Obituaries 24th August 2013

John Moran, Navan

Last week, a main topic of debate in the national print and broadcast media was the Diocese of Meath’s re-instated guidelines on funeral eulogies. For Fr Colm Browne, celebrating the funeral Mass in Navan for his uncle, John Moran, there would be no need to have to worry too much about what to say about the deceased. All he had to do was look around him in St Mary’s Church at the rows of navy blue and green tracksuited players of Bective football club to know that everybody had come along to pay their own tribute to a man who was a backbone of the club, and was regarded as one of life’s true gentlemen.

John Moran died on Sunday of last week, 11th August, aged 73, peacefully at Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan, following a long illness. He was from an old Commons Road family, and like many in Navan, was involved in the town’s furniture industry. After working in various manufacturers, he joined Ashleaf Furniture, travelling the length and breath of the country for the company.

But it is for his involvement in the GAA, at club and county levels, as a player and later, administrator, that he will be most remembered. A minor championship winner with Navan club, De La Salles in 1956, he was one of the founding members of the old Commons club in 1960. The Commons reached junior championship finals in 1960 and ‘61 and the young Moran came to the attention of the Meath junior selectors. He was involved with the county’s second string for a spell in those early ‘60s.

He served as fixtures secretary of the County Board for a period in the 1970s, and was regarded as friendly, helpful and efficient. He also served as vice chairman.

John Moran played for the Commons in the junior championship semi-final of 1967, when ironically Bective were to prove there betters. He was a selector for Dunderry footballers for a period during the 1970s, and also lined out with Navan O’Mahonys hurlers.

With the demise of the Commons, John joined Bective in 1980, and became synonymous with that club. Writing in the programme for the opening of the new pitch and facilities at Cannistown in 1998, he said: 'I first joined Bective in 1980, when my playing days with the old Commons club were over. The reason I picked Bective was because I knew most of the lads and had come ‘in contact’ with them on the football fields over the years.'

In a Royal County Yearbook interview with Shane Breslin a year later, he listed that opening day as among his proudest in the GAA.

'It was a great honour to be part of the club for the official opening, to see a Meath team play on the pitch we spent so long getting right,' he said. 'It is one of the great highlights of my time at Bective; it’s what you strive to achieve from the start, but it takes a lot of time to bring about. It couldn’t really live up to the championship win in ‘97, but it was definitely one of the better days.'

He recalled the old caravan which served as a dressing room and worked hard with the other club officials and members for the improvement in facilities.

Meath played Clare for the Noel Keating Cup at that pitch opening. Having guided many of the Bective youngsters through from underage, he was delighted to see the club achieve many successes over his years with them, and in that 1998 programme he said how great it was to see Bective winning two Division 3 championships, a Division 5 League, and winning the Junior Championship for the first time in 1997, when the Ruairi Russell-captained team overcame Skryne.

In 2010, John Moran was the recipient of the Meath County Board Hall of Fame Award. At the time of his passing, he was a president of the club.

At last Wednesday’s Funeral Mass, Fr Browne spoke of how Pope Francis had met with members of the Italian and Argentinian national soccer teams who were in Rome for a friendly match organised in honour of the Pope, who reminded the players that they are role models and encouraged them to take that responsibility seriously. He asked them to foster the beauty, generosity, and camaraderie that sport can produce, encouraging them to set an example of loyalty, respect, and selflessness.

Pope Francis might well have used John Moran’s life as inspiration for his few words, the celebrant continued. 'For John Moran was loyal, full of respect, and selfless. John Moran loved sport for the sake of sport and the friendships and support that it gave. He gave of himself totally to any task on or off the field – His family, the club, his friends. The GAA – club and county level involvement. He was proud to see Bective grow over the years from small beginnings, the caravan in the field, to where it is today, with its underage too.'

