Hi
My name is Robert Dwan.

I’m wondering if I’m related to Frank Dwan.

I live In New Zealand but my parents immigrated here in 1957 and I was born 2 years later. I have very little to go on.

My father’s name was John Joseph Dwan. He was born in 1919 in Dungarvan county Waterford. He was a royal marine commando during the war in 40 Commando.

His father’s name, my grand father, was also John Joseph Dwan . He was born in 1888 in Dungarvan county ,Waterford. He was a stoker in the British Royal Navy.

His wife, my grand mother, was Mary Catherine Dwan, which sometimes appears as Mary Kate Dwan. Maiden name Jordan, born 1883 . She was baptised in Cappoquin county, Waterford 29th March 1883.
They were married in Dungarvan Parish of Dungarvan in 1914,county Waterford.

My father told me his parents hastily moved from Dungarvan, Ireland when he was a small boy, some time around 1922- 23, around the time of the Irish War of Independence. My father said he remembered armed fighters entered the house and as it goes, looking for his father ,who they knew was in the British Royal Navy. Possibly looked upon at the time as a traitor, collaborator or a liability.
Luckily my grandfather wasn’t there at that time as he was away serving.
With the Trouble at the time in near by Cork, Dublin etc., and with the expectation of the men coming back, they made a quick retreat to England and ended up in Brighton, never to return to Ireland..

My father, who was an only child, told me before he died a few years ago that, although my grand father was one of seven siblings from Dungarvan, he remembers absolutely no-one ever contacting or visiting his parents as he grew up in Brighton and they spoke little to him about anything to do with their former life in Ireland. His parents may have kept that distance out of fear as they were troubled times.

Anyway, that’s the information I have at this stage.

Can anyone shed any light on whether Frank is related to me.
Bunmahon ,where Frank was from, and Dungarvan are in close proximity to one another and as people didn’t have the means to move far in those days there might be a connection with my grand father, grandmother and Frank.

Would love to hear anything at all hat might help. Thanks.