I live in Fairfax County, Virginia, in the U.S. I've bought my ticket for a flight to Shannon from Dulles in July, and would very much like to meet my cousins in Galway while I’m there.
There was (and still is) a very large Irish Catholic population in Louisville, Kentucky, my home town. My great-great-great grandfather was Lawrence Fahy/Fahey, married to my g-g-great grandmother mother (of course), whose maiden name was also Fahy. Her name was either Bridget Honora or Honora Bridget. I don’t know if she and her husband were related by blood, but I have a feeling she was. She and Lawrence were born in the mid-1820s to 1830 in Galway. They married in 1854 in Louisville.
I've linked up via DNA with a distant Fahy cousin in New Zealand, and with a distant cousin in New York State who is from Ireland. The three of us have a connection through the Fahy/Fahey family in Galway. The New Zealand cousin has a Thomas Fahy born in 1837 in Peterswell, Dunnally, on her tree.
I’m not sure where Bridget and Lawrence were born, though. I don’t think both were in Peterswell. I've had matches through DNA in Loughrea and Gort as well.
From what I can tell, there was more than one Laurence/Lawrence Fahy born in Galway in the 1820s-1830. My Lawrence's father may have been named Daniel, as that was the name of his eldest son, who died young. His other sons were named Thomas and Patrick. All children were born in Louisville.
On the 1870 U.S. census, I found Lawrence and Bridget Fahey along with their family. Two doors down from them were a Michael and Mary Fahey. I don’t think that can be a coincidence. I found am Irish birth record for their daughter Maggie/Margaret, which has her baptized in Peterswell in 1859. I have a suspicion that perhaps Bridget was from this area, while Lawrence was not.
I’ve attached two pages of the 1870 census, showing both Fahey families. Oh – and people’s ages listed on the U.S. census, you may already know, are dicey at best. I’ve seen other records for Lawrence and Bridget that have them slightly older than their listed ages on the 1870 census.
Lawrence and Bridget had two boarders in 1870: Michael Sennett/Sinnit/Synnott/Sinnott (there’ve been so many spellings of this surname!), and James Burke. I think James Burke was related to either the Faheys or to Michael Sinnott.
My Fahys must have known the Sinnott family in Galway. I think it was spelled Synnott there. Michael Sennett/Synnott/Sinnott married Mary Margaret Fahey, Lawrence and Bridget's eldest daughter, in the early 1870s in Louisville. They are my great-great grandparents. They named their eldest son John Lawrence. My assumption is that Michael’s father was John Sinnott. Their eldest daughter was my great-grandmother: Anna Honora Sinnott.
There were other Sinnotts in Louisville in the mid-to-late 1800s. I found a name on a gravestone near Lawrence and Bridget Fahey’s graves, reading: Mark Sennett, born in Galway in 1826 and died in 1866.
If you could help me find our Fahy cousins, and the Sinnotts, if there are any still there, it would mean so very much to our family.
P.S. I just re-checked my records, and there was a Laurence Fahey in DoonallyDunally, listed in the mid-1800s.
Thursday 19th May 2016, 06:53PM
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Robin:
Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!
Unfortunately, RC records for Peterswell RC parish do not start until 1854 for baptisms. I did check Roots Ireland for any Lawrence Fahey baptismal records with a father Daniel and no records came up. Also looked for Sinnott baptismal records with John as the father and only one record came up coincidentally in Peterswell in 1856. See transcription below. I also looked at the 1855/1856 Griffiths Valuation head of household listing for Kilthomas civil parish and there were many Fahy records and there is a Laurence as you mentioned in Doonally West townland. This record would not be your ggg grandfather since he was in the States. I do believe, however, that your Laurence likely came from this area. Notice also that there is a John Sinnott in the parish in Knockoura townland possibly the father of Michael. See Griffiths link below. I also provided a link to the online Irish phone book. I looked for Fahys and there were 250 in Co. Galway. I would look for some in the Peterswell area. Not many Sinnott/Synnotts in Galway. Make sure you use the Residential Tab.
I will also contact our parish liaison in Peterswell.
Let me know if you have questions and have a greta trip.
Roger McDonnell
Name:Catherine SynnottDate of Birth:10-May-1856
Date of Baptism:25-May-1856Address:KnockgaarahParish/District:PETERSWELLGender:
CountyCo. Galway
Denomination:Roman Catholic
Father:Synnott JohnMother:Burke MaryOccupation:
Sponsor 1 /
Informant 1:Kieghry JohnSponsor 2 /
Informant 2:Cloran BridgetCastlemore Roscommon, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