Hi Roger,
Checking in regarding the parish liaison in Peterswell regarding the Faheys that you had mentioned. I also have a Sinnott family line from Kilthomas. Looks like the two families likely knew each other in Galway.
Here’s what I know:
My great-great-great grandparents are Lawrence Fahey, who was born circa 1831 in Kilthomas, Galway. His wife Bridget Honora (or Honora Bridget) Fahy was also born in Galway. She’s approximately two years younger. Her maiden name is Fahy, by the way; they are likely cousins. They married in Louisville in 1854.
On the 1870 census, Lawrence and Bridget have two boarders: James Burke, age 32, and Michael Sinnott, age 23. (Michael ended up marrying Lawrence and Bridget’s eldest daughter Mary, who was 17 in 1870. These are my great-great grandparents.) Lawrence and Bridget named their oldest son Patrick.
Two doors down, on that 1870 census, Michael and Mary (nee Cahill) Fahey lived with their children. I found the church’s baptism record for their oldest child Margaret, who was born in Ireland. She was born on Feb 24, 1859, and baptized on Feb 25, 1859, in Peterswell. The family’s address was listed as Dunally. The sponsors at the baptism were Michael Burke and Margaret Cahill.
On the Griffiths Valuation for the Kilthomas area, there are Burkes and Cahills and Fahys and one Sinnott. There was a Laurence Fahy in Doonally (I assume this is the same place as Dunally?) West, a Patrick Fahy in Doonally West, and a Michael Fahy in Knockoura. (There’s also a John Sinnott in Knockoura.)
I’ve connected through DNA to two distant Fahey cousins, one in New Zealand, and one in New York State. They both know their family’s general history, and know that our Faheys come from the Kilthomas, Peterswell area.
The New York Fahey cousin:
Catherine Fahy, born circa 1825, married William McInerney and they lived in the Peterswell area. Don’t’ know the name of her father and mother.
The New Zealand Fahey cousin:
Edward Fahy, born approx. 1805 in Doonally, Kilthomas.
Looks like a lot of the family was centered around Doonally/Dunally, and perhaps relatives in Knockoura?
(I’ll write a separate message about the Sinnotts later.)
I would love to find the common ancestor and the current family line for our family’s Fahy/Faheys! I’m thinking that maybe Edward Fahy, born 1805, has one or two brothers that are parents to the other Fahys, so that their father (and mother) are the common ancestors, but that’s just a surmisal.
