Andrew Egan facts for kids

Andrew Egan (around 1810 – October 9, 1863) was an important Irish architect and builder. He was known for constructing many buildings in and around Tuam, a town in County Galway, Ireland.

Early Life and Training

Andrew Egan was born around 1810. His family, the Mac Aodhagáin, was well-known in County Galway. It's thought he was born either on Tuam's Old Road or in a place called Cloonsheen. His father worked as a stonemason, which means he shaped and cut stone for buildings. Andrew had several siblings: Patrick, Thomas, Bridget, and Elizabeth.

Andrew began learning his trade in 1826. This was the same year that work started on Tuam's new Catholic Cathedral. By the late 1830s, Andrew had learned enough to help supervise the building of the cathedral's Bell Tower.

Becoming a Master Builder

In 1838, a local Roman Catholic Free School was built. Many believe Andrew Egan was the main contractor for this project. By 1839, he was recognized as a Master Builder. This meant he was skilled enough to take on big building jobs. He started getting commissions, or work requests, from the Tuam diocese, which is a church area.

On October 20, 1839, Andrew married Margaret Lyons from Tuam. They had several children:

• Mary Jane (born 1841, died young)
• William (1843)
• Thomas Andrew (1847)
• John Joseph (1852)
• Emilea Patricia (1854)
• Isabel Cecily (1857)
• Mary (who also died young)

Key Projects and Legacy

From 1839 until he passed away, Andrew Egan was always busy with building projects. His most famous work is the Tuam Town Hall, which started construction in 1857.

He also built many other important structures, such as:

• The Glenamaddy workhouse
• The bridge in Dunmore
• The Presentation Convent
• The Presbytery (a house for priests)

Besides these public buildings, Andrew Egan also built homes for wealthy and middle-class families. Some of these houses include Castlegrove, Toghermore, Oakmount, and Brownesgrove. He was also responsible for constructing many properties in the areas around Tuam, like Dublin Road, Waterslade Place, Foster Terrace, Eastland Row, and the Square.

Because of all his work, Andrew Egan is often called 'the builder of Tuam'. After he died, his obituary (a notice about his death) mentioned that he was responsible for building almost all the churches, convents, and public buildings within twenty miles of Tuam. This included the Kilbannon church.