Kentucky: A History of the State, Perrin, Battle, Kniffin, 4th ed., 1887,
Marion County.

REV. DAVID FENNESSY, R.R., president of St Mary's College and one of the
leading educators of Kentucky, was born November 1, 1841, in Clonmel,
Ireland, a son of David and Catherine (Ryan) Fennessy, who emigrated and
settled in Ontario, Canada, in 1842.  David Fennessy was a clerk in a
flouring-mill in Ireland, and after his settlement in Canada became a
farmer.  He had ten children born to him.  He died In Guelph, Canada, in
March 1876, at the ripe old age of eighty-three years, after which his wife
came to St. Mary's, Marion County, Ky., where she died July 16, 1878, at
seventy-nine years of age.  David Fennessy Sr., was a son of John Fennessy,
a blacksmith in Ireland.  Catherine (Ryan) Fennessy was a daughter of
William Ryan, of Ireland.  Rev. David Fennessy was reared on a farm until
ten years of age; from 1851 to 1857 lived in the town of Guelph, where he
received his early education.  In September 1850, entered St. Michael's
College, Clover Hill, Toronto, Canada, from which he graduated in June,
1861; he then commenced theological studies at Grand Seminary, Montreal,
and Assumption College, near that city, after which he attended St.
Jerome's College, Ontario; here he entered the congregation of the
Resurrection and was ordained priest April 25, 1867.  He remained in the
latter college as a teacher till [sic] in July, 1869, when he went to
Rome and studied for two years.  In August, 1871, he was sent to St.
Mary's College, Marion County, as vice-president.  In December, 1873, at
the resignation of Father Elena, D.D., as president, Rev. David Fennessy
became president of the college.

Fennessy Ryan
=
Ireland Canada

http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/marion/fennessy.d.txt