Patrick "Paddy" McHugh

The McHughs were kicked out of Fermanaugh and sent to Conaught by the British with the infamaous words "To Hell or Conaught" Paddy's father was murdered in a river over salmon fishing rights and before Paddy could get revenge, the Marquis de Sligo stepped in and arranged a deal where he got 1000 acres on Achill Island.

Paddy was the richest man on the island and did much to help his neighbors and tennants during the potato famine. He also mounted a vigorous resistance to the Protestant mission and one famous story, a man converted to Protestantism mostly because they provided him food. The man died and rather than allow him to be receive a Protestant service, Paddy barged in with a group of men brandishing bullwhips and took the corpse and gave him a Catholic burial.

Paddy's grave is in Ballycroy. The stone sits on four legs like a coffee table and in fact it's called a table grave. The inscription reads "Here lies Paddy McHugh, he didn't let anyone walk on him when he was alive, and he didn't want anyone walking on him when he was dead."