Fr. Harry Feeney by Ronan Killeen

Fr. Harry Feeney (see Relatives and Friends of Galway 1916 https://www.facebook.com/Athenry2016/photos/pb.1462815837335683.-2207520000.1459940412./1676135819337016/?type=3&theater)

In the last few years I've been meaning to write about Fr. Harry Feeney who has appeared a lot in 1916 research. Fr. Henry (Harry) was a native of Twomileditch, Castlegar, Galway and was born on the 4th March 1889. He was ordained in college chapel  Maynooth on 21 June 1914 by Most Rev. John Harty Archbishop of Cashel.

He was appointed C.C. (Catholic Curate) in Kilcorman Parish (now Clarinbridge) immediately and was serving there at the time of the 1916 Rising.

   Fr. Feeney wrote to Fr. Tully P.P. (Parish Priest) Kilcornan on the 25th of April 1916 as follows:

Dear Fr. Tully,

                          I am going as a chaplain to the Volunteers force. Kindly attend the sick and all...in my absence.

I shall let you know in time if I can be back for Sunday Mass.

Yours,

             H.Feeney

Having joined the volunteers he was present at the taking of Moyode Castle & was there when Rev. Dr. Fahy (professor Maynooth & later UCG) brought news of the surrender of the Dublin rising. After the Easter Rising in 1916, Fr. Feeney hit with the Redemptionists at Esker and after some weeks of overland travel made his way to Mount Mellory Cistercian Monastery. A warrant was issued for his arrest at Gort on the 19 May 1916.

He was in bad health. Rev. Dr. Fahy appealed to General Maccready GOC Crown Forces Ireland for  clemency and a pardon was granted. Fr. Feeney. Fr. Feeney was appointed C.C. in Kilcummin (now Oughterard) but constant harrassment from Crown Forces and his poor health resulted in emigration to Los Angeles in 1921.
   He later served in Fruititia, Coloarado. Returning in 1922 he was appointed CC first in Moycullen; and later in Shrule. In 1924 he was appointed P.P. in Shrule.
    Fr. Feeney died on the 15th April 1945 in Shrule and is buried in Shrule Church grounds.


Note: I would like to thank archivist Tom Kilgarriff for information on the life of Fr.Feeney