BERNARD McCAFFERY

Bernard McCaffery of Cutchogue, one of the oldest parishioners of the Sacred Heart Church loved and highly respected by everyone who knew him during his sixty-odd years of residence here, passed away at his home on Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 30th.

Mr. McCaffery was in his 89th year and until a few years ago was very active on his farm, where, when he first came here, he had bought a patch of woods and cleared away the trees and undergrowth. There he made his home at the corner of Bridge Lane and Middle Lane.

"Barney", as he was known to many of his friends, was born in Keemore Parish, Ockminny, in Co. Fermanagh, Ireland on Mar. 17, 1844. While still a very young man, he came to this country, and soon after his arrival, he married Mary Elizabeth Kane about 1872. They made their home here, rearing nine children. Mrs. McCaffery died when the youngest was five years old. The father brought up the nine children, brought them up to be fine men and women and he filled the roles of both father and mother to his family. At the time of his death, he was grandfather to 42 children, 38 of whom are living, and great-grandfather to 5 little ones.

Father John C. Brenner, pastor, was celebrant at the Requiem High Mass at the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church in Cutchogue. Father Joseph Reilly of St. Patrick's Church, Southold, was Deacon, and Father Zbawiony of Our Lady of Ostrabrama Church, Cutchogue, was subdeacon. A long procession of cars made its way to the Cemetery of the Sacred Heart, where the body was laid to rest by six of his grandsons: Francis and Eugene McCaffery, Martin McCaffery, Bernard and John Lenahan, and James McCaffery Jr. who acted as pallbearers. This was in accordance with Mr. McCaffery's wishes.

Long Island Traveler Thurs Dec 8, 1932 p1

Note: As I was transcribing from the newspaper in the Traveler office in 1982, one of the older staff members told me he remembered old Mr. McCaffery because when he was a boy the alarm would go out whenever Mr. McCaffery who was hard of hearing and sight decided to go hunting! -- JAS

Note: I have been unable to locate Keemore or Ockminny in Fermanagh. However, there is a townland called Teemore in the parish of Kinawly in the barony of Knockninny. The above obituary was probably based on oral tradition, since, according to census data, Barney could not read or write. Hence it is likely that Teemore was Barney's home town. On the negative side, Virginia McCaffery reports a tradition that Barney was born on an island on Lough Erne. Teemore isn't on an island. It is about two miles from Lough Erne, on low land amid the many lakes and streams that flow into Lough Erne.

Teemore had a population of 53 in 1851 and 33 in 1871, according to the 1871 census of Ireland. In 1871 Kinawly had about a 30% illiteracy rate and the Irish language had been virtually eradicated from Co. Fermanagh. -- EFS