The Faheys - Part III: Our Galway Roots

Martin, Bridget & Patrick Fahey's Irish roots

My gt-gt-grandfather Martin Fahey, along with his brother Patrick, settled in Balclutha, in the deep south of New Zealand, having emigrated from Ireland, via Australia's gold fields. I am a descendant of his son James Hugh. James's daughter Ruby was my paternal grandmother.  

This is the sole Irish line in my family history, so I set out to find where these Faheys had originated from. 

We have a record of Martin Fahey, his wife Emily, daughter Julia and his sister Bridget emigrating from Dublin, Ireland to Australia in 1852. 

Their brother Patrick had already left for Australia sometime earlier and after arriving in Bendigo, in Victoria they joined him there. He most likely had written to the family to join him in seeking fortune in the goldrush of 1851.

I have yet to discover the birth certificate for Patrick or Martin or any record of their parent's births or marriages, but from Patrick and Martin's marriage certificates I was able to make a start.

According to both Martin and Patrick's marriage certificates, their father was John Fahy, farmer, and later gamekeeper. 

On Patrick's marriage certificate, his mother is recorded as Mary Joint. (Interestingly, Martin's death certificate stated his mother was Amelia Armstrong, though this was the name of Emily's mother, an error I think).

John FAHY (? - ?)   m. Mary JOINT (? - ?)

Married ?

Known children:

1. Martin, b c.1820. Married Emily Sale in 1849, Dublin. Emigrated to Australia in 1852 on the Bride.

2. Bridget, b. ? Rose Park, Ashfield, Galway. Married ? Hunt (not Patrick Minogue as previously stated)...

3. Patrick, b. c.1830, Newtown Nth, Gort, Galway, married Eliza Sale in Avoca Heads, NSW, Australia in 1861.

Fahey or Fahy is an extremely common name in Ireland, but luckily a few clues from various sources give us several related locations in County Galway. 

Firstly, Patrick’s marriage record states he was born in Newtown Nth, Gort, Galway in 1830. There are five or six places in Galway named Newtown, but just several miles west of Gort is a place named Newtown in the parish of Beagh.  

Galway's potato famine occured around 1830 and 1831. When crops failed or if they could not pay rent, tenant farmers were forced to leave their tenancies to find work in the city or emigrated to the colonies. Emigration from Ireland peaked between 1845 and 1852.  

Anglo-Irish estate owners were also reducing the size of the tenancies at this time. Whilst increasing their estate holdings, and owning whole tracts of Ireland. Any improvements to the property made by tenant farmers became the landlord’s gain.  

Then, from the marriage record of Martin and his fiancée Emily in 1849, I began to find clues as to their family's origins in Beagh, Galway. 

Martin and Emily's marriage certificate

Their marriage record of 1849 (above) states they were working as servants at 8 Middle Gardiner St, in Dublin.  Trawling the internet I was able to find out this was the Dublin address of a Mr Daniel McNevin, estate owner of Ashfield Demesne (pronounced domain) in the Parish of Beagh near Gort in Galway.  

Here is a photo of what remains of Ashfield House on MacNevin's estate. 

Remains of a wall is all that is left of Ashfield House, in Beagh, near Gort, Galway. 

Possibly where Martin and Patrick lived.

Photo: http://landedestates.nuigalway.ie

From Survey notes taken in 1840 I also discovered this townland had both Fahys and Joints as tenants (see Notes on Ashfield Demesne below).  

The MacNevins also owned another townland named Derry, on which a David Joint, Michael McDermott (and several Mary Fahys) were also recorded as heads of their households. David Joint and Michael McDermott held tenancies on both these estates.

While there is no tenancy record of a Mary and John Fahy in Ashfield, the records show there was a tenant farmer by the name of David Joynt, and his wife's brother Michael McDermott was married to a Mary Fahy, so Mary Joynt is likely to have been related to these families. 

Martin's sister Bridget Fahey's birth certificate, I have recently been informed, states she was born in Rose Park, Ashfield, Galway (according to her her direct descendant Shae Honess).

