Fahy, Billy
October 01, 2013
Mr Billy Fahy, The Elms, Westport, who has died unexpectedly, was a well known craftsman whose work adorns many homes throughout Co Mayo and beyond. A native of Myna, Kilmeena, Westport, he was a cherished son of St Brendan's Parish and his great love for his native place never waned. He was aged 64 years and was son of the late Johnny and Kathleen Fahy.
Billy was a craftsman with many skills. In his working career he was noted for the quality of his plastering and coving skills, skills that are much in evidence in numerous homes and other buildings.
Billy was also a keen sportsman. In his early years he excelled as a Gaelic footballer and was one of those who proudly represented his beloved Kilmeena when they won their first West Mayo junior title in 1968. He later enjoyed a spell in the Mayo jersey in the 1968-69 league. Many players of his generation remember Billy as a tough bur fair opponent who bore no grudges and valued the importance of "the handshake" after each match that he played in.
His prowess as a sportsman was not confined to the football field. He was also renowned for his great athletic ability and was known to mop up many a gold medal at athletic events across Mayo and further afield. Young athletes aspiring for top honours at various athletic meetings often had to lower their sights to silver and bronze once they heard that Billy Fahy was among the competitors. As with all his achievements in life he took his sporting victories with little celebration and no small amount of humility. Despite being a multi-talented sportsman his first love was and always remained Gaelic football. His knowledge of the game was willingly imparted to young 'would-be' champions and he delighted in sharing his passion for football with local children. Many of those coached by him fondly remember his encouraging and generous nature that instilled such a love for football in them.
As Billy left his youth behind him he gradually took to more gentle forms of sporting activity and with his usual high success rate. He developed a keen interest in darts and nobody had a steadier hand in the game than Billy. He was the central figure in virtually every game that he played and he enjoyed repeated success on the local darts circuit. If you were a darts aficionado and you wanted to make progress in darts competitions the last player you wanted to meet along the way was one Billy Fahy from Westport. As with his other sports he wore his darts laurels lightly. Despite his prolific working and sporting talents it is probably fair to say that Billy was best known by everybody for his truly humble and unassuming nature, his great wit and humour and his impish sense of devilment. He loved the bit of fun and the 'craic' but they were never achieved at other people's expense. Billy truly respected everybody he met along life's pathway.
He was non-judgement in his dealings with others and believed in the goodness of all individuals. This endearing quality ensured he had a wide and diverse circle of friends and acquaintances. All who had the pleasure of knowing him will remember his open and gentle demeanour, his gift for a chat with people and his genuine interest in what they had to say.
For Billy, Kilmeena was the centre of the universe. He was immensely proud of his Kilmeena roots. The respect and esteem in which he was held by so many people was evident in the large numbers of sympathisers who attended his repose, removal and funeral mass.
He will be sadly missed by his wife Marion (nee Browne), sons John and Joe (Westport), daughters Lorraine and Nicola (both Mayour, Kilmeena, Westport), brother Tom Fahy (Pearse Terrace, Westport), sons-in-law Dermot Tiernan and Ivan Lyttle, grandchildren Luke, Aisling, Odhran, Ryan and Anna, brothers-in-law Willie Browne (Drimgarive, Carrowholly), Eddie Browne (Cricklewood, London), Jim Browne (Drimgarive, Carrowholly) and Peter Corcoran (Ealing, London), sister-in-law Helena Fahy (Pearse Terrace, Westport), nieces, nephews, cousins, extended family, neighbours and a very wide circle of friends. Billy was predeceased by his sister Mary Corcoran (Ealing, London) and Mary's daughter Fiona, his beloved niece.
Removal was from McGings Funeral Home, Westport to St Brendan's Church, Myna, Kilmeena where Fr Jim Walsh officiated at the reception ceremony. The concelebrants of Billy's Funeral Mass were Fr Jim Walsh, Fr Charlie McDonnell and Fr micheal MacGreil, SJ. Family members participated in the liturgy, reading the lessons and prayers of the faithful and bearing gifts to the alter. The funeral liturgy was beautifully enhanced by the singing of St Brendan's Church Choir. In the Mass homily many tributes were paid to Billy as family man, craftsman, sportsman and a man with a passionate love for his native place. A guard of honour drawn from Kilmeena GAA club and made up of former team players and friends gave a poignant parish farewell to Billy. He was laid to rest in Myna Cemetery, just literally across the road from the old Fahy family home. May his gentle and caring soul have peaceful rest. Ar dheis De go raibh a anam uasal.
- Mayo News, 1st October 2013
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