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FAHEY Family History

This interesting surname, with variant spellings O' Fahy, O' Fa(u)ghy, O' Faye, Fahy and Faughy, is an Anglicized form of the old Gaelic O' Fathaigh. The Gaelic prefix "O" indicates "male descendant of"; plus the personal byname Fathaigh, deriving either from "fathach", a giant, or from "fothaigh", to support or sustain. This sept belonged almost exclusively to the ancient population group "Ui Maine" occupying mid Galway and south Roscommon Loughrea, Co. Galway, was the main centre of the sept, and their territory in that area was known as Pobal Mhuinter ui Fhathaigh i.e.