The sept belongs primarily to Fermanagh being of the same stock as the Maguires. Corrigans - the prefix O is seldom used - are still in that part of Ulster, but the name to-day is very scattered, being found in most counties, except in Munster. This was already the case in the sixteenth century when it appears in localities as far apart as Offaly, Roscommon, Meath and Monaghan. In the 1659 census Corrigan and O’Corrigan are among the more numerous Irish names in Offaly, Longford, and Fermanagh. The majority of the references to it in the Four Masters are to abbots and other ecclesiastics in Co. Fermanagh. The place called Ballycorrigan is near Nenagh in Co. Tipperary, indicating that a leading family of Corrigan was seated there not later than the middle of the seventeenth century.
This distribution analysis is based on information extracted from the Tithe Composition Applotment Books compiled between 1823 and 1838 as well as Griffith’s Valuation (1848 to 1864). It covers most of the leaseholders of titheable land recorded in the Tithe Applotment Books plus every householder and occupier of land recorded in Griffith’s Valuation, with the exception of Dublin City where large numbers of occupiers were omitted from the survey.
In all 29,229 different surnames are covered with a precise parish location for the 915,543 householders recorded in Griffith’s valuation. A total of 3,008 Civil Parishes were researched and the surname Corrigan was discovered in 11.30 of these or 340 parishes.
When tracing Irish ancestors one may encounter cases where the deletion, addition or alternation of prefixes such as O’, Mc, Mac etc. occur within a family tree. For this reason all such prefixes are appended to this report if they occurred. In addition one could not ignore material simply because a different spelling is recorded. Most surnames found in Ireland have a number for spelling variations. By way of an example there follows a list of similar sounding names to Corrigan, with the number of Civil Parishes where each occurred:
Carchan 1, Carekin 1, Cargan 5, Cargin 1, Carigan 3, Carkin 1, Caroken 1, Carroughan 1, Carragan 3, Carraghan 3, Carrason 1, Carregan 1, Carrigan 61, Carrigeen 1, Carrison 4, Carroghan 1, Carroocan 1, Carrookan 1, Carrucan 1, Carson 225, Carsons 5, Cherson 1, Chrisham 3, Chrisney 1, Coarigan 1, Coorakan 1, Cooregan 1, Corcam 1, Corcon 1, Corgan 6, Corican 3, Corigan 6, Corkan 4, Corkane 1, Corken 10, Corkens 1, Corken 2, Corkins 1, Corkmich 1, Corocan 1, Corogan 2, Corragan 1, Corriagn 2, Corrican 2,CORRIGAN 340, Corrigin 1, Corrikan 2, Corrison 2, Corrogan 2, Corskin 2, Courakin 1, Crackan 4, Cracken 119, Crackin 6, Craggen 1, Craghan 1, Craigan 4, Craqckin 1, Crawson 4, Creagan 8, Creaghan 20, Creaghane 1, Creaghmile 1, Creagmile 1, Creegan 13, Creeshon 1, Cregan 93, Creggan 14, Creghan 5, Creigan 1, Creighan 4, Cresham 3, Cresken 1, Criagan 1, Cricken 1, Crieghan 1, Criggan 4, Criggans 1, Criggeen 1, Crighan 2, Crisham 4, Crishan 1, Crishim 1, Crishnahan 1, Croakin 2, Crockan 1, Crogan 4, Croghan 57, Crogin 1, Croken 1, Crookshank 17, Crookshanks 3, Crosenton 1, Crosin 2, Croskan 1, Crosner 1, Crossan 77, Crossane 1, Crossaun 1, Crossen 15, Crossin 7, Crujm 1, Crushim 1, Currigan 1, Curraghan 2, Curraken 1, Currigan 12, Currisken 1, Cursan 1, Curson 1.
It is not intended to imply a definite inter-relationship between all of these surnames but it may alert some readers to certain possibilities.
The following list reveals the numerical strength as well as the location by Civil Parish (Poor Law Union) and Barony of the surname Corrigan for the years indicated, and which is based on information extracted from the Tithe Composition Applotment Books compiled between 1823 and 1838 as well as Griffith’s Valuation (1848 to 1864). The omission of a number in the first column reveals the presence of the surname Corrigan in that parish when the exact count is unknown. This also applies in cases where a second year is printed (in brackets) to show the presence of the name Corrigan in a parish at an earlier date. Embedded question marks are used to alert you to possible variations in spellings between different records.
For County Westmeath
6 Ballyloughloe [Athlone] Clonlonan, 1854 (1826)
4 St. Feighin’s [Castletowndelvin] Fore, 1854 (1829)
3 Rathgarve [Castetowndelvin/Granard] Fore, 1854
3 Bunown [Athlone] Kilkenny West, 1854 (1827)
3 Mullingar [Mullingar] Moyashel & Magheradernon, 1854
3 Castelost [Mullingar] Fartullagh, 1854
2 Kilkenny West [Athlone/Ballymahon] Kilkenny West, 1854 (1823)
1 Kilbixy [Mullingar] Moygoish, 1854
1 Rathconnell [Mullingar] Moyashel & Magheradernon, 1854
1 Killucan [Mullingar/Castletowndelvin] Farbill, 1854
1 Kilcleah [Athlone] Clonlonan, 1854
1 Castletownkindelan [Mullingar] Moycashel, 1854
1 Castletownkindelan [Mullingar] Moycashel, 1854 (1826)
1 Castletownkindelan [Mullingar] Moycashel, 1854
1 Enniscoffey [Mullingar] Fartullagh, 1854 (1829)
1 Kilbride [Mullingar] Fartullagh, 1854 (1834)
1 Pass of Kilbride [Mullingar] Fartullagh, 1854
Ardnurcher/Horseleap [Mullingar/Tullamore] Moycashel, (1827)
Durrow [Tullamore] Moycashel, (1833)
