Rhatigan Surname History

The 19th century saw a great wave of Irish families leaving Ireland for the distant shores of North America and Australia. These families often left their homeland hungry, penniless, and destitute due to the policies of England. Those Irish immigrants that survived the long sea passage initially settled on the eastern seaboard of the continent. Some, however, moved north to a then infant Canada as United Empire Loyalists after ironically serving with the English in the American War of Independence. Others that remained in America later joined the westward migration in search of land. The greatest influx of Irish immigrants, though, came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Thousands left Ireland at this time for North America, and those who arrived were immediately put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. In fact, the foundations of today's powerful nations of the United States and Canada were to a larger degree built by the Irish. Archival documents indicate that members of the Rhatigan family relocated to North American shores quite early:

• Jimmy Rhatigan, Irish editor of The Kilkenny Voice (2005-2008)
• Suzanne Rhatigan, Irish singer songwriter
• Thomas Rhatigan, Canadian farmer, the "World Oat King" at Toronto's Royal Winter Fair in 1953, 1966 and 1970, eponym of Rhatigan Ridge is a residential neighbourhood, south west or Edmonton, Alberta
• John Joseph "Jack" Rhatigan (1907-1970), Australian politician, Member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia for Kimberley (1953-1968)