Obituaries 11-06-2011

Mr Benny Kane, Williamstown, Trim Road, Navan, who has died aged 88, was well known for his involvement in sporting clubs and church activities in the Navan area. Two years ago, Mr Kane was the recipient of a Meath County Council award recognising community involvement, for his work promoting sport, particularly boxing and football, amongst the young people of the town over the years. Mr Kane was born in September 1922 at Balreask, Trim Road, at an area known as The Bawn. Early working life was spent with local farmers such as O'Briens, who farmed where the former Lyric Cinema now stands on Brews Hill, and Clarkes on the Trim Road. He also worked with his brother, Peter, a coal merchant, on winter deliveries. Mr Kane worked for a long period with builder Paddy Boyle, and later with the ESB, and finally, the Department of Posts and Telegraphs, prior to retirement. In 1950, Mr Kane married Kathleen Mullen of Ballinlough, Beauparc. She passed away in December 2008. In his youth, Mr Kane played soccer in the town league in Navan, Gaelic football with the Navan Parnells, and cricket at Beechmount. One of his earliest involvements with a sports club was in 1964, when Bective was set up, and he became treasurer. The role of treasurer was one which he was to perform for many clubs, and he was a dedicated fundraiser for any organisation he was involved with. When Bective faced Skryne in its first major final, a junior final in 1967, he organised a raffle to raise funds for jerseys, and spearheaded the successful togging out of the team. The late sixties also saw him involved in the setting up the De La Salle Boxing Club in Scoil Mhuire, Navan, which saw him becoming a huge influence on may youngsters who joined up. He had boxed himself in the 1950s, in the club based at Navan's Banba Hall. Fundraising tournaments were organised, including one which saw the champions of Ireland, and a young Barry McGuigan, on the card. Mr Kane was a founder member of South O'Hanlon AC in Navan, and later, Claremont, and was instrumental in bringing the early Community Games organisation to Navan. A lot of this involvement in clubs was due to the fact that his own family were active in such sports, and the 1980s saw him switch football allegiance to Navan O'Mahonys, as son Colm was coming up through the ranks there. Colm went on to win six championship medals with the club, and Mr Kane served as a selector for a period. Again, he was very involved in fundraising in the club, selling lotto tickets, and worked hard when Navan O'Mahonys was in badly need of finances. In retirement, Mr Kane took on the responsibility of opening and locking St Mary's Church in Navan every day, and he was closely associated with his great friend, Fr Peter Mulvany. When Fr Mulvany sought to fundraise for renovations, it was to Mr Kane he turned and they set about organising a fundraising draw. At Mr Kane's Funeral Mass, Fr Dwayne Gavin recalled how nobody could turn down Benny's request to buy a ticket, as they would be told it was "for Fr Mulvany." Fr Gavin also recalled how disappointed Mr Kane was when failing health caused him to hand over the responsibility of the church keys to someone else. Mr Kane was a regular visitor to the late Fr Mulvany in Moynalvey afterwards. Deceased is survived by his family, Kay, Anne, Doreen, Padraig, Jimmy, Frances, Olive, Rhona, Colm and Bernard; sons-in-law; daughters-in-law; grandchildren, great-grandchildren; brother Sean; sisters, Bridie and Phyllis; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law; nephews; nieces and a large circle of friends. The funeral took place from St Mary's Church, Navan to St Mary's Cemetery, celebrated by Fr Gavin, assisted by Fr Thomas O'Mahony, PP, Skryne. A month's memory Mass takes place on Sunday 10th July at 11am in St Mary's Church. ____________________________________________________________ Teresa Hogan, Cortown There was widespread sadness when news of the death of Mrs Teresa Hogan, Charlesfort House, Charlesfort, Kells, became known. Aged 85, she passed away peacefully at her residence on 9th May last. A native of Athboy, she was born in January 1926, and was the only daughter of publican Patrick O'Callaghan of Main Street, Athboy and Anne Carey of Betagstown, Balrathboyne, Cortown. Mrs Hogan often remembered helping her father fill bottles of Guinness for the pub in the 1940s as a young girl, and had vivid memories of Ireland during World War II and how food rationing and scarcities affected