Obituaries 11th January 2014

Teresa Finlay, Kilmessan

Meath lost one of its most senior citizens last week with the passing of centenarian, Mrs Teresa (Terry) Finlay, of Kilmessan. Mrs Finlay, of Tribley, died peacefully on 30th December last at Moyglare Nursing Home, Maynooth, having celebrated her 103rd birthday last October.

Wife of the late William Finlay, she had lived at Tribley, near Bective, until recent years and celebrated her 100th birthday with a party in Trim Castle Hotel in October 2010.

Mrs Finlay was born Teresa Moran and was the youngest of a family of seven who lived near Islandbridge in Dublin. Her father, John Moran, was from the Trim area, and her mother Catherine was a member of the Clarke family from Bective. John worked with horses and had been with Watsons at Bective House before moving to Dublin to work with a Mr Daly at Islandbridge. The family of two boys and five girls lived in a section of the Daly house on the outskirts of the Phoenix Park.

Ireland was under British rule during Mrs Finlay’s early years, and it was a tense time, as the 1916 Rebellion took place, followed by the War of Independence and the Civil War.

'The Magazine Fort was just behind our house in the Park,' Mrs Finlay recalled in an interview with the Meath Chronicle to mark her 100th birthday.

'It was where the army kept its artillery. There was just a plantation between us and the fort and we were terrified around 1916 that it would be blown up some night.'

One of her brothers had found an empty cartridge around this time, and it was discovered on the property by British soldiers who were out on searches. 'He wasn’t involved in the volunteers or anything, but the house was raided. We were below where the Dalys lived, and their house was raided too. Mr Daly went straight up to the Vice Regal Lodge the next day, and complained about what they did, and got an apology.'

Her brother, Jack, was among hundreds who on one occasion were rounded up and marched down Conyngham Road to the North Wall.

She recalled: 'I remember my father running after him and throwing him an overcoat, and he threw back keys. He was kept in Wakefield Prison in England for six weeks, surviving on bread and water. He was never the same after.'

One of the best known incidents of those times was the blowing up of the Four Courts in 1922, an explosion which wiped out a great deal of the country’s records which were stored there.

'We saw that explosion,' Mrs Finlay said. 'All you could see were papers going up in the air. It is said that one of the nights, Michael Collins sheltered across from us in an old barn over at Islandbridge. I don’t know if it’s true or not.'

And she remembers her mother bringing her to see Arthur Griffith lying-in-state following his death after a stroke, just 10 days before Collins was assassinated.

Despite all these tensions, living on the edge of the Phoenix Park provided an idyllic childhood for the Morans. There was so much to do and see there. Mrs Finlay recalled getting up at 6am to watch the drivers practising for the famous Phoenix Park motor races. She remembered the changing of the guard at Aran an Uachtaran, then the Vice Regal Lodge housing the British Viceroy, when the children would run alongside the soldiers coming from the nearby barracks to the gates. The Spring Bank behind the Magazine Fort was a favourite spot. Across on the Liffey, the river was a hive of activity, with boat clubs and regattas. Transport around Dublin was by double decker trams, and Mrs Finlay remembered Dublin’s original ‘Tin Lizzies’ the Ford Model T.

'You’d never get a lift in one, except maybe at election time, when fellows were driving people around to and from voting,' she recalled.

She also remembered the R101 airship crossing Dublin, and the bombing of the North Strand by the Germans in 1941, during World War II. She was at her place of work on North Circular Road and heard the planes going over and the noise. When she looked out a broken window to see if it had calmed, another plane flew over on a bombing mission.

'I got in fairly quick,' she said.

She had attended school at the Sisters Of Charity convent at Basin Lane, and worked as housekeeper for John and Sam Rogers in their home on North Circular Road. They were relatives of the horsetraining Rogers family from Ratoath.

It was while on a visit to her mother’s family in Bective that she met her husband-to-be, Billy Finlay from Tribley. They were married in James Street Church by Fr Lennon, and she moved to Bective. Mrs Finlay worked as a housekeeper in various houses, including Holdsworths of Bellinter House. When the Sisters of Sion came to look at Bellinter House before buying it, Mr Holdsworth asked Mrs Finlay to prepare some tea for Sr Maura Clune.

