Daniel Wolfetone Fahey/Fahy was born in Mountbellew on 1 April 1831-1838. He emigrated with his parents and most of his siblings to America when he was an older teen, first arriving in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
His parents, Thomas Fahey (born about 1806 in or near Dunally, Peterswell Parish, Galway, Ireland, he was the son of Patrick Fahey of Keelderry and Dunally in Peterswell Parish, Galway and Honora "Norah" O'Donnell born in Pollnaveagh, Kinvarra, Kiltartan, Galway - 7 miles from Gort) and Anna "Annie" Joynt (she was born about 1807 in Ashfield Demesne (aka Shananglish), Beagh Parish, Galway - 5 miles from Gort - her brother was David Patrick Joynt, he and his wife, Bridget Ann McDermott, and all but one of his children emigrated to the USA. The daughter that stayed behind in living in their cottage in Shananglish was Margaret "Maggie" Joynt, she married a local boy named Patrick Martin Nally. Her descendants today still live in and around Ashfield Demesne (Shananglish) and Gort) were killed by a runaway team of horses shortly after their arrival in the U.S.. According to U.S. Census records he came to Amercia in either 1850 or 1853. He married 17 Dec 1858 in Louisville, Jefferson Co., Kentucky to Catherine "Kate" Mary Mullen-Nestor (she was born in or near Gort, Galway on 10 Jan 1840. Her half brother was Michael "Ned" Nestor, who was also born in Gort, Galway, emigrated to the USA and married Mary Joynt, daughter of David Patrick Joynt and Bridget Ann McDermott and the niece of Anna "Annie" Joynt Fahey).
After being in the U.S. for several decades the family began to spell the surname as Fay. Daniel and Katherine had 10 children, including my great-grandfather James Francis Fay.
Daniel led a very interesting life, first he and his wife Katherine lived in Louisville for some years, but then moved on to live in Chicago, St. Anne, Momence, and Kankakee, Illinois. Before moving on to Appanoose County, Iowa. In between they homsteaded in Canada and also he and his sons took part in the historical Oklahoma Land Rush.
After his wife died of Cancer in Iowa, he returned to Louisville as an older man. At the age of 80 he wanted to find a family member of his, Bridget Fahey/Fahy Ethell (she was hit 1st cousin), so he inquired with a niece in Canada that located her. He said he wanted to locate her out of love for the old country and because he remembered her father when growing up in Ireland. He and Bridget married on 3 Sep 1911 in Louisville, Jefferson Co., Kentucky.
Daniel died on his birthday 1 Apr 1925 in Louisville, Kentucky. DNA and family history show even though he was born in Mountbellew, we are closely related to Daniel Fahy born 21 Jun 1888 Dunally, Peterswell, Galway, Ireland, who married Celia Gill in Ireland in 1918. This Daniel Fahy died in 1968. This Daniel Fahy was his 2nd cousin to my Daniel Wolfetone Fahy/Fahey.
Through DNA I am also linked to distant cousins in New Zealand who are related to the same Fahy/Fahey family from the Gort area of Galway. I would like to link up with known related Fahey/Fahy and Niland cousins from Peterswell and other parishes in Gort. I am related through DNA to John Fahy, a son of Daniel Fahy and Celia Gill, he was born 6 Feb 1922 and died 29 Mar 2014.
The last of the Fahy/Fahey family in Mountbellew, were a tailor and an innkeeper, and both left in the 1950's, there are some people with the surname living in outlying districts today, that may be distant kin.
