Kilkenny Obituary: Denis A Farrell, USA

Denis A Farrell passed away peacefully at his home in Roxboro, North Carolina on January 10, 2025, surrounded by his loving family.

Born on June 5, 1936, in Damerstown, County Kilkenny, Ireland, Denis was one of 12 children raised on a dairy farm by his parents, the late James and Margaret (née Deegan) Farrell.

At the age of 20, Denis left Ireland, venturing first to Canada and then to New York City, where he met his wife, Julie McDonnell, who had emigrated from Balla, County Mayo, Ireland.

He enjoyed the Irish community in NYC, where some of his siblings also emigrated. He served in the US Army National Guard and pursued a career with General Motors and later as an entrepreneur.

After over a decade in New York, Denis and Julie returned to Ireland with their four children in 1971.

They settled in Clara, County Kilkenny, and became proprietors of the Fox & Goose bar and restaurant.

Under Denis’ visionary leadership, the Fox & Goose grew into one of the county’s most popular destinations.

Shortly after welcoming a fifth child, the family experienced the heartbreaking loss of Julie to leukaemia. Denis later married Olive Kehoe, and together they had a child, bringing their blended family to six children.

Several years later, Denis and Olive decided to move the family back to the United States. They lived in Florida for many years and his real estate career blossomed as well as his love of renovating homes. He had a fondness for taking a sledgehammer to walls in the pursuit of his vision and we never knew if a wall might be missing or if a door had replaced a window by the time we got home from school.

Denis and Olive eventually became snowbirds, enjoying summers in the Catskill mountains and winters in Florida. In the Catskills, he spent many pleasant summers on his tractor gardening and improving the landscape.

In 2020, they decided to move to Roxboro, North Carolina and swap the snowbird life for lakeside life. He spent his time there boating on the lake and cutting the grass himself until very recently.

Denis is survived by his wife, Olive (née Kehoe); his children, Denise Frayman (Sandy), Stephen (Penny), Rosaleen (Larry), Niall, and Blanche Melamed (Guy); his ten grandchildren, Stephen, Julie, Kierra, Brady, Ryan, Emmitt, Ronan, Riley, Connor, and Dylan; and his great-grandchildren, Emerson, Liam, and Brianna. He is also survived by his brothers, Sean and Canice, and his sister, Sarah. He was predeceased by his son, Shane, and his grandson, Keegan.

A memorial service will be held in Kilkenny, Ireland later this year, with a date to be announced. - NF