, please leave a comment below or contact the author at mauricegleeson AT doctors.org.uk

Maurice Gleeson
Oct 2026






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Wednesday, 20 November 2024

Extensive Lineages of Group 2 – results of Big-Y tests

A lot has been going on behind the scenes with the Ryan DNA Project. Back in May 2021 we made an appeal for funding to test Ryans with extensive lineages. The theory being that they could enhance the “scaffolding” of the genetic family tree (based on DNA test results) and help take some Ryan members back further in their Ryan lineages. Following an extensive research effort (by co-admins Derek Ryan and Jamee Ryan Carlin), the good news is that we have been reasonably successful in our attempts.

Firstly, a few words by way of background. Today the Ryan name is particularly prevalent in Tipperary, to where many Ryans are supposed to have migrated en masse from Carlow sometime in the 1200s or 1300s (see previous post). This divides the Ryans into two major branches – the Ryans of Idrone (who stayed behind in Carlow) and the Ryans of Owney & Owneybeg (who moved to Tipperary/Limerick). The noted scholar John O’Donovan (1806-1861) maintained that the two branches were distinct, whilst others maintained that they were “of the same stock” (see the Notes section here). In time, DNA could certainly help address this specific question and we hope to explore this further in a subsequent article.

Group 2 is thought to represent the Ryans of Tipperary/Limerick for the following reasons:
  1. It is the largest group within the project.
  2. Many of the group members have earliest known ancestors (EKA) from Tipperary and Limerick (see previous post).
  3. The overarching DNA marker for this group (M756) has an age estimate (950 AD) that falls within the timeframe for the emergence of surnames in Ireland (see previous post here). [1] So our current working theory is that the progenitor of the Ryan surname for Group 2 carried this DNA marker (M756) and passed it on to all his descendants (along with the Ryan surname).
Currently there are 136 people in this group, but the number is increasing all the time as new test-takers join the Ryan DNA Project.

Ryans with extensive lineages

In addition to the two major divisions noted above (the Ryans of Idrone, and the Ryans of Owney/Owneybeg), several prominent families within the broader Ryan clan are documented in surviving genealogical records, including the following:

1.     Ryans of Scarteen, Co. Limerick, who have a pedigree that goes back to the 1640s … see https://landedestates.ie/estate/2425

2.     Ryans of Ballymackeogh, Co. Tipperary, who have a pedigree that goes back to 1731 at least, possibly the mid-1600s, and maybe the mid-1500s … see https://landedestates.ie/estate/2521

3.     Ryans of Inch House, Eliogarty, Co. Tipperary, who have a pedigree that goes back to the late 1600s … see https://landedestates.ie/estate/2688

4.     Ryans of Gortkelly, Co. Tipperary. They leased land from the Ryans of Inch and their pedigree goes back to the 1740s … https://landedestates.ie/estate/3618

5.     Ryans of Kilheffernan, Killaloan, Co. Tipperary. Their Ryan pedigree goes back to  the early 1700s … https://landedestates.ie/estate/3188

6.     Ryans of Thurles, Co. Tipperary. Their pedigree goes back to 1747 …https://landedestates.ie/estate/3683


So far, we have been able to trace a direct-male-line descendant of the Ryans of Scarteen and the Ryans of Ballymackeogh and get them Big-Y-tested. Their results are discussed below.

The position of Group 2 on the Tree of Mankind

The overarching DNA marker for the Ryans of Group 2 is M756, which arose in some unknown Ryan ancestor who was born sometime around 950 AD (or thereabouts). Below M756, there are 6 major sub-branches (currently), each representing descendant lines of the Group 2 progenitor. More sub-branches may be added as new Big-Y results become available.

Below are the major sub-branches that emerged in medieval times (including crude dates for when each of the branches arose). A more comprehensive version of the genetic family tree for Ryan Group 2 can be found within FTDNA’s Time Tree and Group Time Tree. These are quite big and screenshots of the current structure are included at the end of this article. The most recent versions of the Time Tree and Group Time Tree can always be seen on the FTDNA website by clicking the links above.

