Fógraí Bháis

Brian ‘Batt’ Rafferty

South Tyrone survivor of the ambush at Clady Bridge

SOUTH TYRONE republicans are mourning the demise of local republican Brian ‘Batt’ Rafferty at the age of 91 after a long illness, writes James Gildernew.
Brian, or ‘Batt’ as he was known to fellow active Volunteers, was born in Ann Street, Dungannon, in 1919 in a family of three girls (Patricia, Marian and Josephine) and two boys (Kevin and Brian).

Jack Webb and Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams

Jack Webb

Generous character of Ireland’s 32 bar, San Francisco

THE papers are calling him John, but everybody knew him as Jack – the one and only Jack Webb. Sadly, Jack passed away on the morning of June 29th 2010 at the age of 79 years.
Jack was born and raised in old San Francisco. Jack’s mother was the beautiful Esther. Jack’s father was John ‘Spider’ Webb, a San Francisco firefighter and former boxer around these parts. A reliable source reports that Jack too was pretty good with his fists. Jack worked for much of his adult life as a very popular and colourful San Francisco cop.

John Fogarty

Trade unionist and Irish American

Unity Conference activist

JOHN FOGARTY, long-time Irish-American activist, died on Wednesday July 7th 2010, in Stockton, California, after fighting a long battle with cancer, George Trainor of the Irish American Unity Conference writes.
John was born in the Bronx, New York, in 1946 to William and Helen Fogarty. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Carol.
He is survived by his sons, John Lynch, Sean Fogarty and Keith Phillips and his daughters, Shana Fogarty, Meghan, Heather (Tony) and Whitney MacKenzie, two brothers, Kenneth and William Fogarty, and one sister, Rita Angelopoulas.