Obituary: Seamus Farnan, always the first man to the door offering help

Seamus Farnan

When anyone was in trouble around Girley, Fordstown, Athboy or beyond, Seamus Farnan was the first man at the door to offer help, or to organise a fundraising effort, most often a vintage tractor run.

So with Seamus himself in poor health in recent times, the community in turn rallied around him and organised a tractor run in aid of his chosen charities, which he was able to witness passing by his front door on Saturday 9th July, a week before his widely-mourned death on 16th July last.

The Newtowngirley man was known the length and breadth of the area from his days of driving the creamery lorry for Athboy Co-op, as well as from his sporting involvement with local clubs over the years.

A founder member of Fordrew Rovers Football Club, becoming chairman, he also won junior championships with Athboy-Martinstown Gaelic Football Club in the late 1960s and played rugby with Athboy in the 1970s.

Charity involvement went back as far as the Girley Lord Mayor Campaign in 1983, and in 2001, he was founder of the Girley Harvest Festival, and its first chairman.

He organised tractor runs for various charities, including the Robbie McCormack Memorial Tractor Run for meningitis charities, Fordrew Rovers, and Pieta House in 2008; and he also fundraised for St Vincent de Paul, Sightsavers, Meath Food Bank, and local church funds. The recent tractor run was in aid of homeless and Ukrainian charities.

In 2009, at Meath County Council's Volunteer in the Community Awards, he received the Special Recognition Active Citizen Award for his involvement in all these activities, and at the time was organising an All-Ireland Tractor Run.

He took part in Strictly Come Dancing events for Clann na Gael GFC, Athboy, and Fordrew Rovers, and organised high nelly rides, as well as the Fordstown Street Fair. Seamus was an active member of the Girley Fianna Fail cumann. He often looked after older, less used graveyards in the area, maintaining them when they had become overgrown.

All of this was done with a great sense of humour and happy laugh.

Diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis some five years ago, Seamus' health began to fail in April and declined just over a month ago.

Thanking the organisers of the recent tractor run, his daughter Sandra said: "The Farnan family truly believes he hung on for this long for his beloved tractor run. This was the greatest gift anyone ever gave to Daddy. The day of the tractor run he was so scared and worried that no one would show up, but Stephanie Bray said to him: "Well, there will be two tractors, for sure." This got him out onto the lawn to watch and see. Daddy had no strength to lift his arms and he was not able for noise, but that man sat out there and waved with pride and pure happiness for a full hour watching all of you drive by. There are not enough words of thanks that we as a family can say to the people of Fordstown. You made him the happiest man alive. He was so proud."

She said that her father would always say "what you give out into the world, is what you will get back."

"These past couple of weeks he got back everything he put out into the world. For this, the Farnan family will be forever grateful to the people of our community."

A native of Gillstown, Athboy, Seamus was aged 75. Predeceased by his parents, Thomas and Elizabeth; brother, Dinny; and niece, Joanne, he is survived by his wife of 49 years, Nancy; daughter, Sandra O'Shea; sons, Tommy, Declan, Seán, Davie, Barry and Colin; son-in-law; daughters-in-law; 16 grandchildren; sisters, Bridget, Kathleen, Mary and Stella, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews and many friends.

A funeral took place from St James' Church, Athboy, to Rathmore Cemetery, celebrated by Fr Padraig McMahon, PP, Athboy, assisted by Fr David Bradley, PP, Kells.