Key: TMRCA, Time to Most Recent Common Ancestor; 
95% CI, 95% Confidence Interval


Results of testing Ryan men with extensive lineages 

Ryans of Scarteen
The first of our new test-takers with an extensive lineage is a descendant of the Ryans of Scarteen (ROS1). He has a 9-generation Ryan pedigree that goes back to 1642. [2] Initially this family had settled in Ballyvistea, Co. Tipperary, near the Limerick border. Renowned for their association with the Scarteen Hunt, the Ryans of Scarteen have maintained the Scarteen (Black and Tan) Hounds since the 18th century. Their estate, Scarteen House, located near Knocklong, Co. Limerick, has been the family's base since the 1750s. The Ryans' dedication to hunting, and the preservation of the unique Kerry Beagle breed, has made them prominent figures in Ireland's hunting heritage.  

Here is the (anonymized) pedigree for test-taker ROS1:

1.     Thaddeus Ryan (1642-1740) m Catherine Hayes
2.     John Ryan (1699-1724) m Ms O’Brien
3.     John Ryan (1722-1810) m Eliza O’Brien … moved from Ballykeveen to Ballyvistea in 1755
4.     Thaddeus Richard Ryan (1760-1843) m Helen Howley
5.     John Ryan (1800-1863) m Alicia McKnight Hartigan
6.     Thaddeus Richard Ryan (1837-1905) m Gwendoline Power
7.     John Joseph Ryan (1871-1954) m Anita Purcell
8.     Father of test-taker
9.     Test-taker (ROS1)
 
The Big-Y results for ROS1 show that he does indeed belong in Group 2 and sits on a branch of the Tree of Mankind characterized by the DNA marker BY93729, which in turn is a descendant of FTT86 (one of the main medieval branches in the previous diagram above). You can see the location of BY93729 on FTDNA’s Group Time Tree in the middle of the diagram below and here.

(Click to enlarge)

There are 5 other men on this BY93729 branch (only 4 are shown above), but they all sit on a sub-branch (FT93645). The age estimate for the BY93729 branch is 1433 AD (range 1189-1616), and the age estimate for the descendant branch FT93645 is 1460 AD (range 1202-1650). As there is only a 27 year gap between these two "central estimates", this suggests that only a single generation exists between these two branches. In other words, the common ancestor of everyone on the BY93729 branch had at least two sons - one of the sons had the FT93645 mutation and passed it down to all his descendants, and the second son did not have this mutation and he was the ancestor of the Ryans of Scarteen. So the data currently suggests that these 5 members on adjacent branches are likely to be cousins of the Ryans of Scarteen, rather than descendants of the Ryans of Scarteen.
 
Testing another descendant of the Ryans of Scarteen (preferably a most distant relation to the current test-taker e.g. a 7th cousin) would probably identify a DNA marker characterizing a more downstream (i.e. recent) branch and might even identify the specific DNA markers passed down by the Earliest Known Ancestor (EKA) of the Ryans of Scarteen (Thaddeus Ryan 1642-1740).

Of note, tester ROS1 has 12 Private Variants (i.e. unique SNPs), so it is likely that if other descendants of the Ryans of Scarteen were to test, additional branches downstream of BY93729 would be identified.

Could you be related to the Ryans of Scarteen? Do the Big-Y test and find out!
 
Ryans of Ballymackeogh
 
The second of our new test-takers with an extensive lineage is a descendant of the Ryans of Ballymackeogh (ROB1). He has a 12-generation Ryan pedigree that is reasonably well-documented back to 1731, and possibly goes back further to the mid-1500s. [3]
 
The Ryans of Ballymackeogh, were established in County Tipperary by the mid-1600s. In 1814 William Ryan of Ballymackeogh married Anne, daughter of Reverend John Pennefather, rector of St Johns, Newport, county Tipperary. They had five sons and four daughters. Their second son, John, married his cousin, Louisa, daughter of Major Kingsmill Pennefather of Knockinglass, county Tipperary. The new test-taker is their great great grandson.
 
