February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By Pierce O’Reilly
Members of a small rural community in the West of Ireland claim they have located the house that was home to the grandfather of New York’s Cardinal Edward Egan and his Irish family.
Cardinal Egan, who replaced Cardinal John O’Connor as archbishop of New York following O’Connor’s death in June 2000, is aware of his Irish ancestry. However, he has never fully researched the birthplace of his Irish ancestors.
One of Cardinal Egan’s grandfathers, Patrick Egan, apparently came from the town land of Sallyhernane, less than a mile from the Knock Marian Shrine in County Mayo and, according to the community, was "a well-respected man."
It is believed Patrick Egan immigrated to the United States in the mid-1880s and stayed with various relatives for the first few months. Residents in Knock village, home to the famous shrine, now claim that they have located the house in which Bishop Egan’s grandfather was reared.
Resident Sean Egan said he would be contacting the archdiocese of New York with his findings in the next few weeks and that he hopes that Cardinal Egan will one day visit his ancestral roots in Knock and celebrate Mass in the basilica.
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"We’re convinced that we have the right house and the whole community is so excited," Egan told the Echo. "The Egans were always respected around here and, according to our research, the last remaining family member died sometime during the 1930s."
Knock village became famous on Aug. 21, 1879 when Our Lady, St. Joseph and St. John the Evangelist appeared at the south gable of Knock Parish Church. Fifteen people, young and old witnessed the apparition. From this miraculous occurrence, Knock has grown to the status of an internationally recognized Marian Shrine. One of witnesses who saw the apparition was almost a mile from the church at the time. The ages of the witnesses ranged from 6 years to 75 and included men, women, teenagers and children.
"This has always been a very holy place and to think now that New York Cardinal Edward Egan’s family came from the village adds to the prestige," Sean Egan said.
A visit by Egan wouldn’t be Knock’s first brush with ecclesiastical greatness. The personal pilgrimage of Pope John Paul II in 1979 to Knock village, commemorating the centenary of the apparition, inspired an even greater devotion to the Shrine and endorsed the indelible seal of Vatican approval. Mother Teresa of Calcutta visited the shrine in June of 1993, as did Cardinal O’Connor as part of a peace pilgrimage to Ireland undertaken in the late 1980s.
The Knock community now feels that with his apparent close connection to the town, it’s only a matter of time before Egan pays a visit.
"This isn’t a publicity stunt; we have real facts that show the history of the Egans in this parish and we want to present our data to Cardinal Egan when he arrives," Seán Egan said.
Egan, who was born on April 2, 1932 in Oak Park, Ill., the son of Thomas J. and Genevieve Costello Egan, was a priest in Rome until 1985 when the pope appointed him auxiliary bishop to Cardinal O’Connor. He soon found his niche in the archdiocese as the head of education. He was moved to Connecticut three years later, where he served as bishop of Bridgeport for 12 years before being elevated to succeed O’Connor after his death from cancer last year.
Cardinal Egan studied philosophy at Saint Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, Ill. He was sent to Rome to complete his seminary studies at the Pontifical North American College in the Vatican City. In 1958, he received a Licentiate in Sacred Theology and after ordination in Rome, he returned to the United States in 1958, where he served briefly as a curate at Holy Name Cathedral Parish and later as assistant chancellor for the Archdiocese of Chicago. In 1960, Egan returned to Rome, where
Ryan said there are several hundred members of the association.
"There is no particular limit to the size of the membership," he said. "It is open to people in the square and the adjoining streets.
"Those on the square can become full voting members and those in adjoining areas can become associate members with the same rights, except voting."
About two-thirds of the homeowners are members. The cost of membership ranges from £50 a year for one person, to £90 for a family, and £150 for all in a building. The money is used for a part-time gardener and the square’s upkeep.
"It is a front garden for those who live in the area," Ryan said. "It contains grass tennis courts and a Victorian pavilion.
"We have monthly committee meetings and review matters. Any new proposal from the Corporation would have to go to a referendum."
The association had already been planning to raise some concerns with the Corporation about traffic, parking, signage, safety and ensuring that the Georgian heritage of the area is protected.
Dating from the 1790s, the square has always been the private preserve of local people. When the square was completed, the earl of Pembroke’s family took over from the Fitzwilliam estate in 1816.
An act of parliament was passed in London appointing commission