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Famine and Fortune
by Philip Coogan
Format: Paperback
Publication date: 4th October 2011
ISBN: 978-1-908477-49-1
Price: €15.00
The story begins with my Great Grandfather Philip born 1835. Grandfather Owen Coogan joined the British Army at Crinkle, Kings County. Grandfather seen action in India. Married in 1897 at Birr, County Offaly, a son named Philip was born 1898. 1913 new neighbours had arrived at Cadamstown, named the Pearson family. Uncle Philip had become friends with their daughter Matilda. Grandfather Owen his wife Bridget and 9 of the 11 children, were held at gunpoint while their family farm home was set on fire.
I had a year-long battle with TB, had a near-death experience and a dramatic vision of hell and heaven. Married we were a happy family, had our thriving business destroyed in 1971 by a bomb, during the Northern troubles. I, my wife and children were threatened and told get out of town. Read on to see who knew I would be at Rockview Motor’s Petrol Station all on my own awaiting for a tanker full of petrol late on that evening of 7th December for the Christmas rush starting on 08/12/1971.
Grandfather’s 1921 flight North. Now in a mirror image had we to flee fifty years later from the assassins?
A Name
Coogan – O’Cuagain
During the fourth and fifth Century, the province of Connacht was invaded by King Maine Mor, who became the founder of the ‘Kingdom of Ui Maine’ consisting of approximately 1,000 square miles (2,600km) of territory.
The Area covered all of County Galway East of Athenry, all of South and Central County Roscommon. The name of the Coogan Clan (O’Cuagain Celtic for Coogan) came to prominence during the invasion, any of the Clan’s that fought for the Kings and Queens of Ui Maine, were rewarded with rights and privileges.
In the year 1171, the Anglo–Norman invasion began. Strongbow brought with him from Wales a great fighting warrior called Milo de Cogan. The Cogan name has been very often confused with the name Coogan.
