Fearghal and his brother Diarmuid, class '48 arrived at Knock following in the footsteps of their father Joe, class '17, who himself was one of three Portarlington brothers at Knock. A third generation attended as Fearghal's sister Brigid also sent her son; Tom McCabe, class '83.

His father Joe was an engineer of note with the ESB and Fearghal didn't stray too far from that path as Architecture was his chosen profession.