The late Jim Murphy of Dernaroy, a noted Gaelic footballer in his time and one time Newry and Mourne Councillor, was a pavhee most of his life.
Pahveeing was often a family tradition and this was so in Jim’s case. His mother was a Kearney whose father Patrick pahveed in Canada, Newfoundland, Australia and Tasmania. Jim, who was born in 1921, said it’s a business that gets into the blood; his own nephews, sons of his brother Peter took it up after him.
There were many Dromintee pahvees selling cloth in Belfast and elsewhere in the north of Ireland and overseas. Among them were the three Boyle brothers ‘from the bog’ at Carrickbroad, Tommy, Paddy and Seamus who pahveed in North America, as did Barney McKeever of Carrickasticken, Mickey Begley of Finnegan’s Cross and James McManus of Jonesboro.
Among those who pahveed in America and Canada were Peter Nugent and brothers Danny and John Rice who lived near Finnegan’s Cross. There father before them also pahveed in America. Other locals included Patsy and Tom Morgan of Jonesboro and also from there, Owen Moore who travelled all through America and Canada. Also from Jonesboro were the Aiken brothers Joe and Johnny. Tom Connolly of Faughil, now of Cloughogue, father of Peter and grandfather of Tommy of L
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