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Fr William Ferris.
A TALK will take place on a very interesting priest who did much to preserve Irish culture and history in his home county and was a great supporter of Irish nationalism.
‘Giolla gan Eagla’: Fr William Ferris – fearless stalwart of the War of Independence in Kerry’ will be delivered by Tralee man Brendan McCarthy, editor of the recently published ‘Fr. Ferris’s Parish Histories’.
This talk will be given as part of the Roger Casement Gathering and will take place at 7.30pm on Friday, August 24 in Meadowlands Hotel, Tralee. Entry €5.
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Fr Ferris (1881-1971) was a native of Ratoo who studied at the Sem in Killarney and later in Maynooth. Ordained in 1906, he was a great believer in Irish nationalism, supporting the War Of Independence and later the treaty negotiated by Michael Collins and Arthur Griffith.
Later, while in Ballymacelligott, he recorded the history, stories and folklore of that area, but due to a dispute with the Bishop of Kerry back in 1933 over his assertion that St Brendan was born in Ballymac and not Fenit, he was refused permission to publish the book.
Local man Brendan McCarthy took up the mantle and 85 years later, the book, Fr William Ferris’ ‘History of the Parishes of BallymacElligott, Ballyseedy, O’Brennan and Nohoval’ was published.
