Holligan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

A massive amount of Ireland's native population left the island in the 19th century for North America and Australia in hopes of finding more opportunities and an escape from discrimination and oppression. A great portion of these migrants arrived on the eastern shores of the North American continent. Although they were generally poor and destitute, and, therefore, again discriminated against, these Irish people were heartily welcomed for the hard labor involved in the construction of railroads, canals, roadways, and buildings. Many others were put to work in the newly established factories or agricultural projects that were so essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest nations in the world. The Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s initiated the largest wave of Iris immigration. Early North American immigration and passenger lists have revealed a number of people bearing the name Holligan or a variant listed above:

• Patrick Holligan, Professor at the National Oceanography Centre of University of Southampton
• Andy Holligan (b. 1967), British Light Welterweight boxer
• Bridget Holligan, Science Projects Officer at The Oxford Trust