Why Fahey Bank Honors Indigenous Peoples' Day

In 1847, Ireland was suffering through the darkest year of the Great Hunger. More than one million people would die, and many more would leave their homeland in search of survival.

Thousands of miles away, members of the Choctaw Nation heard about the suffering. 

The Choctaw people had endured forced removal from their ancestral homelands along the Trail of Tears. They were rebuilding their communities and government in what is now Oklahoma. They had experienced displacement, loss, and hunger themselves. 

Still, they chose to help. 

The Choctaw gathered all they could and sent it to support Irish families during the famine. It was an extraordinary act of generosity from people who had little to spare.

Their gift created a connection between the Choctaw and Irish people that continues today. 

Why We Care 

This history holds personal meaning for Fahey Bank because during the Great Hunger, a young Irishman named Timothy Fahey left Ireland and came to the United States. He later established Fahey Bank in 1863. The bank began inside his general store, where he painted “The Bank of Ireland” on a wall safe. 

Timothy built the bank by investing in people who were working toward a better future. He extended credit to local farmers. He served immigrants living in labor camps outside town. He supported entrepreneurs whose ideas helped build the community. 

He recognized value in people whom others often overlooked. 

More than 160 years later, Fahey Bank continues to carry that belief forward. We remain committed to serving people, strengthening communities, and supporting those who are working toward something better.

We cannot know whose life was directly affected by the Choctaw gift. We do know that Timothy Fahey survived the Great Hunger, came to America, and created the bank we serve today. For our bank, the histories of the Irish and Choctaw people are connected by a lesson we cannot forget: When people are suffering, compassion requires action. 

Observing Indigenous Peoples’ Day 

Indigenous Peoples’ Day gives us an opportunity to recognize the histories, cultures, resilience, and continuing contributions of Indigenous peoples. For Fahey Bank, it also provides a specific time to remember the Choctaw Nation’s generosity toward the Irish people. 

The Choctaw did not give because they had an abundance. They gave while rebuilding after their own devastating losses. They helped people from another country, culture, and faith because they saw human beings who were hungry. 

The relationship that began with that gift remains strong. Ireland and the Choctaw Nation have continued to honor one another through memorials, cultural exchanges, scholarships, and humanitarian support. The “Kindred Spirits” sculpture in Midleton, Ireland, and the “Eternal Heart” sculpture on the Choctaw Capitol grounds stand as permanent symbols of this friendship.

This story reminds us that generosity can continue long after a single gift is made. 

Paying Their Gift Forward 

Each year, Fahey Bank honors the Choctaw gift by supporting efforts that fight hunger. 

Past initiatives have included donations to organizations responding to severe hunger around the world, support for the Chahta Foundation, and contributions to organizations feeding people in the communities Fahey Bank serves. Fahey Bank has also invited others to participate through donation campaigns and matching efforts. 

This work reflects one of our core charitable priorities. Fahey Bank’s charitable giving program identifies hunger and housing as primary areas of focus and emphasizes trust, community, and compassion. 

Our goal is simple. We remember the gift. We honor the people who gave it. Then, we follow their example. Hunger remains a daily reality for families in our local communities and for people living through humanitarian crises around the world. No single organization can solve hunger alone. Every person and every gift can still make a difference. 

Together, We Can End Hunger 

The Choctaw people showed the world what it means to see someone else’s suffering and respond. Their gift crossed an ocean. It reached people they had never met. Nearly 180 years later, it continues to inspire compassion and action. 

This Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we invite you to join Fahey Bank in carrying that legacy forward. 

You can learn the story. You can share it with others. You can support organizations that provide food to people in need. You can volunteer with a local hunger-relief program. You can make a gift of any size. 

Every action matters. 

Together, we can honor the Choctaw Nation. Together, we can help our neighbors. Together, we can end hunger. 

Learn more about the Choctaw Nation and their history with the Irish by clicking the link below!