Andrew Egan (c.1810 – 9 October 1863) was an Irish architect and

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. Egan was a member of a noted

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family, Mac Aodhagáin. He is thought to have been born on Tuam's Old Road or at Cloonsheen. His father was a

stonemason Stonemasonry or stonecraft is the creation of buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone as the primary material. It is one of the oldest activities and professions in human history. Many of the long-lasting, ancient shelters, temples, mo ...

and he had siblings Patrick, Thomas, Bridget and Elizabeth. He began his apprenticeship in 1826, the same year as the foundation stone of Tuam's new Catholic Cathedral. By the late 1830s, Egan had progressed far enough to be entrusted with a supervisory role in the erection of the Bell Tower of the cathedral. In 1838, the local Roman Catholic Free School was constructed, and it is believed that Egan was the contractor. By 1839 he was classed a

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and was obtaining commissions from Tuam diocese. He married Margaret Lyons of Tuam on 20 October 1839. Their children were Mary Jane (born 1841, died young), William (1843), Thomas Andrew (1847), John Joseph (1852), Emilea Patricia (1854), Isabel Cecily (1857) and Mary, who also died young. From 1839 until his death, Egan was in continuous work. His most notable work was Tuam Town Hall, the foundation stone been laid in 1857. Others include the

Glenamaddy Glenamaddy () is a small town in County Galway, Ireland. It lies at the crossroads where the R362 and R364 regional roads meet. Glenamaddy became a musical focal point in Connacht during the 1960s during the showband era. To the east of the ...

workhouse, the bridge at Dunmore, the Presentation Convent, the Presbytery, as well as houses for middle-class and gentry families – Castlegrove, Toghermore, Oakmount and Brownesgrove. In addition, he was responsible for constructing various properties in the suburbs, Dublin Road, Waterslade Place, Foster Terrace, Eastland Row, the Square. Because of this, he is considered 'the builder of Tuam'. In addition, his obituary stated that he was responsible for erecting nearly all the churches, convents and public buildings within twenty miles of Tuam. These include Kilbannon church.

References

* ''The Mark of a Man:The Life of Andrew Egan, Builder and Architect of Tuam'', Deirdre Goggin, pp. 39–62, Journal of the Old Tuam Society, volume one, 2004. {{DEFAULTSORT:Egan, Andrew 1863 deaths 19th-century Irish architects People from Tuam Architects from County Galway Year of birth uncertain