Patrick and Ann Myers Dinan, children Mary and John

Dear Bob:

Thank you for your post to the Ireland Reaching Out message board.

I had replied to you under Ddinan's post, but I will copy below what I wrote for ease of reference:

I noted that you mentioned that you had found a Dinan living in Moymore, Tulla.  That is the parish that I am a Parish Liaison for.

I have found a Patrick Dinan family (several) but not with Anne Meyers as the spouse.  If you would like more information, please let me know.

You can email me at:  tulla@irelandxo.com. 

All the best,

Jane

Hi Bob and Jane, 

I'm sorry I cant help specifically, but Ive been having decades of difficulty finding my Dynan/Dinan ancestors so Ive been reading as many posts on here as I can and this one of Bobs with a Patrick born in 1802 and a John Dinan peaked my interest. My John Dinan/Dynan was born abt 1803-1812 depending on which records you believe and is in New York alone by 1850...most likely dying in 1851 if his wife in England's Census return is to be believed. He left leaving his wife and four children behind so I presume to call them to join him once he was set up in America. However, family tales talk of a John Dynan/Dinan dying in the American Civil War at the Battle of Bull Run aka Manassas in 1861/2 and originally it was attached to John the elder, whereas now I believe it was his eldest son, a relatively recently found, John b.1829. 

I do not know where my line came from in Ireland...could be Cork or Clare as both names seem prolific there. My Dynan/Dinan men were often Tailors by profession....I just wondered if any of this rang as familiar with either of you? One relation was meant to be "a Harbourmaster of Cork" but I have never found anything to support this family memory and they could have married into the family, so having a different name!  I'm sorry for hijacking your thread Bob, but I've got to the state where any help with anything that may be, however tenuously attached, is a great cause for excitement. Best wishes and Thanks for reading. Lynn

Your John Dinan is buried in Calvary Cemetery in Evanston, where my people from Clare (Daniel J Gallery and family) are also buried. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/149047894/john-dinan Note the person, Laura Daniel, who left a virtual flower there - she might be a relative doing similar research whom you could contact. 
I've found birth and marriage info on my Carlow people by checking the Catholic parish registers. For Kilmanaheen in Clare you could start here: https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Kilmanaheen_Catholic_Parish,_County_Clare,_Ireland_Genealogy

This is an attempt to explain how I arrived at Patrick Dinan as my ancestor. Mygrandmother had received the name of her grandmother who was Deborah Dinan. Deborah. listed in census as being born in New Jersey,  was oldest of several but I cannot get at my written records because of renovations. Deborah did marry a man from Cork, John O'Leary. They had my great grandmother Mary Catherine O'Leary. This can be vouched for as accurate by my late mother. Deborah siblings would have been born (probably) in Chicago and married. I assume I have cousins from these Dinan siblings and O'Leary siblings. In a Chicago census (in my records,1855?, 1860?) which can be found online or in Springfield archives, Deborah's parents are John and Mary Dinan. In somone else's family tree which was likely found on MY Heritage Mary's maiden name was Geary and she was born in Ireland. Taking John's stated age I figured his birth year  as 1829. The only record I could find there was his immigration record in New York from a ship from Ireland. He was 6-7 in 1836 (found on family search). He had a older sister Mary. Parents were listed Patrick Dinan and Sarah Myers. I speculated about Patrick being from Clare. My grandmother was sketchy about her ancestors because she was bitter about being given to the Cook County courts by her mother so my mother would jot down any clue by her mom. Patrick could have been from Kerry, probably not from Cork. John Dinan is found on the Illinois Civil War records but the disposition says "deserted." He was listed as a cook. So I have doubts that he later served in an active front. But even though I am officially a historian and taught history at a community college the Civil War was not my specialty. So who knows; the records are difficult. So, if someone has ancestors named Dinan from Chicago there is a possible, probable connection.  John and Mary Dinan are buried in Calvary in Evanston so John apparently was not prosecuted for desertion.

I thank everyone, anyone for their interest and queries. We are llikely related at some point but establishing that is difficult, Even US records are often sketchy and leave out more than they include.

Calvary is a Catholic cemetery, so I don't know that they would refuse to bury someone prosecuted for desertion.