Patrick Keighran : Short Biography

PATRICK KEIGHRAN was born in 1769 in County Sligo.   He was a Tailor by trade.   The Flaxgrowers List of 1796 shows that a Keighran family were flaxgrowers in Sligo and had a Loom.   In 1795 Patrick was tried at the Assizes at Carrick-on-Shannon and charged with being a Defender and administering unlawful oaths.  

He received a Life Sentence and transportation to Australia.  On 9 August 1795 he sailed on the convict ship Marquis Cornwallis and arrived in Sydney on 11 February 1796.

In 1806 Patrick had his Ticket-of-Leave, which meant that he was still a convict but was able to be self employed.  He was now living with Catherine Kitts (Conway) from County Limerick, who was also a Political Prisoner.   Together they had 4 sons:  John born 1802, Patrick 1806, James 1808, Thomas 1810.  Catherine died in childbirth in 1816 along with baby Catherine.

Patrick had received a Land Grant and was farming at Airds, Campbelltown, New South Wales.

Sadly he passed away in April 1819 aged 50 years.  Patrick was buried at The Old Sydney Burial Ground which is now the site of the Sydney Town Hall.

Patrick's 4 sons all had good horse skills and were heavily involved with horses and cattle.  It is recorded that on one expedition they took 118 head of horses from Sydney to Adelaide, and tell of their journey.   (A distance of over 800 miles)

A Keighran homestead (Australian House) but now known as Glenalvon at Campbelltown, is part of the Historical Trust and is open to the public.  It is a beautiful 2 storey sandstone building, complete with stables and coach-house, built in 1844.

Family members were heavily involved with horse racing and owned the horse which was placed 2nd in the very first & second Melbourne Cups of 1861 and 1862. . . from such humble beginnings!!

St. John's Catholic Pioneer Cemetery at Campbelltown, New South Wales, has the gravesites of many of the family.

They were true pioneers of this country. . . Australia. . . and we are proud of them.

Trish