Fahey Coat of Arms, Family Crest and Fahey Family History

Fahey Family History

The family history of the ancient name Fahey was found in the irishsurnames.com archives. The names Fahey and Fahy are almost exclusively County Galway names, though of course they can also be found in the areas bordering that County, such as North Tipperary as well as in County Dublin. These names are taken from the Gaelic O'Fathaigh sept who were a sept of the Ui Maine. The centre of their patrimony, which they held as proprietors up to the time of the Cromwellian upheaval and where most of them still dwell, is Loughrea. Their territory was known as Pobal Mhuintir ui Fhathaigh, meaning 'the country of the Fahys'. In some places the Gaelic name is anglicized as Faghy or Vahey instead of Fahey. Father Anthony Fahy, 1805-1871, was a famous Irish priest in Argentina. The Fahy Institute in that country was founded to commemorate him.The Fahey family crest (or coat of arms) came into existence many centuries ago. The process of creating these coats of arms began as early as the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this, including Ireland. The new more formalized art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own family crest, coat of arms, including Fahey descendants.