Michael5 Mick Feury & Catherine Normile had the following family:
(i) Thomas Michael6 ‘Buddy’, Feury (son of Michael5 Mick Feury & Catherine Normile) b. 1909 and died October 26th 1993 at St. Ita’s Hospital, Newcastle West. Thomas married Ellen Liston, Dirreen, b. circa 1912 and died at Glenagragra, October 15th 1989. Both interred at Kilfergus Cemetery, Glin.
Mikie Kinnane, Glenagragra/Scort was telling me that Buddy and Mikie’s mother Kate O’Donnell were 2nd cousins. The O’Donnells came from Park, Clounleharde/Kilcoleman and later went to live at Ballycormack/Knocknaboula. (Buddy’s grandmother was Joan O’Donnell)
Michael O’Donnell, a descendant of the above was married to Mary Kilmartin from Rooskagh. This was Michael’s second marriage having previously wed Catherine McInerney daughter of Paddy McInerney & Nora Fennell from Tullyleague. Michael O’Donnell and Mary Kilmartin lived on the Ardagh road just outside Newcastle West. Mary had three brothers – Mikie, Patie & Johnny Kilmartin. My wife Vera new all the Kilmartin’s very well. Mikie Kilmartin was the only one of the brothers to marry. He married Mary Sheahan and had the following family: John, Morgan, Bill, Mickey, Mary, Nora, Ann, Peg & Eileen Kilmartin.
The old Feury homestead stood immediately to the rear of the present house. I remember it well, it had mud walls and there was a large crack on its eastern gable-end, it having been struck by lightning many years earlier. Buddy Feury inherited the music and song from his forebears and won many medals and trophies at several Fleadh Cheoil’s. He had what was known as the Sliabh Luacra style of playing although he used to say he brought the music from Clare. He got much of his tutorship from Hannie Long of Turraree.
I remember well an occasion circa 1970, when I was detailed to go drawing out ‘dung’ (farmyard manure) for Buddy or Buddy as he was affectionately known. The ‘dung’ had to be loaded onto the trailer with pitch forks, no mechanical means back then, and by mid-day I had my fill of it. No sooner had we the dinner ate than I turned to Buddy, who was seated at the top of the table and said -: forget the shit Buddy, take down the fiddle and give us one blast of ‘’The Mountain Road’’. His good wife Nell R.I.P. turned ‘round, looked at her husband and said -: ‘’Jesus Bud’ did you ever hear the like of it and we having men hired for the day’’. I think Buddy and myself were two of a kind for not alone did he adhere to my request but played not one, but several tunes that same afternoon in his own inimitable style. Of course I never did believe in ‘all work and no play’ and still don’t.
Buddy Feury was telling me of an incident that happened a few years before my grandaunt Margaret Langan Higgins died. Word was sent to him to call on Margaret when ever he’d get a chance and to bring the fiddle with him. Buddy assumed that she must have had some musician visitor staying with her and that this person wanted to play a few tunes. Anyway he arrived at the house with fiddle under his arm to find nobody there except Margaret herself. ‘Did you bring it?’ asked Margaret. ‘I did’, replied Buddy, ‘but who’s going to play?’. ‘I am’ says she and with that she took up the fiddle and proceeded to play a blast of a tune leaving Buddy standing spellbound in the middle of the floor. It was only at that point and time he reliased she could play. I said to Buddy, ‘I suppose it was a blast of ‘Fr. Halpin’s Topcoat’ that she gave you’. He looked at me and in a whisper replied, ‘Bunker Hill’. Moreover, as all music lovers will know ‘Bunker Hill’ is a very tricky three-part reel.
Buddy came 1st in fiddle competition at Athea Fleadh Cheoil on May 8th 1983. 1st place duet with his neighbour Donie Lyons (flute), Athea Fleadh Cheoil, May 20th 1984. He won the Padraig O’Caoimh cup in Scartaglen in 1988. Took honours in the duet competition at Glin Fleadh 1988, once again teaming up with his neighbour Donie Lyons who was on concert flute.
Buddy was great friends with Padraig O’Cearbhaill (Carroll) from Glin. Padraig was principal at the vocational school in Abbeyfeale during my day’s going there, 1965/68. and Buddy told many a story of their journeys to competitions and wren parties together. As already stated, Buddy was a renowned fiddle-player and won numerous medals at competitions throughout west Limerick and north Kerry. Buddy won his first Munster trophy at Foynes in 1941 in a competition organised by Padraig among others. The two cycled to Foynes on that Sunday and as faith might have it Buddy got a puncture passing Mount Trenchard and with no kit to mend it, he continued his journey and back again to Glin, cycling on the rim, destroying both tube and tyre in the process.
On another occasion Padraig was teaching Irish classes in Athea and Buddy cycled in to meet him and to have a few drinks afterwards. It so happened that there was a wren dance that same night at Maurice (Mosseen) O’Connor’s in Ballygoughlin and the two of them on their bicycles, headed for the party, Buddy having the fiddle with him in Athea. They started out for home the following morning and Padraig said he’d accompany Buddy as far as Ballyguiltenane cross. Just as they were about to mount their bicycles, who did they see arriving on horseback from the direction of Ballygoughlin Schoolhouse, only the curate from Glin. Dances as such were strictly forbidden at that time by the Catholic church. Without a word, Buddy hopped on his bicycle and left Padraig to deal with the wrath of the priest. ‘Is that Feury off there’ said the curate to Padraig, he knew well what was going on. Indeed, Padraig wasn’t one bit concerned or unsettled by the priest’s arrival.
http://historicgraves.com/kilfergus/li-kfgs-0003/grave
FEURY FAMILY, LACKYLE NORTH, LABASHEEDA, CO. CLARE & GLENAGRAGRA, GLIN, CO. LIMERICK, MULVIHILL FAMILY, AUGHRIM, MOYVANE, CO. KERRY, DILLANE FAMILIES, KINARD & KILLEANEY, GLIN, BY GEORGE LANGAN. | A topnotch WordPress.com site
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