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:
- Stirnet.com ... https://www.stirnet.com/genie/data/british/qr/ryan1.php
- Wikitree ...
- Ancestry ...
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.
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| 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.
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| 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
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[John Ryan] (1699-1721/24) - Settled at Ballyvistea
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[John Ryan] (1722-1810) - Acquired Scarteen lease c. 1755
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[Thaddeus Richard Ryan] (1760-1843) - Consolidated Scarteen
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[John Ryan] (1798-1863) - Occupier in Griffith's Valuation
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[Maj.-Gen. Thaddeus Richard Ryan] (1837-1905) - Imperial Officer
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[Col. John Joseph Ryan] (1871-1954) - Boer & WWI Veteran
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[Thady Francis Ryan] (1923-2005) - Olympic Chef d'Equipe
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[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
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