Joseph Mahon Senior 1867 - 1951
Joseph was born the youngest son in the townland of Ballymagroarty near Ballintra in County Donegal. His parents, Patrick and Mary had 10 children and are buried in the local Graveyard at Cashelard. Joseph's father was a schoolteacher and a sister owned the Erne Hotel in Ballyshannon so the trade was in the family. Sometime in the late 1800's Joseph and his brother Hugh left Ballymagroarty, walked over the mountain through the night with their boots under their arms and arrived in Pettigo where Parnell was holding a rally. They continued to Belfast and then Liverpool and Glasgow where they worked in pubs. However, they had overnighted in Irvinestown on their way and came back to buy a farm and set up the Hotel. Joseph married twice in Irvinestown, to Margaret McKenna with whom he had 2 children Molly and Jim and then to Minnie Montague with whom he had 10 more.