everybody. Deceased went to school in Kells where she learned to play the piano thus beginning a life-long love affair with music and all things musical. She studied nursing in Baggot Street, Dublin in the 1950s. It was there that she met her future husband, Martin Hogan from Co Clare. They were married in November 1955 and then when she was left a small farm in Cortown by her uncle, Johnny Carey, they decided to leave Dublin and start farming in Co Meath. Life was tough on a small farm in the late fifties and sixties, but hard work and determination saw them through while also trying to bring up a young family. It was in the early sixties that Mrs Hogan started to keep some hens and chickens as a hobby as she always had a love of poultry. One year, the Hogans decided to keep 50 turkeys for the Christmas season and this was the beginnings of the turkey business that has grown to employ over 40 people today. A sizeable dairy herd was the main farm enterprise until the late 1970s when brucellosis hit and the herd had to be destroyed. This is when the turkey business really started to grow with products developed to make turkey an all year round food and not just for Christmas. One of the products Mrs Hogan developed was the boned and rolled turkey joint. This product is still very popular today in its many different variations. Turkey plucking season in the run up to Christmas became a tradition in itself giving much needed employment to many over the years. While her husband went on the road selling and delivering turkey products all over Dublin and the north east, Mrs Hogan held the fort at home and looked after the turkeys from baby stage right through to getting them ready for the customer, while also rearing the family. A solid work ethic was handed down from Martin and Teresa Hogan which resulted in Hogans Turkeys going from strength to strength over the years. In 1979, the family moved into nearby Charlesfort House which became her much beloved family home. The growing business set up its processing plant and office facilities there and is still based there, run by sons, Fintan and Paul. After Martin passed away in 2000, Mrs Hogan continued to work and have an active interest in the business for many years. She had a keen interest in gardening and the grounds around Charlesfort and in her later years she oversaw many improvements in this area. A lifelong devout member of the Catholic church, Mrs Hogan was the choir mistress in Cortown for over 40 years, retiring only a few years ago. The choir became her second family with many sing songs taking place outside of church duties at different parties and outings. No matter how busy she was in the run up to Christmas, she always made time for the choir practice so as to make the midnight mass as holy and meaningful as possible. She was awarded the Benemerenti Medal by Bishop Micheal Smith in 2006 in recognition of over 40 years' service to the church, a well deserved award which made her especially proud. A measure of the respect in which she was held was the many visits her choir girls made to see her in the last year of her life when she was ill and also by the wonderful singing provided for the funeral mass. Large crowds gathered in Cortown on the 11th May to pay their respects to a much loved lady who will be greatly missed by her family and many friends. Deceased had a number of older brothers and sisters, from her father Patrick's previous marriage, one of which was the late Mrs Molly McElhinney, founder of McElhinney Fashions in Athboy. The two sisters were very close and remained so, seeing each other very often and taking many holidays and breaks together right up until Mrs McElhinney passed away in 1988. On one occasion in the seventies they made a trip to New York and Miami to visit other members of the extended family who had left Ireland back in the 1950s to live in America. Mrs Hogan is survived by her sons, Patrick, John, Fintan and Paul; daughter, Martina; nine grandchildren; one great grandson; daughters-in-law; son-in-law; nieces, nephews; and may relatives and friends. The funeral took place from the Church of Christ the King, Cortown, to Cortown Cemetery. A months memory Mass will be held in Cortown on Sunday 12th June at 10.30 am. _____________________________________________________________ Sr Eileen Keogan, Kilmainhamwood and Drogheda The death has taken place at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda of Sister Eileen Carmel Keogan, who was responsible for bringing