Pallasgrean

We know "our" Ryans came from Pallasgrean.  If you want to "google" it, you will find that it has several spellings.  The most common variations are Pallasgreen, Pallas Grean (with a space between the two parts of the name) and Pailís Ghréine in Gaelic.  Wikipedia describes the town this way:

Pallasgreen or Pallas Grean (Irish: Pailís Ghréine) is a village in East County Limerick, situated on the Limerick–Tipperary N24 road. The name means "the Stockade of Grian," referring to an ancient Irish Goddess of Love, who is associated with the a nearby hill of Nicker.

The town currently has a population of less than 400 people.  It shares a border with County Tipperary.  I think it is safe to say that the population of this community in the 1850s suffered greatly from the effects of the Potato Famine.  I was able to acquire a copy of a local history called Pallasgrean in the 1920s by Michael O'Dwyer -- the town historian who died in 2002. Even in 1920  Pallasgrean was grim.  There seemed to be more than a little bit of drinking in Pallasgrean.  He included a picture of the Village Pub.

Of course, today Pallasgrean looks like a quaint, modern town with up-to-date amenities. You can get a feel for the village by checking out the town's website: http://www.pallasgreen.com

If Bill and I actually get there in the fall, we will add some current pictures to this post.