57 replies to this topic

[Neddsir]

I am looking for information on a family of brothers called Furey from Loughrea in Co Galway. It is reported that they lost a large number of brothers in WW1. I only found one Alick Furey 4240 Age 18 Connaught Rangers killed 7/4/1915. I am lead to believe that SEVEN altogether were killed in WW1. Is this true? This is out of my scope. So can anyone with more experience look this up?

Thanks in advance.

Ned

[sotonmate]

Ned

On CWGC website only Alec bears his family details. There are others with a possible link to the family,which you might be able to get a check of from the Soldiers Died in the Great War (SDGW). They are all with the FUREY surname:

Bernard. 2976 Royal Irish Rifles. Died 25.9.1915.
Thomas.28288 Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. Died 27.1.1917.
John.4735 Connaught Rangers and 61907 Machine Gun Corps.Died 11.7.1917.
There are no sailors shown with the name FUREY.

Sotonmate

[marine pete]

I am looking for information on a family of brothers called Furey from Loughrea in Co Galway. It is reported that they lost a large number of brothers in WW1. I only found one Alick Furey 4240 Age 18 Connaught Rangers killed 7/4/1915. I am lead to believe that SEVEN altogether were killed in WW1. Is this true? This is out of my scope. So can anyone with more experience look this up?

Thanks in advance.

Ned

The ONLY TWO Brothers are Felix and Joseph
L/Cpl Felix Furey 13481 Lancashire Fusiliers Kia 20/4/1918
Pte Joseph Furey 3949 South Lancashire Regiment Kia 15/8/1916.

                                                   Peter.

[rob elliott]

Hello Ned,

This is a bit of a coincidence as about three weeks ago i came across a small mention of the brothers in a newspaper and i was wondering wether to post the same query but as its not my particular location of research was hesitant.
Anyway, the article appeared in the Londonderry Sentinel-

'Six Brothers Killed in Action'
News has reached Londonderry of the death from wounds received in action of Pte William Furey, of the Inniskilling Fusiliers.
Pte Furey was a native of Loughrea, County Galway.
There were eight brothers in the army. and six of them have now fallen in the present war.
Four were in the Connaught Rangers, two in the Royal Irish Fusiliers and one in the Royal Irish Rifles.
Their mother is a widow.

This was dated after June 1917 as the main section relates to Messines.

At the time i checked the 1911 census for the Connaught Rangers barracks and there was one Furey stationed there.

Rob

[Chris_Baker]

If it is of any interest I have full details of a Michael Furey, born at Labasheeda, County Clare.

[rob elliott]

Chris,

Since my post just had a quick search, found a Michael that looks ok for Galway, Connaught Rangers.
From the ones that seem suitable as possible brothers with those Regiments, one was a POW, one discharged wounded and it appears two may [post war] had medals forfeited.
Although no William.

Rob

[Neddsir]

Thanks everyone for looking this up. I came across a piece on a website called An Fear Rua in which someone states that " a traveller family called Furey from Bride St Loughrea Co Galway had lost 10 brothers (or family) combined in WW1 and WW2".

I find this a bit hard to take in as it would have to be on record somewhere, one would think. But I was informed by a source I can't elaborate on at present that it was believed that 7 brothers perished in WW1. It was said that they had a strong connection to the Connaught Rangers. But again surely the Connaught Rangers Association would know of this? I have been on their site many times and never seen anything about this. I am baffled.

If true this would be astonishing.

Ned

[murrough]

I have looked into this before and I will let people make up their own minds but I am sceptical about this story.One of the brothers William Furey 9996 of the Inniskilling Fusiliers is listed on Ancestry  as William Fuery from Loughrea,his Record makes interesting reading as he was a bit of a Walter Mitty.while in hospitial he claimed to have won the VC,DCM,MM,Legion of Honour and Russian Cross of St.George.There is a letter in the SR from the hospitial  CO to the Skins records office to inquire about the matter.He was entitled to none of them.He was also declared a deserter 6/4/17 even though he was declared DOW in the papers and was later arrested while hiding  at home in Loughrea.Only three brothers are listed on his Service Records..He had also deserted in 1915 to get married and suffered a GSW to the foot 8/11/18 and had his foot amputated.All in all I think the story mushroomed during the war years and with the situation in post war Ireland it was not verified or confirmed.Other members should look at the SR as I could not decipher everything.Mary Fuery (sic)of Bride ST is declared as his mother on the SR so I am sure its the right family.
Regards,  
Murrough.

[mhifle]

Hello Ned,

This is a bit of a coincidence as about three weeks ago i came across a small mention of the brothers in a newspaper and i was wondering wether to post the same query but as its not my particular location of research was hesitant.
Anyway, the article appeared in the Londonderry Sentinel-

'Six Brothers Killed in Action'
News has reached Londonderry of the death from wounds received in action of Pte William Furey, of the Inniskilling Fusiliers.
Pte Furey was a native of Loughrea, County Galway.
There were eight brothers in the army. and six of them have now fallen in the present war.
Four were in the Connaught Rangers, two in the Royal Irish Fusiliers and one in the Royal Irish Rifles.
Their mother is a widow.

