We left the car at the hotel this morning and walked to John Lennon Airport to catch a flight to Ireland; me with only my backpack (or it is "I with only my backpack"?) and Dad with his briefcase. We're only staying one night in Ireland and Ryan Air barely lets you take your own clothes on the plane.
We found the exact house (with some obvious additions, but the main structure remains) where my great, great, great Grandpa (Howard Egan) was born, and this was no coincidence! We first drove to Killeigh to check the gravestones at a small church, but they were too old and worn to read anything. A few miles away, in Tullamore, we drove to the Offaly Historical and Archeological Society (somewhat by accident - we were looking for a different building), where Dad chatted with a friendly old man who knew quite a bit about the Egan family, and he told Dad approximately where to find the house. He knew the house we were looking for! We drove up and down the highway looking for the location and finally spotted an old house we thought looked similar to the house from the black and white photo above. When we knocked on the door of the home next to the old house, we were met by a very friendly, 82-year-old man named Tom Dunne. After a brief explanation of why we were snooping around his property (he told us a group of 12-14 people from Utah had come looking for the same house some time ago), he gave us a tour of the little house where Howard Egan lived with his seven siblings (see video below). What a neat experience!
Inside the kitchen area
With Tom Dunne
Tom has lived his entire life next to the former Egan home.
A few details about Howard Egan:
Howard Egan
Married Tamson Parshley in Salem, MS;
he was 23 and she 13
Converted by Elder Erastus Snow (see
D&C 111:2-3, 10)
Patriarchal blessing from Hyrum Smith;
blessed through tribe of Judah
Nauvoo city policeman
Captain in Nauvoo Legion
Bodyguard of Joseph Smith (Prophet
said: “We never feared
when Major Howard Egan was on guard.”)
Captain of ten in original pioneer
group of Brigham Young
3 times head of immigrant pioneer
groups crossing the plains
Close friend of William Clayton and
Hosea Stout
Sealed to three other women
Killed James Monroe for seducing his wife,
Tamson (defended in murder trial by
W.
W. Phelps and Elder George A. Smith; found “not guilty”)
Frequent messenger for President
Brigham Young
Major in Utah War vs. U.S. Army, 1857
Served as “royal cupbearer” (Neh. 1:11)
for governor of Utah
Special agent and bodyguard of Colonel
Thomas L. Kane across USA, 1858
Pony Express rider
Overland mail trailblazer and
superintendent
U. S. deputy clerk for 3rd
Judicial District Court for Utah Territory
Salt Lake City police officer/deputy
sheriff
Bodyguard for President Brigham Young (also
his nurse)
Special guard at Brigham Young’s grave
in SLC
Died at 63; funeral sermon preached by
his friend, Elder Orson Pratt
9 comments:
So cool! I love the guy's accent and the old, old house. Did you feel anything being in there? Reverence? Awe? :)
"I" is correct. The full sentence would be, "It is I with my backpack." Always use 'I' with any form of the 'be' verb. However, educated people don't follow that rule; so, you will sound uneducated, when you are not:)
Wow. I love this- about Howard Egan. Can I share your posts with the McMinnville stake young women's president? We discovered that we were both related to Alexander Niebur. I can't remember how to spell his name. haha. The Egan house is amazing. I miss Ireland. :)
Hello Dan,
I too am a great, great, great grandson of Major Howard Egan and am heading to Ireland soon. In doing some research I came upon your discovery of the homestead and am anxious to visit it. Do you per chance have an address of the home?
Thanks. Roger Egan
Hi Roger. Do you have an email address where I can send you the information?
Yes Dan, I do. It is eganroge@isu.edu. Thank you so much for sending this to us. We are so looking forward to visiting the old home.
Roger
Hi Dan. Major Howard Egan is my 4th-great-grandfather (I'm through the 4th wife).
Stumbled upon your visit while researching Howard Egan for my son's wax museum project for school.
Envious that you've been there. Would love to visit some day!
Dan: I am also a descendant of Howard Egan and am going to Ireland next week. If I go through Tullamore, can you give me more specific directions as to how to find the house?
Chris Anderson -- pchrisanderson@gmail.com
Dan. Would you be able to tell me how to get to the Egan homestead? I'm a descendant of the Montreal Egan's. Will be traveling to Tullamore in about 2 months. Would love to check this place out.
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