John Fahy (priest)

John Fahy (8 June 1893 – 19 July 1969) was an Irish priest, republican, agrarian and radical.

Fahy was born in the townland of Burroge, in the parish of Killeenadeema, Loughrea, County Galway. He was one of a number of sons of John Fahy, a strong farmer and fervent member of the Irish National Land League, and Honoria Davock. He was ordained on 28 September 1919, serving in Dundee, Scotland, between 1919 and 1921. He served as the chaplain for a battalion of the Irish Volunteers and involved himself with the Scottish nationalism movement. He supported Terence MacSwiney's fatal hunger strike, and traveled back to Ireland to attend the funeral of Michael Griffin (Irish priest) in November 1920. He was recalled to the diocese of Clonfert where he served as curate of Eyrecourt, Closetoken and Bullaun from 1921 to 1929.

From 1928, Fahy became involved with Peadar O'Donnell, who brought his campaign into east Galway. Fahy was arrested in 1929 on charges of obstructing a bailiff rescuing seized cattle. He refused to recognise the court, citing Irish republican legitimatism, and was imprisoned in Galway. This brought him to national attention, and raised important church-state issues. Fahy's bishop, John Dignan, invoked privilegium fori, allowing Fahy to submit to him. He was tried and sentenced to seven weeks already served, and released. Bishop Dignan transferred him back to Clostoken, where he would serve until 1932, and forbade him to publicly express political views. It is believed that the republican sympathies of Dignan and Monsignor John Bowes (Fahy's uncle), saved him from more serious consequences, despite Fahy's continued involvement in the IRA.

In 1945, he was transferred to Lusmagh, County Offaly, where in the late 1950s he was involved in rural agitation. Farms were burned, cattle seized, and five activists arrested were forcibly freed from Lusmagh Garda station, which led to the Gardaí raiding Fahy's house. He was moved to the parish of Abbey in Galway but remained active in republican circles until his death in 1969.

References
  • The stone of destiny: Father John Fahy (1894–1969), Brian S. Murphy, 2000
  • Killeenadeema Aille: History and Heritage/Stair agus Oidhreacht, ed. Pat O'Looney, Killeenadeema Historical and Heritage Society, 2009. ISBN 978-0-9561736-0-7
  • Dictionary of Irish Biography, p. 693, Cambridge, 2010
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