Dan Fraher was born on 18 November 1852 at Skaheens, in the parish of Seskinane, Co. Waterford. His parents were Maurice Fraher and Catherine Hickey. After working as a draper's apprentice in Dungarvan he opened his own drapery shop at 17 Grattan Square which was known as 'The Gaelic Outfitting Store'.

He was a promoter of the Irish language and in 1888 he started Irish classes in Dungarvan. He was also a collector of Irish manuscripts.

Dan, a noted sportsman, leased land from Captain Richard Curran at Shandon in 1885 which he developed into a sports ground. This was used for football, athletics, and later for the Dungarvan Agricultural Show and for visiting circuses. Major improvements were carried out in recent years and the field was re-opened in 1995 as 'The Fraher Field'.