Patrick Egan and Nebraska’s Center For Irish Home Rule

Patrick Egan’s political career spanned both sides of the Atlantic and included a stint in Lincoln, during which time he helped make the capital a center for Irish Home Rule activity in the US.

One of the last of Lincoln’s downtown business district residences, a box-like two-story frame structure facing north at 1447 Q Street, was razed in 1969. In the 1880s it had been the home of Irish patriot Patrick Egan and his family. Egan (1841-1919), an Irish native, had a background of anti-British revolutionary activity long before he emigrated to Nebraska. Soon after his arrival in Lincoln he was elected president of the Irish National League at its national convention on the basis of his political experience, and in 1884 he transferred its headquarters to Lincoln. In 1886 John Fitzgerald, another Irishman and prominent railway builder living in Lincoln, became its head.

Even before Egan’s arrival in Lincoln, the city was a center of Irish Home Rule activity in the United States. The first indication of it was the founding of a chapter of the Irish Land League of America, the president of which had also been Fitzgerald. It found strong support among Irish settlers in Nebraska. In 1883 at Philadelphia the Land League merged with Egan’s new organization, the Irish National League of America.

In Lincoln Egan entered the real estate and grain milling fields, the latter having been his business in Dublin. He operated grain elevators at Fairmont, Saronville, and Harvard, Nebraska. Unlike most Irishmen, who were Democrats, he joined the Republicans because he regarded American “free-trade theories as certain to produce the same calamities as British free-trade has brought to Ireland.” In 1888 he was a delegate to the national GOP convention, which nominated Benjamin Harrison for president. After Harrison was inaugurated Egan was appointed minister to Chile and served in Santiago between 1889 and 1893.

For one year after Egan had moved to Chile, his family remained in Lincoln. After returning to the United States, Egan established himself in the East and cut his ties with Nebraska. He died in 1919 in New York, where he lived with a daughter. In his last years he was called “General,” probably because of his early association with Irish insurgents.

Above image: Patrick Egan, C1902. From the Library of Congress.

Become a Member!

Our members make history happen.

Join Now

You May Also Enjoy

The Story of Omaha Police Fingerprint Expert Emily Byram

The Story of Omaha Police Fingerprint Expert Emily Byram

Marker Monday: Cather Childhood Home

Marker Monday: Cather Childhood Home

Yutan Tornado – March 23, 1913

Yutan Tornado – March 23, 1913

About History Nebraska
History Nebraska was founded in 1878 as the Nebraska State Historical Society by citizens who recognized Nebraska was going through great changes and they sought to record the stories of both indigenous and immigrant peoples. It was designated a state institution and began receiving funds from the legislature in 1883. Legislation in 1994 changed History Nebraska from a state institution to a state agency. The division is headed by Interim Director and CEO Jill Dolberg. They are assisted by an administrative staff responsible for financial and personnel functions, museum store services, security, and facilities maintenance for History Nebraska.
Explore Nebraska
Discover the real places and people of our past at these History Nebraska sites.

Upcoming Events

View our new and upcoming events to see how you can get involved.

Become a Member

The work we do to discover, preserve, and share Nebraska's history wouldn't be possible without the support of History Nebraska members.

Latest Hall of Fame Inductee

The Nebraska Hall of Fame was established in 1961 to officially recognize prominent Nebraskans.

Listen to our Podcast

Listen to the articles and authors published in the Nebraska History Magazine with our new Nebraska History Podcast.

Nebraska Collections

History Nebraska's mission is to collect, preserve, and open our shared history to all Nebraskans.

Our YouTube Video Collection

Get a closer look at Nebraska's history through your own eyes, with our extensive video collections.

Additional Research Resources

History Nebraska Research and Reference Services help connect you to the material we collect and preserve.

Support History Nebraska
Make a cash donation to help us acquire, preserve, and interpret Nebraska’s history. Gifts to History Nebraska help leave a legacy and may help your taxes, too! Support the work of History Nebraska by donating to the History Nebraska Foundation today.

Volunteers are the heroes of History Nebraska. So much history, so little time! Your work helps us share access to Nebraska’s stories at our museums and sites, the reference room, and online.