An interesting bit of oral family tradition tells the tale of the "three" famous Gunning sisters from Castlecoote, Roscommon launched into London society - one married the Earl of Coventry, one married the Duke of Hamilton and the "third", Sarah married Capt Matthew Egan.

But .. there were only two "famous" Gunning sisters - Maria and Elizabeth and they did not have a sister called Sarah. The marriages took place in 1752, which places them at least a generation older that Matthew.

This tale has been handed down for quite some time and one assumes there is some family connection.

Captain Matthew Egan was supposedly a Queen's Guard when he married Sarah Gunning. They had a son Edmund (any other children unknown) who studied law at Trinity College (this had been confirmed). Sarah died at some unknown stage and Matthew remarried. Edmund decided to emmigrate to Australia where he married in 1868 and again in 1888.

Edmund died in 1903 - not sure of his age but he would have had to have been born around 1820, give or take a decade or two.

Can anyone claim our Captain Matthew Egan or his wife, Sarah Gunning?