Cornelius John Regan was born one-hundred-fifty years ago in Fisherville, New Hampshire. He was the second child and first son of Irish immigrants John Regan and Mary Quinn. Following traditional Irish naming practices, the first-born son was named after the paternal grandfather. The American Cornelius would be known as Neil; his grandfather in Kilmichael, County Cork was called Conn (Cornelius is the English equivalent of the Irish name Conchobar).

I have previously written about Neil on his birthday. I shared how his Irish Republican tendencies emerged at the sight of a certain flower and how he got a kick out of sharing his birthday with Flag Day. Today, I will share a quick memory from Neil’s granddaughter (and my mom), Eileen Regan McCormack.

Neil was the only grandparent Eileen knew. Neil moved in with his son, John, and John’s wife, Agnes, shortly after they married in 1941. So, Grandpa was in place by the time Mom came along a few years later, and he would be a presence in the home for the next seven years.

Eileen remembers her grandpa always reading while sitting in his chair by the dining room window. He read books and the newspapers, and when she was around, he often read aloud to her. Eileen specifically recalls him reading the “Little Lulu” comic books to her. While not part of his usual literary repetoire, he enjoyed the mischievous antics of the silly little girl as much as Eileen.

Eileen and her grandpa were a good pair, both of them quiet, easy-going, and shy. Neil also fit in perfectly with the McMahon clan his son married into (see photo above).

Neil passed away on June 30, 1951. He was waked at the Regan home in Minneapolis and brought back to Clontarf for the funeral Mass at St. Malachy Catholic Church and burial.

June 14, 1873 – June 30, 1951