The McGaheys

The McGahey family traced so far come from County Antrim in Northern Ireland. Alex's father left there when World War II commenced and joined the Royal Artillery, (under age), and only went back for holidays thereafter.

He was born in Ballycastle, a small town on the North Antrim coast, and many years ago there were a lot of relatives still living in the town. Most have moved elsewhere now, but we are still in touch with a few of them. The pedigree that I have only goes back as far as about 1860 and a Thomas McGahey marrying Margaret Anne Deane.

The view towards Scotland from Ballycastle with Fairhead in the centre in about 1953 (the view is the same today).

I have been approached by many McGaheys via the internet from the USA, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, and always try to put them in touch with each other.

I have learned that there is a town in Virginia, USA, called Mcgaheysville that was founded by a Tobias Randolph McGahey in 1801, not a fact I knew but something worth passing on. I have now been told by a John McGahey who has visited the town in 1999 that Tobias was a surveyor from Scotland who arrived there that year, married and settled down as the first postmaster.

Photo of Tobias' headstone - © John McGahey 1999