As the remains were received at St Mary’s Church, a Bective jersey, football, racing pages of the newspaper, a table representing the furniture industry, and John’s Rosary beads, representing his faith, were brought to the altar. Fr Browne was joined by Fr Joe Clavin, PP, Dunshaughlin, and Fr Stephen Kelly, CC, Navan, for the Funeral Mass in which family members took part. Burial followed in St Mary’s Cemetery.

John Moran is survived by his wife of 45 years, Helen (nee Browne); sons, Noel and Sean; brother, Gerard and sister, Mary; daughters-in-law, Valerie and Catherine, grandchildren, John and Lauren; nieces and nephews, brothers and sisters-in-law, relatives and many friends, particularly close family friend, Paddy Hillard, He was predeceased by his brother, Vincent and sister, Margaret.

Meath County Board passed a vote of sympathy with the Moran family at last week’s meeting at Aras Tailteann.

Anthony Walsh, Dunshaughlin

The regretted death occurred of Anthony (Fred) Walsh of Hillview, Dunshaughlin, in Blanchardstown Hospital on 5th July last, aged 72. Deceased was native of Culmullen, Drumree, and was son of the late Sarah and Michael Walsh.

He will be remembered as a wonderful father and grandfather and will be sadly missed by everyone. Mr Walsh was a dedicated supporter of the Meath GAA, and even kept all the match ticket stubs to all the games he attended. He himself played for Drumree and St Martins for many years, in goals

He is survived by his wife Eileen; daughters, Bernadette, Geraldine, Sarah and Catherine; sons, Anthony and Thomas; brothers, Michael, James and Oliver; sisters, Nuala and Sadie; 14 grandchildren, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, daughters-in-law and sons-in-law. He was predeceased by his daughter, Margaret; brother, Peter and sister, Myra.

The funeral Mass was celebrated in the Church of Ss Seachnall and Patrick, Dunshaughlin by Fr Colm Browne, and was made extra special by the singing of his nephews, Matt and John Leavy.

A month’s memory Mass will take place in Culmullen Church on Saturday 24th August at 6pm.

Doreen Byrne, Longwood

 The regretted death occurred on 15th July last of Doreen Byrne, Castlerickard, Longwood, in Parke House Nursing Home, Kilcock, aged 78. Deceased was daughter of the late Patrick and Ellen McKenna, and a native of Trim. She married Kevin Byrne in Trim on 21st July 1952, and they lived in St Patrick’s Park, Trim, until 1971 when they moved to Perth, Australia. There, she was secretary of her local Country Women’s Association for many years, and was very good at her hobby of painting, selling many of her works. She was also involved in Church and school activities there. They returned to Ireland in 1995.

Mrs Byrne is survived by her husband, Kevin; daughter, Breda, Perth; sons, Seán, Ciarán (both Perth) and Kevin, Dublin; brother, Colm, Trim; sisters, Brigid, Patricia (both Trim) and Sheila, Derby, England; sister-in-law, Kay; daughters-in-law, Beatrice and Judy; nieces and nephews; cousins; grandchildren and great-grandchildren; neighbours and friends.

The funeral Mass took place from St Patrick’s Church, Trim to St Loman’s Cemetery, Trim on Friday 19th July.

Paddy Nugent, Kells

The death of Mr Paddy Nugent, Magdelene Court, Kells, on 23rd June last, was the source of considerable sadness. A native of Carnaross, he is survived by his brothers, Peadar in Carnaross and Tom in America; sisters, Sr Mary Nugent, Dublin, Brigid Wickham, Shannon, Co Clare, Kitty Keelan, Loughan, Kells, Sheila Leavey, Multyfarnham, Co Westmeath, and Rose Carolan, Oakley Park, Kells; in-laws, nephews, nieces, relatives and friends. His hobbies were fishing and following GAA.

Mr Nugent was predeceased by his parents, Thomas and Julia; brother, Fr Walter, and sisters, Camilla Doughty, Walkinstown, Dublin, and Gertie McMahon, Castletown, Navan.

The funeral took place from St Ciaran’s Church, Carnaross, to Holy Family Cemetery, Carnaross.

