Pat Fahy
My great grandfather
Had a neat writing hand
I see it for myself today
On the census form
I also learn he married at 25
Mary Loftus his wife was 23
In 1911 they have been married 35 years
And something new I see
Overlooked it before now
9 children were born to them
7 remain alive
So 2 died
My grandfather Michael Fahy the only boy
Six sisters surrounded him for a while
Four went off to America Chicago
Bridget Ellen Sarah Honor
Mary came to England to her brother
Kate stayed at home and married Nevin
Did she marry Richard Nevin of Knockmoyleen?
They were the same age
The Fahys lived in Slinaunroe
Kilmaclasser
A townland in the parish of Fahy/Kilmeeena
Land that was all part of the Lucan estate
A school was built in Fahy in 1888
So they may have attended school there
My grandfather was born in 1881
Kate’s son, Paddy Nevin died some years ago
The house was bought by ‘Dan and Dee’
A musical couple I met one time
They extended the property
And painted it a deep pink colour
It has been sold again
There are no Fahys in Fahy
The old man at the Clew Bay golf course said to me
He was right
There were a few families of that name in Kilmaclasser
In 1901
So we have no known connections with Slinaunroe anymore
Certainly no near relations
But we wouldn’t be lonely in Chicago
If only we knew….
Brian Fahy
28 October 2021
Erris Poetry 