Here is the (anonymized) pedigree for test-taker ROB1:

1.     Mahown O'Mulryan (c1550; according to Callinan, The Four Tipperary Septs, pg 106)
2.     Dermot O'Mulryan (c1580; received a pardon in 1602 according to Callinan, The Four Tipperary Septs, pg 106)
3.     William Ryan (c1620)
4.     Daniel Ryan (c1660-1731) m Honor Ewer
5.     William Ryan (c1700-1765) m Elizabeth Newstead
6.     Ewer Ryan (1730-1802) m Elizabeth Margrath
7.     William Ryan (c1770-1835) m Anne Pennefather
8.     John Pennefather Ryan (1821-1873) m Louisa Kingsmill Pennefather
9.     John Pennefather Ryan (1847-1927) m Jessie Gertrude Bliss
10.  Casimer Edric Pennefather Ryan (1891-1940) m Lillian Martha Constance Terry
11.  Father of test-taker
12.  Test-taker ROB1
 
The Big-Y results for ROB1 show that he too belongs to Group 2. In addition, he sits on a branch of the Tree of Mankind characterized by the DNA marker BY101266, which in turn is a descendant of FT194987, and this in turn is a descendant of FTT86 (one of the main medieval branches in the previous diagram above). You can see the location of BY101266 on FTDNA’s Group Time Tree in the middle of the diagram below and here.
 

(Click to enlarge)

The age estimate for BY101266 is 1450 AD (range 1206-1633). There are 6 other group members on this branch (only 2 are shown in the diagram above - a Smith & a Fuller), and they branched off sometime between 1450 and 1704 (the age estimate for the descendant branch BY75646 – not shown above). So these test-takers could conceivably be descendants of the Ryan’s of Ballymackeogh. 
 
Testing another descendant of the Ryans of Ballymackeogh (preferably a most distant relation to the current test-taker e.g. a 5th or 6th cousin) might identify a DNA marker characterizing a more downstream (i.e. recent) branch that might be more closely associated with the Earliest Known Ancestor (EKA) of the Ryans of Ballymackeogh (Mahown O'Mulryan c1550).

Of note, tester ROB1 has 4 Private Variants (i.e. unique SNPs), so it is likely that if other descendants of the Ryans of Ballymackeogh were to test, additional branches downstream of BY101266 are likely to be identified. 

Could you be related to the Ryans of Ballymackeogh? Do the Big-Y test and find out! 

Summary & Conclusions
 
This new data tells us the following:
  1. It places the Ryans of Scarteen and the Ryans of Ballymackeogh on specific branches of the genetic family tree for Group 2
  2. It identifies their nearest genetic neighbours who may be a) related (via a more distant common ancestor), or b) descended from these extensive lineages. This new information gives these project members a new direction for future research in the documentary records.
  3. It helps refine the age estimates for all of the branches within the genetic family tree for Group 2. This happens with each new set of Big-Y results and thus these age estimates are constantly evolving, giving us progressively better estimates for the age of each branch. For example, looking back over previous posts, the age estimate for the overarching DNA marker (M756) was initially 650 AD, then 870 AD, then 1200-1300, then 900, and now 950 AD. As the technology advances, and more data becomes available for analysis, these estimates will improve further. In the future, we can anticipate that the Central Estimate will not change much, but the range on either side will get smaller and smaller until it may be as low as +/-50 years.
  4. the Ryans of Scarteen do share a common ancestor with the Ryans of Ballymackeogh, and he passed down the upstream DNA marker FTT86 to both families. This common ancestor was born about 1037 AD (range 778-1246) and 20 of his descendants currently sit on the FTT86 branch, including the Ryans of Scarteen and Ballymackeogh (see below).
The 3 diagrams below shows what the genetic family tree for Group 2 currently looks like, with these new results highlighted. This diagram only includes people who have done the Big-Y test i.e. 57 of the 136 people in Group 2 (and its subgroups 2a-2g) and who have also allowed their data to be publicly displayed. If the other people in Group 2 did the Big-Y test, we would have a much more granular picture with a lot more sub-branches, and some of these could have age estimates within the last 200 years (the usual reach of modern Irish records).
 
