monegan

I was told I have Irish heritage. Is Monegan a corruption of the surname Monaghan? Perhaps it was changed with the move from Ireland.

When my great Aunt Bea and Esther went to Ireland to learn about our genealogy. Dennis Monegan (father of 8 and their grandfather) moved to Ohio in 1860 and sent money to a priest. The priest was to arrange passage for Dennis's sister but the priest "lost" the money. My great, great grandfather changed his name to distance himself from the Catholic church. As of 1982 there were 188 descendants of Dennis and Livonia Monegan.