Callinan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

To escape the religious and political discrimination they experienced primarily at the hands of the English, thousands of Irish left their homeland in the 19th century. These migrants typically settled in communities throughout the East Coast of North America, but also joined the wagon trains moving out to the Midwest. Ironically, when the American War of Independence began, many Irish settlers took the side of England, and at the war's conclusion moved north to Canada. These United Empire Loyalists, were granted land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula. Other Irish immigrants settled in Newfoundland, the Ottawa Valley, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The greatest influx of Irish immigrants, however, came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Thousands left Ireland at this time for North America and Australia. Many of those numbers, however, did not live through the long sea passage. These Irish settlers to North America were immediately put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. Irish settlers made an inestimable contribution to the building of the New World. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Irish name Callinan or a variant listed above, including:

Callinan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

• Michael John Callinan, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1856 3

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Callinan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

• Bridget Callinan, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1833

Callinan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

• Mr. Denis Callinan, (b. 1816), aged 27, Irish convict who was convicted in Limerick, Ireland for 10 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Constant" on 9th May 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4
• Biddy Callinan, aged 23, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Sir Edward Parry" 5
• Margaret Callinan, aged 18, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Sea Park"
• James Callinan, aged 13, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1858 aboard the ship "Confiance" 6
• Matthew Callinan, aged 29, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1858 aboard the ship "Confiance" 6

• John Callinan (b. 1955), Irish hurler with the Clare senior inter-county team from 1973 until 1987
• Graham Callinan (b. 1982), Irish hurler, member of the Cork senior inter-county team since 2008
• Ian Callinan (b. 1982), former professional Australian rules footballer who played from 2007 to 2015
• Ian David Francis Callinan AC, QC (b. 1937), Australian jurist, former Justice of the High Court of Australia (1998-2007)
• Damian Callinan, Australian comedian
• Sir Bernard James Callinan AC, CBE, DSO, MC (1913-1995), Australian soldier, civil engineer, businessman, and sport administrator