professional training in clinical pastoral education to Ireland in 1975. Born in 1923 at Kilmainhamwood, she was educated at Loreto College, Cavan, before joining the Medical Missionaries of Mary (MMM) in 1944. After religious profession, she qualified as a midwife at the Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, and in 1953 took up her first missionary assignment in Tanzania. She was among the pioneering community who founded Makiungu Hospital, near Singida, and has recorded vivid memories of those early days. In 1967 she was asked to go to USA and was engaged in promoting the work of MMM all over the States, and oversaw the establishment of the MMM house at Chicago. It was while there that she came to learn about the new concept of clinical pastoral care, taking a course at the Mercy Hospital under the direction of Sister Cyrilla Zerek OP. On returning to Ireland early in 1975, Sister Eileen introduced this concept at the Lourdes Hospital. She was so convinced of its value that she wanted to see it extended to other Irish hospitals. Thus began the sequence of events that led to the situation that obtains today, whereby all hospital chaplains must hold certification for their work. In March 1976 at a Seminar at the Marianella Pastoral Centre in Dublin, Sister Eileen was invited to speak about her work in Drogheda. Many of the 40 participants who heard her there invited her to visit their hospitals and nursing homes in different parts of Ireland. She was then invited to Cork where she spoke in all the city hospitals and was interviewed on Cork local radio about this new understanding of clinical pastoral care. The Old Drogheda Society, in its series on 'Aspects of the History of Drogheda', published in 1999, noted: "By 1978, Sister Eileen Carmel had become well-known as a speaker on pastoral care of the sick and especially on the subject of death, dying and bereavement. After she appeared on the Late Late Show that year, letters and enquiries poured in to Drogheda about the possibilities of organising training progrmmes in Pastoral Care and hospital ministry in general. The Provincial of the Augustinians at the time was Fr Martin Nolan, and he also held the position of president of the Conference of Religious. While visiting the Augustinian Community in Drogheda, he discussed the development of this work with Sister Eileen, suggesting that she should arrange to bring a supervisor to the hospital in Drogheda and arrange an experimental course in clinical pastoral education, to showcase the concept. As a result, in 1979, Sister Cyrilla Zerek of the Mercy Hospital in Chicago, came to Drogheda. Seven pioneering students took the first course in Clinical Pastoral Education to be held in Ireland. The course proved popular and was widely praised. These were the first small steps that led, ten years later, to the establishment of the Healthcare Chaplaincy Board which is now responsible for certification of chaplains and for standards for the basic, advanced and supervisory training in clinical pastoral education throughout Ireland. Sister Eileen retained her passion for pastoral care of the sick to the end of her life. Back in the 1970s, she was known as 'The Dying Nun'. When preparing for her appearance on the Late Late Show, Gay Byrne dubbed her 'The Dying Nun' but she protested saying people will be thinking 'here comes the dying nun, I must be going to die soon' - while her work was all about living fully to the very end of life. She was very excited when, in 2006 the Lourdes Hospital received a Public Service Excellence Award from the Office of An Taoiseach for its work in improving quality end-of-life care. The hospital had been selected for the pilot project known as the 'Newgrange Process'. Today, when you visit an area where a person is dying or has just died, you will recognise the circular symbols taken from Newgrange which indicate that this is an area requiring silence and respect. The Newgrange Process has since become Ireland's National Programme for Hospice-Friendly Hospital Care. Sr Eileen passed away on Wednesday last, 1st June, after a short illness at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital. She was predeceased by her sisters, Kathleen Kavanagh, Una Farrelly and Maura Gallagher; brothers, Dominic Keogan and Fr Paddy Keogan, and is survived by her brothers Phelim and Séamus; sisters-in-law; brother-in-law; nephews, nieces, grandnephews, grand-nieces, her Medical Missionary of Mary Community, relatives and a large