From this it would be fair to assume that her father John Fahy did in fact work as a gamekeeper in Ashfield Demesne, and it is likely her mother Mary was working in Rose Park, perhaps as a housemaid.

Rose Park no longer exists.  According to the Landed Estates website, in 1837 it was leased to the Hugo family. 

"Francis Blake Forster let Clooneene (Ashfield) and built a house which he called Rosepark, after his wife, Rose Ffrench. Rosepark House is recorded by Lewis in 1837 as the seat of the Hugo family. It was leased by Michael Kane to George Crowe at the time of Griffith's Valuation. It was then valued at £12. Apart from some estate walls there is no evidence of this property now."

The Sale Family in Dublin

Martin and Patrick Fahey both married sisters Emily and Eliza Sale of Dublin. Martin, in most likelihood would have met Emily while working as a scullery maid at MacNevin's town house at 8 Middle Gardiner Street in Dublin. He perhaps introduced his brother Patrick to her sister. 

The Sale sisters Emily and Eliza were both born in Dublin to Mathew and Amelia Sale (nee Armstrong). 

Mathew's occupation was cabinetmaker. I have looked at records of Dublin furniture makers, but he is not listed there. Maybe someone will come forward with information on reading this post.

Patrick and Eliza were reunited in Australia and married in Avoca Heads soon after her arrival.

The Joynt / Joint Family

Family researcher, Cathy Joynt Labath has shared a great deal of information on this Joynt family on her website. Her gt gt gt grandfather was David Joint of Ashfield. 

The exciting thing about this side of the family is that there was only one Joynt family in the Galway area, but spread out in various townlands and they were Catholic - surprising, as Joynts were originally of Huguenot origin, having fled persecution by Catholics in Europe a century before. 

She thinks these Galway Joints may have been descendants of a Joynt (perhaps from County Clare) who converted to Catholicism some generations earlier, possibly through marriage, and was perhaps disowned by their kin, and so moved to Galway to start afresh. 

There are connections with the Joints of Poulataggle in County Clare and a number of records connect the two families with the Geoghegan/Geogan family, who shared land there for a number of generations.

According to Cathy Joynt Labath, the lineage is thought to be: 

Michael Joynt of County Mayo - flax grower in 1796 (no other family connections) so could be the one to leave and start a family in Co Clare, possibly the father of

Edmond of Poulataggle, Co Clare, father of

- Michael of Poulataggle (this is possibly Ned) 

- Martin of Abbeyknockmoy

- David of Beagh and Derry (on MacNevin's Estates)

See more on the Joynts in Notes on Joynt family below.

Notes on Ashfield Demesne and the parish of Beagh

Ashfield Demesne 1840 survey notes

Ashfield Demesne (Irish: Eadar-gabhail)

By. Surveyors Sketch Map

Rev. Michl. O'Shaughnessy, P.P.

Wm. Bell, Barony Constable

Proprietor Daniel McNevin, Esq., Middle Gardiner Street No. 8, Dublin.  

A portion of this townland is let to 17 rent paying tenants at will at the yearly rent of 30s per acre.  County Cess 3/5 per acre.  Tithe withheld by the tenants.  Size of farms from 1 to 4 acres.  Soil good.  Usual crops:- wheat, oats and potatoes.  Prevailing names Welsh and Fahy.  Fuel scarce. Chiefly under plantation and some more under grazing cattle, Ashfield House, offices and orchard.  This townland superintended by Patrick Fahy, Acting Agent.  Part of Loughaweck, in which there is an Island.  Part of Collinan's Lough on the boundary of this townland. Perch, pike and eel in this Lough.  Shanaglish new and old Roman Catholic Chapels in this townland.  Authority John Lally and Pat Fahy townland Ashfield.