 

Charlie O’Brien, Drumree and Navan

The unexpected death at his home on Friday 2nd August last of Charlie O’Brien, Boyne Hill, Navan, was the source of widespread shock and great sadness across the county. Mr O’Brien, who was a mine captain at Tara Mines, was a native of Drumree, and was also involved in Dunshaughlin Athletic Club. One of his sons, Gary, a Navan O’Mahonys clubman, played senior football with Meath up to last year.

Aged 56, deceased was a son of John and Brenda O’Brien, of Pelletstown, Drumree, a family with Kerry roots. Following his marriage to Catherine, he lived at Drumree for some time before the family moved to Cannistown, outside Navan.

Mr O’Brien’s role as a mine captain in Knockumber saw him overseeing the backfill and construction shifts and crews, and his colleagues described him as 'a gentleman' to work with.

In a tribute, Dunshaughlin Athletic Club said: 'Charlie was the perfect running companion with his deep knowledge of sport and life and his pleasant easy going attitude. Charlie was immensely proud of his family’s sporting achievements and they were so proud of all that he achieved.'

The club tribute added that Charlie was a relative latecomer to running having answered a call up from his brother Mick to go for a run almost 13 years ago.

'Like everything he did in life, Charlie took this running business serious and that first tentative run at 43 years of age opened up a new life for him ... he loved the racing scene and with daughter Rachel in tow – the trips around the county supporting the local races became a must do.

In 2011, Charlie competed in every single one of the 13 races on the Meath Road Racing League. He tried his hand at cross country and took to it like a fish to water, winning many county team titles and went on to represent and medal for Meath at the Leinster Master Cross Country championships at Belvedere House.

Speaking at Charlie’s funeral Mass in St Martin’s Church, Culmullen, Fr Declan Hurley, Adm, Navan, remembered Charlie’s selflessness, always putting Catherine and the family ahead of himself.

He said: 'We remember his pride in his home, how he was constantly working to improve it in any way and using his many talents to ensure that the house always looked the best – it was one of his ways, I am certain, of expressing his love for Catherine and the family. As a father, he took great pride in mentoring his family, encouraging them, advising them, urging them on to greater achievements, being patient with them as they learned from life’s challenges, and fiercely loyal and supportive towards them always.

His love for the family dog Jessie showed a gentleness and a tenderness.'

Fr Hurley said that the qualities in Charlie that were evident in the home, qualities such as selflessness and encouragement and loyalty, were also evident at work.

'He was highly respected by his colleagues in the Mines, and his talents and qualities were recognised by all. The position of mine captain suggests qualities such as leadership, responsibility, care and concern, knowing how to inspire and encourage, - and by all accounts, Charlie had those qualities in spades.'

Charlie O’Brien is survived by his wife, Catherine; sons, Shane, Gary, Ross; daughter Rachel; sister, Geraldine; brothers, John and Mick; sisters-in-law Joan, Dympna, Roseleen and Barbara; brother-in-law Paul, nephews, nieces, his colleagues in Tara Mines and his friends. He was predeceased by his sister, Mary, and his parents.

The funeral took place from St Martin’s Church, Culmullen, Drumree, to the adjoining cemetery. Donations in his memory can be made to Aware.

Goretti Smith, Oldcastle

 The passing of Goretti Smith, Millbrook, Oldcastle, on 25th July, at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, was the cause of widespread regret.

A lover of music, dance and cats she was predeceased less than two years earlier by her husband, Jim Smith, in September 2011, and is survived by her daughter, Gail; son, James; sisters, Monica, Sheila, Pearl, Josie, Betty and Teddy; brothers, Brendan and Paddy; grandchildren, Lauren and Alex and dear friend and neighbour, Lizzie. She will be remembered as a loving mother and grandmother.

The funeral Mass took place in Oldcastle on 27th July. There will be a Mass in her memory in Oldcastle on 15th September at 11.30am.