'I only had bread and scrambled egg for her, but she must have liked it, because she asked me would I stay on after the Order bought the house,' she recalled.

Mrs Finlay is survived by her nieces, nephews, relatives, neighbours and friends.

Her funeral took place on Thursday of last week from St Mary’s Church, Maynooth, to Esker Cemetery, Lucan.

 

Ellen O’Brien, Kiltale

There was great sadness over a wide area at the recent death of Ellen (Helen) O’Brien of Kiltale, Dunsany at the age of 87 at Heatherfield Nursing Home, Dunshaughlin.

A native of Bective, Navan, she was originally a member of the Curley family. Her husband, Ralph O’Brien, died in April last year. Her main interests in life included her family, reading, gardening and horse breeding.

She is survived by her daughters, Elenor Long, Jane Myles, Barbara Dillon and Maeve O’Brien (Australia); her sons, Robert O’Brien and David O’Brien (USA); brother, Val Curley; sisters, Josie McDonald, Phyllis Cassidy and Dillie Kieley; brother in law, Micheal O’Brien; sister in law, Martha Curley, nieces and nephews.

She was buried in Kilmessan Cemetery following mass in the Church of the Nativity, Kilmessan.

Pat Tuite, Navan and Oldcastle

 The death has occurred of Pat Tuite, of Tara View, Follistown, Navan and late of Ballinvalley, Oldcastle, peacefully, at Our Lady’s Hospital Navan.

He is survived by his wife, Kathleen; family, Mags, Deirdre, Dermot and Bernadette; brothers, Peter and Andrew; sisters, Maeve, Marie and Dilly; relatives and friends.

The burial was in Oldcastle Cemetery on Saturday 4th January, following a funeral Mass in Johnstown Church.

 

Rory O’Connor, Trim

 

The death of Rory O’Connor, Kiltoome, Trim, at Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan, on 30th December last, was the source of widespread regret.

Aged 89, he was a native of Trim, and a retired employee of the Office of Public Works, as well as a farmer who worked with sheep and cattle all his life. He was predeceased by his wife, Patsy (Patricia), in January 2002.

He is survived by his family, Siobhan O’Connor, Rathnally, Trim, Theresa Raleigh, Ballasport, Hill of Down, Alice Connelly, Rathnally, Roddy O’Connor, Kiltoome, Jimmy O’Connor, Kiltoome, Mandy Campbell, Longwood, Stephen O’Connor, Kiltoome; niece, Denise Healy, Rathdrum, Co Wicklow; grandchildren; grandnephew, Donnacha; sons-in-law; daughters-in-law; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law. He will be sadly missed by his family, neighbours and friends who loved and cherished him.

The funeral took place from St Patrick’s Church, Trim, to St Loman’s Cemetery.

Christina Geraghty, Kells

 

Mrs Christina Geraghty, Rosemeen, Kells, who died on 19th December last, was a member of the McEntee family of Ballymacane, Moynalty, and was aged 89. She passed away peacefully at Fairlawns Nursing Home, Bailieboro. Her husband, Matthew, died in August 1982.

Christina and Matthew were both natives of Moynalty, and following their marriage, she joined him in farming at Rosmeen.

Following his death, she continued to farm for a number of years. She was very dedicated to her faith and was a lifetime member of the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association. Christina valued the company of her neighbours and friends in Rosmeen. She became a resident of Fairlawns Nursing Home in 2008.

She is survived by her sisters-in-law, Bridie Geraghty, Mary Clarke and Agnes O’Mahony; and nephews and nieces; Anne Bennett, Maura Rafferty, Anne Tully, Bernie Clarke, Seamus McEntee, Gabrielle Murtagh, Cormac McEntee, Kathleen Coffey, John McEntee and Noel McEntee. She was predeceased in October 2013 by her nephew, Padraig.

The funeral took place from St Colmcille’s Church, Kells, to Moynalty Cemetery.

