Hugh Gahan

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Carlow County - Ireland Genealogical Projects (IGP ^TM)

Hugh Gahan of Rathoe

Hugh Gahan's birth is recorded in the parish register of Rathoe and Ballon on 20th March 1794, the son of James and Catherine Gahan of that parish. He was tried under the name of Geehan at the Lenten Assizes in 1819 and sentenced to transportation of 7 years for sheep stealing. Sixteen other Carlowmen were convicted at the same session. He arrived in Sydney Harbour in the "Minerva", and was put on a road gang to build the first Highway out of Sydney to the newly discovered Blue Mountains. After some time he became a foreman to a wealthy settler, and later became a small landholder in the Hawkesbury Region which became the foodbowl of Sydney. He married a convict from Limerick and had seven children. His widow lived until she was 91. He died at the age of 51. The name Hugh has featured in every generation, down to his GGGG grandchildren.
He has an impressive headstone in the Windsor Catholic Cemetery . Some years ago I visited Carlow and took a photograph of the Court House in which he was tried. It was a moving experience.

This was kindly provided by Cecily Ryan

The information contained in these pages is provided solely for the
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