Mary Campbell : Short Biography

Cappagh, the home of Patrick Fahy and Mary Campbell, and their children is in the very eastern part of Co. Galway, a few miles north of Portumna. Interestingly the next townland is called Fahy, and in the district of Tiranascragh there are still some Fahys and interestingly Campbells.

Cappagh was the townland of the farm and home of Patrick Fahy and Mary Campbell (though it may be that Patrick was not the farmer, but a farm laborer) and likely the home of Patrick’s parents Peter Fahy and his wife Sarah Moran. It is adjacent to the River Shannon, and one of their younger sons, Patrick or Michael, is supposed to have said they lived “right on the water.” It is there they raised their family, all of whom were baptized at the Killimore and Tiranascragh Parish Church, bearing 11 children, ten of which survived to adulthood, and eight of whom emigrated to West Orange, New Jersey in the USA. One daughter, Catherine, remained behind and married Michael Melody of Tiernascragh, Eyercourt, Co. Galway in 1896. A second daughter, Annie also remained behind and married Michael Bligh of Killmor, Glenmaddy, Co. Galway in 1904.

The Killimore and Tiranascragh Parish Church and Cemetery, located at Tiranascragh, Ballycrissane, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway  (Which, is now named the Church of the Immaculate Conception)  is the parish church where Patrick Fahy and Mary Campbell, were married on Feb. 3, 1857. It is also the parish where all of their children were baptized. Mary Anne Fahy, their eldest child, was baptized there on Nov. 5, 1857. Through the Catholic Parish Registers at NLI, I have obtained copies of all of these records. Mary Campbell Fahy died in Cappagh on April 28,1889 at the age of 60, so I speculated that she may be buried in the church cemetery, however visiting the Cappagh cemetery, no grave for her was found.  There were other Fahy graves, but none that seem to be directley related to Patrick.  The information I have on Patrick is less reliable.  He is thought to have died in 1932 at the ripe old age of 97. I do not know where his death occurred, but I have seen some speculation that he was buried in Ballinasloe.