Also included in the diagram is a red dot for the EKA (Earliest Known Ancestor) associated with each branch (where the test-taker has supplied that information). From this it is clear that most Ryan pedigrees hit a Brick Wall around the 1800 timepoint, and thus have a gap of about 900 years between their EKA and the common ancestor of all Group 2 Ryans. 
 
The Ryans of Scarteen and Ballymackeogh stand out from the rest, in that their red dot EKA goes back further in time than most other branches. This potentially helps the genealogical research of their nearest genetic neighbours. And this is the reason why we need to test extensive lineages – the more extensive lineages we have in the genetic family tree, the stronger the scaffolding becomes.


But even with these extensive lineages, the most we have currently achieved is getting back to the 1500s. And that still leaves a gap of about 600 years between the EKA and the Ryan Group 2 progenitor. We’re only about half-way back to the common ancestor for Group 2. That leaves 600 years of Ryan ancestors unaccounted for.
 
But if we are lucky, we may be able to connect with a Ryan lineage documented in the medieval Irish genealogies (if one exists) and if that happens we could connect to centuries of documented Ryan ancestors going back into medieval times, and even back further to the introduction of the written record in Ireland (600 AD or thereabouts). This has been partially achieved with ancestral lines associated with the O Conor Don line and the Mac Dermots of Moylurg. Descendants of both royal lines have been Big-Y tested and their Big-Y results support the integrity of the documented Mac Dermot line back to the progenitor of the surname, and back even further for another 500 or so years before that. You can read about this in a 2-part article on the FTDNA blog (here and here).
 
Another consideration is ancient DNA. Huge advances have been made in the field of analysing ancient remains, and more and more samples are being tested and the results added to the genetic family tree / Tree of Mankind / Y-Haplotree. You can see this by clicking on the Ancient Connections tab on the Group Time Tree here. As more data from ancient remains (which have been carbon-dated) are added to the tree, the age estimates for all the branches will improve and it would not be surprising if we were eventually able to identify some ancient Ryan remains from the medieval period. Which branch of the Group 2 tree will they sit on? Who knows. 

But time will tell.

Next Steps & further testing

We continue to look for descendants of Ryan families with extensive pedigrees. If you are related to one of the other Ryan families mentioned above, please get in touch. We may be able to sponsor a test for you (if we have enough donations in the General Fund).
 
We need more people in general to do the Big-Y test. Even if you don’t have an extensive pedigree, your Big-Y results can add a lot to the project. They may identify additional sub-branches, and they will help refine the age estimates for all the existing branching points. Take advantage of the Black Friday Sales (29th Nov 2024) which promise substantial reductions in the price of upgrades to the Big-Y test. Project members in Groups 2c and 2g are particularly encouraged to take advantage of these discounts.
 
Lastly, here are three things that you should make sure you have done:
  1. If you don't see your name in any of the diagrams, you need to adjust your settings in order to allow display of your anonymized results. Instructions here (item 7).
  2. If you haven’t done so already, post your pedigree on our Pedigrees Page (or send it to me and I will do it for you - mauricegleeson AT doctors.org.uk).  
  3. If you don't see your EKA (Earliest Known Ancestor) in the diagrams, you need to adjust your settings to include him in your profile. Instructions here (item 3).
 
Happy Thanksgiving! 

Maurice Gleeson
Derek Ryan
Jamee Ryan Carlin
Dave Cushing
Nov 2024


Links & References

[1] There are several men called Ryan on adjacent branches (namely PH1901 & Y85741) but these may be NPEs (i.e. Non-Paternity Events resulting in surname switches) – only further Big-Y results will help answer this question.
[2] See Burke’s Landed Gentry of Great Britain & Ireland 1912 here – has pedigrees for Ballymackeogh, Inch, Scarteen & Kilhefernan
[3] See Burke’s Landed Gentry of Great Britain & Ireland 1912 here – has pedigrees for Ballymackeogh, Inch, Scarteen & Kilhefernan




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The Ryans of Ballymackeogh

The Ryans of Ballymackeogh represent another historically important branch of the Ryan (Ó Maolriain) clan. Settled in the civil parish of Ki...