circle of friends. The funeral took place on Saturday from Our Lady of Lourdes Church to St Peter's Cemetery. ____________________________________________________________ William Lang, Kells There was widespread sadness following the death of Mr William Lang, Church View, Kells, the sexton of St Columba's Church, Kells, who was held in great esteem by the parishioners and people of his native town. Aged 79, he passed away at Our Lady's Hospital, Navan, on 18th March last. Deceased worked for various periods at Headfort Estate, Rockfield Estate as a gardener with the Rothwell family, and Nicholsons of Balrath, before taking up work as a greenkeeper at Headfort Golf Club. Mr Lang was the church warden for some 30 years prior to illness. He won the An Taisce Ellisson Award for the upkeep of the church grounds, the location of the Round Tower and High Crosses that are of great historical significance to the heritage of the town of Kells. He played football for Drumbarragh in his early years, with his late brother, Johnny, and also supported Kells Celtic and Kells Handball Club. He loved Gaelic football and soccer, and his hobbies were fishing and horseracing. Deceased is survived by his brother, Noel, Balrath; sisters, Elizabeth, The Rhine; Charlotte, Kells; Edna, Dublin; sister-in-law, Bridie; nieces, nephews; relatives and many friends. The funeral took place from St Columba's Church to the adjoining graveyard _____________________________________________________________ Monica Domigan, Bellewstown There was widespread regret following the recent death of Mrs Monica Domigan, The Cairns, Bellewstown, at the Cottage Hospital, Drogheda, on 5th April last. Mrs Domigan (nee McComish) was aged 86 years and was a native of Dublin. She was predeceased in 1981 by her husband, Tom. Deceased trained as a nurse in England, and on return home, took up a position as sister in the maternity department of the Cottage Hospital, Drogheda, where she remained until her retirement in 1987. She was involved in numerous activities in the community such as the gardening club, the historical society, and the Widows' Association. She was also involved in the fundraising committee of the hospital. Mrs Domigan is survived by her brother, Mark McComish; sisters, Angela O'Leary and Rose Nolan; sister-in-law, Vera; niece and nephews, including Jacinta, Mark Jnr and Brian McComish and their families; and a large circle of relatives and friends. The funeral took place from St Cianan's Church, Duleek, to Holy Cross Cemetery. ____________________________________________________________ Julia Blake, Rathkenny The regretted death occurred peacefully of Mrs Julia Blake, in Millbury Nursing Home, Navan, aged 91, after a short illness. Better known as Cissie, Mrs Blake will be remembered as a quite, caring person who lived a very private life with her late husband, Christy, and her family and close neighbours and friends. Following the death of her husband over 11 years ago, Mrs Blake continued to live independently in her own home at Ladyrath, Wilkinstown, until recent months. Her greatest love in life was her family and in her later years her grandchildren and great grandchildren, all of whom brought her great joy. The respect in which Mrs Blake was held was expressed by the large attendance of people of all walks of like who attended her wake in her son's home and the many hundreds of people who attended her removal and funeral mass in St Louis Church, Rathkenny. During the funeral Mass, Fr Hogan Adm said how privileged he was to have the opportunity to glimpse a little of this lady's personality and life. He said for the short time he knew Mrs Blake in his visits to her home he found her to be a warm and caring person with an exceptional love her family and devotion to her faith and her church. Her legacy left behind would be that of a quite and caring mother, grandmother and true friend to those who knew her. Sacred music and hymns were sung by John McGovern and Finn Morris as a final tribune to a much loved member of the Rathkenny community. A guard of honour was formed from the church by students, teachers, and staff of Beaufort College, Navan, where mrs Blake's daughter, Breda Carry, works. Deceased is survived by her daughters, Marie Weldon, Dunderry, and Brenda Carry, Navan; son, Michael, Ladyrath, Rathkenny; daughter-in-law, Attracta; sons-in-law, Sean and Errol; grandchildren, great grandchildren, and a large circle of family and friends. The funeral took place to Rathkenny Cemetery.