Neil Smith, Athboy and Dunderry

The sudden death of Neil Smith, Dressogue, Athboy and formerly Dunderry, on 11th December last, aged 62, was the source of widespread shock and sadness amongst his family and friends. A truck driver, he and his late brother Frank operated as Smith International, leaders in the trucking business in the 1970s and ‘80s, with a fleet of up to 13 trucks providing employment to many in the local area. After the sad loss of Frank at the age of 44, Neil (The Nailer), continued his haulage career as Dressogue Transport.

Neil was a keen rally driver who competed in many motor sport events throughout Ireland and the UK. He also completed a number of charity cycles from Dublin to Belfast and Galway to raise funds for various charities such as Crumlin Children’s Hospital, the Council for the Blind, Cerebral Palsy and other causes, raising over €20,000 over the years.

His memory will live on in the all those who knew him.

He is survived by his wife, Marie; daughter, Fiona; sons, Nigel and Francis; sister, Marie; grandaughter, Lexi; son-in-law, Matthew; daughter-in-law, Amy; nieces and extended family and friends.

The funeral Mass took place in the Church of the Assumption, Dunderry, with burial in the adjoining cemetery.

 

Kitty Smith, Cormeen

 

The death occurred suddenly on 9th December last, at Our Lady’s Hospital Navan, of Catherine (Kitty) Smith (nee Barrett), Cormeen, following a short illness,

Aged 92, Kitty was predeceased by her husband, Michael, in 2004 and was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother. She worked hard on the farm all her life and always had a great love for animals and nature. She was a member of Moynalty ICA and also had a keen interest in art in later years. She was a member of the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association all her life and received a certificate for 70 years of membership of that organisation last June. She attended the Day Care Centre in Kilmainhamwood every Monday up until her death where she enjoyed meeting up with her friends for a chat.

She is survived by her son, Kieran; Munich; daughter, Monica, Cormeen; son-in-law, Michael; daughter-in-law, Carmel; sister, Madge, Rathangan; grandchildren, Tara, Ruth, Lisa and Alan; great grandchildren Kelsey, Kerry Billy, and Megan; brother-in-law, James Leaky, Loughborough, extended family, nieces, nephews and friends.

Her funeral Mass took place from St Patrick’s Church, Tierworker, to St Mary’s Cemetery, Moynalty.  

Rosaleen O’Callaghan, Athboy

There was considerable sadness following the death on 22nd November last of Rosaleen O’Callaghan, of O’Callaghan’s Public House, Main Street, Athboy. She died peacefully at her residence, aged 90.

Rosaleen’s family, the Murrays, moved to Cloneymore House, Rathmore, in the 1930s.

Deceased lived a long, happy and varied life. After leaving school, she did a course in St Martha’s College in Navan before emigrating to Africa for work.

She lived a British colonial lifestyle in a tropical climate which was a very different experience to the Ireland she left behind.

On her return from a four year stay in Africa, she got a job locally in Athboy and married Philip O’Callaghan, a local publican and farmer.

The O’Callaghan family had been publicans for many generations and at that time bottled their own Guinness. They went on to have a family of seven children.

Philip’s family included his sisters, Teresa Hogan, Mary McElhinney, Roseanne Conroy and brother PJ, who are all deceased.

Philip died in 1966 after a short illness, and Rosaleen brought up the seven children together with the responsibility of running two businesses.

She was a very strong character with a strong work ethic and with the help and support of relatives and friends came to grips with the very big task. She was a people’s person and loved the company of family and friends and also liked to help others.

When she had time, her garden always gave her great pleasure. Coming from an era when there was food rationing after the war and where sometimes there were no shops, she liked to grow everything herself this included her vast array of vegetables and flowers.

Rosaleen was predeceased by her daughter, Mary, in 2009 and her son, Philip, in 2006.

She is survived by her son, Patrick; daughters, Rosaleen, Clare, Violet and Pauline; grandchildren, Tara, Louise, Sean, Niall, Darragh, Clare, Joseph, Amani and Achmed; sister, Mary Paul, South Africa, and brother, Oliver, London. She was predeceased by her brothers, Sean and Pat; and sister, Kathleen.

The funeral took place from St James’s Church, Athboy, to St James’ Cemetery.