Thomas Foley was said to have been the first permanent settler of Little Barasway, Newfoundland, a small community approximately 12 km south of Placentia

Placentia, Newfoundland and Labrador

Placentia is a town on the Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland and Labrador, consisting of the amalgamated communities of Jerseyside, Townside, Freshwater, Dunville and Argentia...

. The name "Little Barasway" is derived from the local pronunciation of the word "barachois" (a lagoon

Lagoon

A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...

 or harbour sheltered from the sea by a strip of beach). The town name has had many spellings over the years including: Little Barachoix, Little Barrachois, Little Barrisway. It has never been home to more than a few families in the last 150 years, of which include Foley, Doyle and O’Keefe.

Thomas Foley, a fisherman , arrived in nearby Placentia, NL circa 1846, to work for Sweetman & Saunders, a firm based out of Waterford, Ireland

Waterford

Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...

. The history of the Cape Shore

Cape Shore

- Overview :The Cape Shore is a region on the southwestern portion of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland.Often confused or conflated with the Southern Shore , the Cape Shore is similarly rural and populated by Irish Newfoundlanders, but is geographically distinct...

, says he was nicknamed Thomas "Tramore" Foley as he was from Tramore, Ireland.