MacNevin and the Blake-Forsters 

In 1813, MacNevin married into the Blake-Forster family who had held the estate at Ashfield up until the 1830s. MacNevin and his wife Emily lived at Ashfield House (also known as Cloneene) in the 1830s. Francis Forster first obtained the Clooneene/Ashfield property by Royal grant from Charles II dated 18 Aug 1677. The Forster family also had an estates in Abbeyknockmoy, and houses at Rathorpe and later at Fiddaun as well as in county Clare in the parishes of Kilfenora and Drumcreehy. Francis Forster, who inherited the estate in 1752, married Anastasia Blake of Menlough and the family became known as Blake-Forster. Lands from the McNevin estate were offered for sale in the Encumbered Estates court in December 1853. The owner was Daniel McNevin, a minor. Ashfield later came into the French family.

From Topographical Dictionary of Ireland by Samuel Lewis; London, 1837:

BEAGH, or ST. ANNE'S, a parish, in the barony of Kiltartan, county of Galway, and province of Connaught, containing, with part of the post-town of Gort, 5343 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the confines of the county of Clare, and on the road from Galway and Loughrea to Ennis. A monastery of the third order of Franciscans was founded here about the year 1441, but by whom is unknown: in an inquisition of the 28th of Elizabeth it is denominated a cell or chapel, and its possessions appear to have consisted of half a quarter of land, with its appurtenances and tithes, which had been long under concealment. The parish comprises 12,331 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act, and there is some bog; agriculture is improved, and there is good limestone. The seats are Loughcooter Castle, that of Viscount Gort; Cregg House, of F. Butler, Esq.; Ballygaagen of W. Butler, Esq.; Ashfield, of D. McNevin, Esq.; Castle Lodge, of C. Lopdell, Esq.; river View, of Mrs. Lopdell; Sallymount, of J. Butler, Esq.; Prospect, of Mrs. Nolan; Rhyndifin, of E. Blaquiere, Esq.; Rose Park, of __ Hugo, Esq.; and Rose Hill of A. Keeley, Esq. Large fairs for cattle, sheep and pigs are held at the village of Tobberindony, on July 12th, and September 20th. Is is a vicarage, in the diocese of Kilmacduagh, united with part of the rectory, and forming part of the union of Ardrahan; the remaining portion of the rectory is appropriate to the see. The tithes amount to 218.1.6 pounds of which 38.15.41/2 pounds is payable to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, and 179.6.11/2 pounds to the incumbent. The R.C. parish is co-extensive with that of the Established Church: the chapel is a plain building but a new one is about to be erected on a site given by D. McNevin, Esq. There are six hedge schools in the parish, in which are about 340 children. Here are the remains of the ancient castles of Fidane and Arddameilivan; those of the former are in good preservation and very massive. At a place called the Punch-bowl, the Gurtnamackin river first disappears underground.

Griffiths valuation, heads of households, 1850

DERRY

Martin Marlborough George Marlborough Anne Flanagan  Martin Marlborough Patrick M'mahon John Halloran Thomas Lewis Catherine Carroll

Michael M'Dermott George Crowe  John Harte  Martin Deely

David Joint  Mary Fahy  Michael M'Dermott Thomas Loughnane

Patrick Hinchy  Denis Glynn  Mary Fahy  Lawrence Monahan

Michael Deely  Francis Fahy  Mary Fahy  Michael Fogarty

Michael Kane

I am wondering if one of these Mary Fahys could be John Fahy's wife, (nee Joint) living with family, perhaps due to John working on several of these estates as a gamekeeper. Mary may have become widowed around this time.  

In 1850, John and Mary would have been about 50-60 years of age, while their three known children, Patrick aged 20, Bridget and Martin aged 25, had possibly already left for Dublin (and beyond).

David Joint b. 1800 had a daughter Mary, b. around 1830 so she couldn't be the mother of Patrick, Martin and Bridget. David is most likely their uncle, and Mary's brother or cousin. Bridget is perhaps named after her aunt, David's wife.

Earlier in 1834, there is a record of a John Fahy in Kinvara, along with a Ned Joint (see record below). I have yet to put more research into the distances between Cahercum, Kinvara Newtown North and Rose Park Ashfield, to determine whether this could be our John Fahy and to find out how Ned Joint is related to the family.

