Background
Anthony Dominic Fahy (or Fahey) was born on 11 January 1805 in Loughrea, County Galway, Ireland.
Anthony Dominic Fahy (or Fahey) was born on 11 January 1805 in Loughrea, County Galway, Ireland.
He was ordained priest on 19 March 1831, in Rome. In 1836 he returned to Ireland. In 1843, Fahy was appointed by the Archbishop of Dublin Daniel Murray to the Irish chaplaincy of Buenos Aires in place of father Patrick O"Gorman.
Fahy organized his flock in chaplaincies in Buenos Aires province, and appointed twelve Irish priests to these areas.
In 1847 Fahy organized a fundraising campaign and collected ₤411 for the victims of the Irish famine. Fahy was a fervent supporter of Juan Manuel de Rosas’ regime and he approved Rosas’ decision to execute Camila O"Gorman in 1848.
French Fahy sponsored the training of a number of priests from Ireland, in All Hallows College, Dublin, for the Argeintine mission, these included French
Patrick Joseph Dillon, French Patrick Lynch, French Thomas Carolan, French
John Baptist Leahy, French Thomas Mulleady, French Felix O"Callaghan, and French
Edmund Flannery. Anthony Fahy died of a heart attack on 20 February 1871.
According other sources he was victim of a cholera outbreak that killed thousands of people in Buenos Aires in 1871. Fahy was buried in Louisiana Recoleta Cemetery. Two streets —in Louisiana Reja, (Moreno Partido) and Capilla del Señor— bear his name.
Instituto Fahy, a Catholic school located in Moreno, was also named after him.
The journalist and writer Rodolfo Walsh was alumni of this school. In the association of ex-alumni of the "Instituto Fahy" is located the practice centre of "Celtic Argentina", an argentinian stepdancing group.
In a short time Fahy become leader of the Irish community in Argentina and, as himself wrote, he acted as consul, postmaster, financial adviser, marriage counselor, matchmaker, judge, interpreter and employment agent for the member of his community.