Francis Phelan (fictional character)
Francis Phelan is a fictional character in many of William J. Kennedy’s Albany novels, though he is featured most prominently in Ironweed. He is a former professional baseball player who left Albany in shame after dropping his infant son Gerald. Fictional biography Francis Aloysius Phelan was born in 1880 to Michael and Kathryn (McIlhenny) Phelan, a railroad worker with the New York Central, and his wife. Michael and Kathryn had more children, but only "Chick" is mentioned by name in Ironweed. In Very Old Bones his siblings are named Sarah, Charles "Chick", Peter (co-protagonist of the book), Mary "Molly", Julia, and Thomas "Tommy". Michael died in 1895 when he was hit by a train while Francis was delivering his lunch, a death that haunted Francis for years and which allowed Kathryn to rule her household unopposed. In 1897 Kathryn had a feud with neighbor Katrina Daugherty (wife of writer Edward and mother of Martin) over a tree growing at the fence separating their yards. Katrina hired Francis to help trim the tree, and they grow close after she seduces him by walking into the yard naked one day. They carry an on-and-off affair until she is killed in 1912 in