1834 - List of Inhabitants of Kinvara, Duras and Killina

Cahercum (Kinvara parish, Galway)

Edmond Kilkelly Ned Joint  N/R Cusack  Patt Lally

John Fallon  Patt Cahel  John Hynes  Martin Coan

John Fahy

There is a record of a Mary Joynt in the Grangegorman Female Prison, Dublin, Ireland in 1879, (born Gort) possibly David Joynt's daughter, or possibly our missing Mary. Will investigate this further...

The Fahy line in Beagh

The following strands may hold further clues for joining the dots. 

In 1840, The Ashfield townland agent, who managed the tenants, was a Pat Fahy.  This may be an uncle or cousin, rather than our Patrick, who was born 1830.

In 1754 there was a Pat Fahy of some status in the same area. A Patrick Fahy married an Elizabeth Butler, daughter of James Butler and Mary O'Shaughnessy, in 1754, according to the peerage website. He lived at Shangalish, Galway, Ireland. Shangalish was another name for the parish of Beagh.

(http://thepeerage.com/p36173.htm#i361724)

There is a Pat Fahey working as a land agent earlier in 1697, for Colonel Burke who leased the land to Colonel Eyre somewhere in Galway. He was arrested seizing Eyre's cattle, which he did accidentally as payment for unpaid rent by another tenant. He was subsequently was fired from his position by his employer, Burke. (Jerome Fahey's History and Antiquities of the Dioscese of Kilmacdaugh)

Griffiths Valuation (1845-1855)

Beagh

Fahy             Edmund             Fiddaun                            Beagh     Galway

Fahy             Francis            Derry                              Beagh     Galway

Fahy             Margaret           Ballyboy                           Beagh     Galway

Fahy             Mary               Derry                              Beagh     Galway

Fahy             Roger              Fiddaun                            Beagh     Galway

Joint            David              Ashfield Demesne                  Beagh     Galway

Joint            David              Derry                              Beagh     Galway

Ballynakill

Fahy            Anne                  Dooros                                  Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Anne, Jr.             Dooros                                  Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Anne, Sr.             Dooros                                  Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Catherine             Laggoo                                  Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Eleanor               Carrownagannive                         Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Francis               Dooros                                  Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Francis               Main St.                                Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Honor                 Dooros                                  Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Honoria               Derryoober East                         Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Hugh                  Ussey                                   Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            James                 Alleendarra West                        Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            James                 Coolfin                                 Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            James                 Derryvunlam                             Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            James                 Dooros                                  Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            James                 Rostollus                               Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            James                 Springlawn                              Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            John                  Acres                                   Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            John                  Derrygill                               Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            John                  Knockaunbaun                            Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            John                  Knockmoyle, East                        Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            John                  Liss                                    Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            John                  Lissaniska                              Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            John                  Looscaun                                Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            John                  Newtown North                           Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            John                  Toorleitra                              Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Jonathan              Dooros                                  Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Lawrence              Coolfin                                 Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Martin                Cuilleen                                Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Martin                Newtown North                           Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Mary                  Dooros                                  Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Matthew               Drummin                                 Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Michael               Cloonmoylan                             Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Michael               Cuilleen                                Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Michael               Drummin                                 Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Michael               Knockmoyle, East                        Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Michael               Lecarrow South                          Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Michael               Looscaun                                Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Michael               Moyglass                                Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Michael               Newtown North                           Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Murtagh               Drum                                    Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Patrick               Castlegar                               Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Patrick               Cloonmoylan                             Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Patrick               Derrycrag                               Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Patrick               Dooros                                  Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Patrick               Islands in Islandagu                    Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Patrick               Knockauncarragh                         Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Patrick               Main St.                                Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Patrick               Three Islands,Inishdala                 Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Patrick               Ulicksmountain                          Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Patrick               Woodford                                Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Patrick, Jr.          Dooros                                  Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Patrick, Sr.          Dooros                                  Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Roger                 Faartan                                 Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Simon                 Dooros                                  Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Thaddeus              Drum                                    Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Thomas                Ballydaly                               Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Thomas                Coolfin                                 Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Thomas                Cuilleen                                Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Thomas                Loughatorick North                      Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Thomas                Newtown North                           Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Thomas                Toorsmuttaun                            Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Thomas, Jr.           Alleendarra West                        Ballynakill     Galway