This was dated after June 1917 as the main section relates to Messines.

At the time i checked the 1911 census for the Connaught Rangers barracks and there was one Furey stationed there.

Rob

Hi,
   The man on the 1911 Census is 3859 Private John Joseph Furey aged 17. (18 on 31 July 1911)

Enlisted 31 Jan 1911 into the 3rd Battalion and was then discharged on 6 Oct 1911 to join the Regular Army, 1st Battalion The Connaught Rangers with no.10261.

Then discharged 8 June 1916. (King George V Hospital, Dublin)

Regards Mark

[Neddsir]

The plot gets thicker on this story. I am really sceptical on this one, but it is a runner as they say. Please do not pick me up wrong. I don't want to sound critical or the dreaded P.C. but the fact that the Furey family came from a traveller background tends to lend itself to other connotations. As the families from such a background came from very large family circles. Which could mean that the story may have (some) merit.

Could it be that some of the men involved served under aliases for instance? I tried to contact the Connaught Ranger Association but no word from them,yet.

Ned

[murrough]

I do think that it is quite feasible  that a large number of the Furey  brothers served in the war,its the number of  casualties I have a problem with,William Furey was always previously accepted as one of the brothers who was a  casualty, but his SR shows he survived the war and was not killed in 1917 but was hiding in Loughrea until arrested by the authorities.This for me casts doubt on the whole 6/7 brothers killed in the war story.Another problem will be to verify official birth christian names and the names used everyday by travelling families,I have seen instances where families will have names like Pat, Pat Joe, Patrick, for the same group of siblings,nicknames and petnames are widely used in travelling families.I have had a quick look at the 1911 census and there are Fuery families listed for the Hill and one person at Bride Street in Loughrea, and another large family in another town called Mountbellew,maybe cousins? Confusion in records seems to stem from;
1. The similarity between the names Furey and Fuery
2.Alick Fuery 4240 CR is listed as Furey on CWGC and Fuery on SDGW from Bride ST Loughrea.
3.Francis Fuery 4236 and Patrick Fuery 2132 both CR are listed correctly on CWGC and SDGW,both From Mountbellew Co.Galway
  I believe these two men are brothers.
4.Alick Fuery/Furey was called Malachy in local papers at the time.
5.There is a Malachy Fuery listed in the census at the Hill,Loughrea but no Alick Furey or Fuery listed.Malachy was 14 in 1911 so the age fits.

I will come back to this later as my head is starting to hurt and I'm going to the Galway Races.;

[Neddsir]

I do think that it is quite feasible that a large number of the Furey brothers served in the war,its the number of casualties I have a problem with,William Furey was always previously accepted as one of the brothers who was a casualty, but his SR shows he survived the war and was not killed in 1917 but was hiding in Loughrea until arrested by the authorities.This for me casts doubt on the whole 6/7 brothers killed in the war story.Another problem will be to verify official birth christian names and the names used everyday by travelling families,I have seen instances where families will have names like Pat, Pat Joe, Patrick, for the same group of siblings,nicknames and petnames are widely used in travelling families.I have had a quick look at the 1911 census and there are Fuery families listed for the Hill and one person at Bride Street in Loughrea, and another large family in another town called Mountbellew,maybe cousins? Confusion in records seems to stem from;
1. The similarity between the names Furey and Fuery
2.Alick Fuery 4240 CR is listed as Furey on CWGC and Fuery on SDGW from Bride ST Loughrea.
3.Francis Fuery 4236 and Patrick Fuery 2132 both CR are listed correctly on CWGC and SDGW,both From Mountbellew Co.Galway
I believe these two men are brothers.
4.Alick Fuery/Furey was called Malachy in local papers at the time.
5.There is a Malachy Fuery listed in the census at the Hill,Loughrea but no Alick Furey or Fuery listed.Malachy was 14 in 1911 so the age fits.

I will come back to this later as my head is starting to hurt and I'm going to the Galway Races.;

Hi Murrough It is a mess and I tend to agree with you. I have experience of meeting traveller families and you are right the way that kids are named is unbelieveable. Now get you down to Ballybrit and get yourself on a few winners. Here by the way any tips going for later in the week? Good luck against the real enemy them bookies.

Ned

[Neddsir]

Further to my last post. Tonight on our local news program there was a story about the WW1 Furey brothers. The ex Donegal T.D. Paddy Harte was talking about them and it would seem he suggests the story has merit. He also said that the family is connected to the Furey Bros folk group from Dublin. So the plot continues. He claims that 6 and maybe 7 brothers died. I await further reaction.

Ned

[mhifle]

Hi,

3859 Private John Joseph Furey was from St Nicholas, Galway.

Next of kin: Mother Rose Furey,
Henry St W, Galway

Regards Mark

[mhifle]

Hi,
    Looking at his later service record with the Regular Army it looks like he has two brothers serving with the Connaught Rangers

or one brother and one brother in law.

