William Carrigan

William Carrigan (29 August 1860 – 12 December 1924) was an Irish Roman Catholic priest and historian, who was appointed canon of the Diocese of Ossory.

Early life William Carrigan was the youngest of 13 children. He was born in 1860 in Ruthstown, Ballyfoyle, County Kilkenny.

He received his childhood education in the Ballyfoyle National School and then in Wellington Square in Kilkenny City. He then attended the ecclesiastical side of St Kieran's College. His education was continued at St. Patrick's College, Maynooth today alongside the larger NUI Maynooth. He was ordained by Francis Moran, Bishop of Ossory, in 1884. His first posting was as curate in Ballyragget. Bishop Moran was a distinguished historian, having founded the Ossory Archaeological Society in 1872. He encouraged William's interests in history and he joined the Ossory Archaeological Society in 1884; his first paper was printed in the last issue of the Ossory Archaeological Society in 1886. The clergy played an active role in these developments; the Rev. James Graves, an Anglican cleric and antiquarian, was a frequent contributor to the Kilkenny Archaeological Society (renamed in 1890 to Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland). Carrigan with his high interest in local history took these developments as reason to create his own writings. The Bishop of Ossory, Dr Brownrigg, encouraged Carrigan to begin a compilation of a history of Ossory. The Bishop would fund his travels and subscribe to the finished works.

Carrigan travelled around the diocese speaking at great length to older people, taking count of folklore traditions and oral history. We owe it to Carrigan that we still have these today. He also trudged through existing works and resolved conflicting accounts. All of his holidays were spent in the Public Records Office, Dublin, collecting information that related to Ossory.