Fahy            Thomas, Sr.           Alleendarra West                        Ballynakill     Galway

Joynt           Richard               Conicar                                 Ballynakill     Galway

Abbeyknockmoy

Fahy            Anne             Cooloorta                Abbeyknockmoy     Galway

Fahy            John             Moher                    Abbeyknockmoy     Galway

Fahy            Joun             Feagh West               Abbeyknockmoy     Galway

Fahy            Margaret         Feagh West               Abbeyknockmoy     Galway

Fahy            Margaret         Firpark                  Abbeyknockmoy     Galway

Fahy            Martin           Feagh East               Abbeyknockmoy     Galway

Fahy            Michael          Derreen                  Abbeyknockmoy     Galway

Fahy            Patrick          Brierfield (Toole)       Abbeyknockmoy     Galway

Fahy            Patrick          Feagh West               Abbeyknockmoy     Galway

Fahy            William          Feagh West               Abbeyknockmoy     Galway

Joint           Patrick          Ballynakilla             Abbeyknockmoy     Galway

Joint           Patrick          Pollawarla               Abbeyknockmoy     Galway

Notes on The Joynt / Joint Family 

David Joint family record (Cathy Joynt Labath)

David Patrick JOYNT b c.1800 in Gort, Galway, Ireland, and died Abt. 1870 in Dubuque Co. Iowa.

Bridget Anne MCDERMOTT  (born c.1800 in Gort, d. 1869 in Dyersville,  Iowa

Married c.1818 in Gort, Galway Ireland. 

 (Source: Homestead papers of Michael Joynt, son.). 

Children:

i. WINIFRED JOYNT (-?-)

ii. BRIDGET JOYNT (1830-1918)

iii. MARY JOYNT (1832/33-?)

iv. ANNE JOYNT (1836/37-1914)

v. PATRICK JOYNT (1839-1920)

vi. MARGARET JOYNT (1843-1913)

vii. JOHN JOYNT, (1845-1912)

viii. HONORA JOYNT(1846-1876)

ix. CATHERINE JOYNT (1847-1931)

x. MICHAEL JOYNT (1851-1918)

Also in Kinvara 

Ned Joint (short for Michael) 1834 (in Cahercum)

And baptisms  at Killina, Kinvara:

Michael Lee and Mary Joint same generation as David, parents of 

Michael Joint, b 1843

John, b. 1845

Mary, b. 1847

... And others 

Clare Journal Jan 13 1851

Clare Assizes

David Joint, John Geogan, Margaret Geogan and Martin Joint were indicted
 for an assault and rescue of cattle seized for rent by Mr.Kerin, agent. Not
 guilty - it having been proved by a policeman who was present that the 
seizure was made before sunrise. [Probably not guilty because rent was technically not due until after sunrise
 of a certain day.]

She has surmised from records that an Honor Joynt is David's mother, and possibly Mary's mother as she sponsored births of family and friends at Abbeyknockmoy and Beagh parish, and that she came from Abbeyknockmoy parish to live with David after 1850. 

Sources: 

https://familysearch.org

http://www.celticcousins.net 

Cathy Joynt Labath - http://www.celticcousins.net/joynt/descendants_of_david_joynt.htm

http://landedestates.nuigalway.ie 

http://thepeerage.com
https://canisgallicus.wordpress.com/2015/03/26/publication-family-history-galway-vindicator-1866-the-odonnellan-ffrench-blake-forsters/

Griffiths Valuations, 1840-50 http://www.failteromhat.com/galway.htm

Topographical Dictionary of Ireland by Samuel Lewis; London, 1837

Robert Sangster-Rait, The Story of an Irish Property, p9.

Maps of Galway, 1840 

Papers Past, NZ

Irish and New Zealand Electoral Rolls

Irish and Australian Shipping lists

Les Fahey