Regards Mrak

Attached Files

•  furey.JPG   32K   2 downloads

[murrough]

This could run and run.Alick AKA Malachy Furey/Fuery joined the CR in 1913 declaring himself to be 18.His Mic says Alexander Fuery army no.4240.

He was KIA 1915 and his effects were sent to his mother Mary of Woodbine Cottage, the Hill, Loughrea.

Later in the SR the family adress is Bride St, Loughrea.I will try and attach a page from his SR later.

I have also come across Thomas Fuery CR 10556 listed as POW on his Mic.Could this be a brother who was thought dead but survived?Mother mentions 1 son POW in news paper article.see following posts.

As far as I recall the original Newspaper article was written in mid 1917,surely someone could look up all deaths with the surnames Furey/Fuery before

this period which may shed a whole new light on this story.

[murrough]

fuery

Attached Files

•  alick2.jpg   49.12K   9 downloads

[murrough]

Alick Fuery 4240 CR.  SR states 6 brothers with 4 in the army and home adress Bride St, Loughrea.

[mhifle]

Hi,
     List from SDGW

Regards Mark


Bernard Furey Derry  25 Sep 1915 Royal Irish Rifles  

Frederick Furey Boyle, Roscommon  11 Aug 1915 Manchester Regiment  

Joseph Furey Warrington, Lancs  15 Aug 1916 Prince of Wales's Volunteers (South Lancashire Regiment)  

John Furey Oranmore, CO. Galway  11 Jul 1917 Machine Gun Corps    

Felix Furey Warrington, Lancs  20 Apr 1918 Lancashire Fusiliers  

Walter Ewart Furey Birmingham  24 Mar 1918 Lincolnshire Regiment

[mhifle]

Hi,
     From CWGC
Regards Mark


1  FUREY , ALICK  Private 4240 07/04/1915  18 Connaught Rangers United Kingdom I. A. 10. RUE-DU-BACQUEROT No.1 MILITARY CEMETERY, LAVENTIE
2  FUREY , BERNARD  Rifleman 2976 25/09/1915  Unknown Royal Irish Rifles United Kingdom Panel 9. PLOEGSTEERT MEMORIAL
3  FUREY , FELIX  Lance Corporal 13481 20/04/1918  21 Lancashire Fusiliers United Kingdom Panel 54 to 60 and 163A. TYNE COT MEMORIAL
4  FUREY , FREDERICK PATRICK  Private 2296 11/08/1915  25 Manchester Regiment United Kingdom Panel 158 to 170. HELLES MEMORIAL
5  FUREY , IGNATIUS  Private 1312 07/12/1915  19 Newfoundland Regiment Canadian V. D. 158. PORTIANOS MILITARY CEMETERY
6  FUREY , J  Regimental Serjeant Major 6905018 22/07/1921  Unknown Rifle Brigade United Kingdom 3032. WINCHESTER (WEST HILL) OLD CEMETERY
7  FUREY , JOSEPH  Rifleman 3949 15/08/1916  20 South Lancashire Regiment United Kingdom XI. C. 4. GUILLEMONT ROAD CEMETERY, GUILLEMONT
8  FUREY , JOHN  Private 61907 11/07/1917  Unknown Machine Gun Corps (Infantry) United Kingdom Panel 41. BASRA MEMORIAL
9  FUREY , THOMAS  Private 28288 27/01/1917  Unknown Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers United Kingdom Pier and Face 4 D and 5 B. THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
10  FUREY , WALTER EWART  Private 42402 24/03/1918  19 Lincolnshire Regiment United Kingdom Bay 3 and 4. ARRAS MEMORIAL

[murrough]

From the Irish Times 1917

Attached Files

•  Ar0031101.png   18.87K   1 downloads

[mhifle]

For the Name Fuery

Regards Mark

CWGC

1  FUERY , FRANCIS  Private 4236 03/08/1917  24 Connaught Rangers United Kingdom Panel 42. YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL
2  FUERY , P  Private 2132 26/06/1916  Unknown Connaught Rangers United Kingdom I. B. 10. ST. PATRICK'S CEMETERY, LOOS


SDGW

Alick Fuery Loughreo, CO. Galway  7 Apr 1915 Connaught Rangers  

Patrick Fuery Mount Bellew, CO. Galway  26 Jun 1916 Connaught Rangers  

Francis Fuery Mount Bellew, CO. Galway  3 Aug 1917 Connaught Rangers  

[murrough]

John Furey 61907 KIA 1917 could be one of the brothers as he was formerly 4735 CR and Oranmore is not too far from Loughrea ,maybe an older married brother?
There is no mention of William in the press cutting and only 5 casualties are suggested.

[murrough]

page from William's SR.

Attached Files

•  fu.jpg   91.2K   4 downloads

[Neddsir]

There is an elephant in the room in that the name Furey is spelt in different ways. But the paper report from 1917 seems to give this some legs.

But to be frank I am totally confused. Sorry.

Ned