Hugh Lunney
Hugh Lunney, a member of our Fenian Memorial Committee of America Board of Advisors, a regular benefactor and a lifetime Irish republican, originally of Swanlibar, County Cavan, passed away on Thursday, February 18th, 2021.
Hugh was the renowned founder and owner of several Irish pubs in New York City, most recently O’Lunney’s Times Square Pub on 45th Street in Manhattan. All who knew him and loved him will grieve his loss. He was a generous, thoughtful, humorous and loyal man who politically longed for a united Ireland and who personally believed in the path of Divine Providence. He treated all with grace and respect. He will be missed terribly.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.
May his soul be on the right hand of God.
Tom Shannahan
Thomas Shannahan, long-time advisor for FMCA, passed away on September 2, 2021. As library director of the Adams Library in Central Falls, RI, Tom was part of the original research and commemorative group, “The Search for James Wilson, from the Catalpa to Central Falls,” which eventually became the FMCA.
He was known as a bright and committed historian and proud Irish-American and US veteran who was always willing to help our efforts at the Fenian Memorial Committee of America. I called him “a noble man” when I was told of his sudden death, and a noble man he was. He will be sorely missed.
Please keep Tom, his widow Judy and his family in your prayers.
Mike Morley
I had a lengthy conversation with Mike–asking for help as usual–two days before he suddenly passed away. After assuring me that he would indeed help us on a project, we wished each other a happy Father’s Day before ending the conversation. As we have often heard from pulpits and theologians, we never know the day nor hour…I and all the members of my family and the advisors of the Fenian Memorial Committee of America are shocked and deeply saddened by the loss of such a wonderful and graceful man. As one of our advisors, he never said “No” whenever we called him for help. We were from adjoining parishes in Brooklyn (Saint Theresa’s and Saint Joseph’s), but we never knew each other then. Years later, we met in Chicago because of our shared commitment to projects centered on Irish and Irish-American history and our desire for Irish freedom from English rule.
We will miss Mike’s honesty, his grace, his humor, his unquenchable curiosity and his kindness.
On behalf of my family and of the Fenian Memorial Committee of America, we send our condolences to Dorothy and all the kids and grand-kids.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam
George Thomas McLaughlin
Director
Fenian Memorial Committee of America
