Obituaries 4th January 2014

Barry Fitzgerald, Kilcloon

The death of Barry Fitzgerald of Kilcloon on 9th November last was the source of widespread sadness amongst his local community, GAA and sporting circles, and in the auctioneering business.

Barry, who was 65, died peacefully at Beaumont Hospital. He was son of the well-known Meath GAA figure and Labour party senator, Jack Fitzgerald, and his wife Ciss.

Barry had played football with Kilcloon GFC and was on the 1969 Junior B county championship winning team and the 1973 Junior A championship winning team, as well as league champions in 1974.

After being involved in a number of different businesses, he established the family auctioneering firm along with his son, John, and Gerard Brady. Property Partners Brady Fitzgerald, Clonee, was established in 2001 and in Ratoath in 2005. He was a cousin and close friend of Meath county councillor, Brian Fitzgerald.

Barry is survived by his wife, Valerie; family, Nicola, John and Bernard; grandchildren, Seán and Conor; daughters-in-law, Audrey and Debbie; brother, Des; sister-in-law, Ger, brother-in-law Michael and Jackie; aunt, Una, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. The funeral took place from the Church of St Oliver Plunkett, Kilcloon to the adjoining cemetery.

 

Gerry Walsh, Enfield

There was widespread regret following the passing on 4th December last of Gerry Walsh, Ballinakill, Enfield, at his residence.

Aged 80, he was a native of Mitchfield, Westport, Co Mayo, and was son of the late Patrick and Sarah Walsh.

Deceased was a signalman with Coras Iompair Eireann, later Irish Rail, for 38 years.

His interests included farming, gardening and reading, including the Mayo News, current affairs, and playing 25s card games. He had a special interest in Gaelic football, following both his native Mayo as well as Meath, and locally Na Fianna CLG. He enjoyed watching his grandchildren playing football, hurling and camogie with Na Fianna.

He will be remembered as a devoted and loving husband, father and grandfather, and a friendly and helpful neighbour.

Mr Walsh is survived by his wife, Ann; son, Tony; grandchildren, Rachel, Shane, and Conor; daughter-in-law, Caroline; nieces, nephews, cousins, relatives and friends.

The funeral Masss took place in the Church of the Assumption, Jordanstown, Enfield, with burial in the adjoining cemetery. Na Fianna CLG underage players provided a guard of honour outside the church at the removal ceremony.  

Matt Rehill, Kiltale

The death of Matt Rehill, Kiltale, Dunsany, on 6th December last, at the age of 62, was the source of great sadness across a widespread area, including Kiltale; Trim, where he operated a number of businesses; and his native Cavan. While he had been fighting illness for almost six years, his passing at the Mater Private Hospital was unexpected.

Matt owned and operated two manufacturing companies in Trim, Tritex Core and Angle Edge Protection, involved in the cardboard core production and packaging industries.

He was a native of Belturbet, Co Cavan, and attended St Patrick’s College in Cavan.

After working for many years with the Jefferson Smurfit Group paper packaging company in Dublin, Matt established his own business, Tritex Core, in the Eamon Duggan Industrial Estate, Trim, producing cardboard cores for packaging, and later he expanded the production facilities to manufacture angle edge boards using recycled paper, opening Angle Edge Protection.

He was a great supporter of the local GAA club in Kiltale, and played a significant role in the building of the new clubhouse facilities there. With Angle Edge Protection, he sponsored the hurling team, and was delighted when they won the Meath senior hurling championship. He also enjoyed horseracing, and was involved in a Dunderry-based Clady Syndicate which owned the racehorse, Brave Betsy.

Deceased was also politically active, involved in working and campaigning for Fianna Fail in many elections.

A dedicated family man, he will be remembered as having a great sense of humour, and marvellous memory and story-telling ability.

Matt is survived by his wife, Phyll; daughters, Sarah Bent and Rebecca Rehill; son-in-law Brian Bent; brothers, Jim, Cavan, and Kieran, Monaghan; and sister, Margaret Geraghty, Cavan; nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

The funeral took place from the Church of the Assumption, Kiltale, to the adjoining cemetery.

Sr Inez Delany, Drumree and Dublin

The death occurred on 14th December last of Sr Inez (Maeve) Delany, a member of the Dominican Order of Santa Sabina House, Cabra, and formerly of St Mary’s Dominican Convent, Cabra, aged 89.

Her death brings to an end a generation of 11 Delany children of Woodtown, Drumree, the family of Edward Delany and Agnes Austin. William (1905) was followed by Mary (1907), Kathleen (1908), Cecily (1910), Percy (1911), Ted (1912), Doris (1914), Hilda (1916), Una (1918) and Gladys (1919). While the children attended Culmullen National School, they all went away to boarding schools for their secondary education.

Maeve was born on 13th November 1924. Of her generation, two girls died relatively young, three girls entered the religious life, three married – Cecily to Ted Robinson, Doris to Joseph Bruton and Willie to Bernice Murphy - and Mary and Ted remained in the family home in Woodtown to be joined by the Percy, when he retired from the bank.

Maeve entered the Dominican novitiate in Kerdiffstown, Naas at almost 19 years of age in late 1943. Not much more than six or seven weeks after Maeve entered the novitiate, her mother Agnes died. In keeping with the regulations at the time, Maeve was not allowed back home for the funeral. Her mother was of remembered in the anglicised version of the Spanish/ Portuguese name of Ines, itself the equivalent of Agnes in those languages. In 1945, she took vows and spent the next 20 years teaching young children in Sutton Convent. She moved to the Novitiate staff in 1965 and was prioress of that community from 1966-72 and oversaw the move from Kerdiffstown to Mount Merrion. The mid-1960s also saw her and her sister, Sister Lucille, allowed to return to the family home for periods initially of a night or so and then for up to a week at a time. For Maeve, this heralded a love of travel.

In 1975, she spent a year study sabbatical in Rome. She returned to Sion Hill staff, becoming Prioress from 1978 -1982. In 1982, Sister Inez was elected Vicar for the Dominican communities of the Region of Ireland and held the role from 1982 to 1986. During her time as Vicar, the Region House was established in Ashington Grove, Cabra. She returned to Sion Hill in 1986 and was Principal of the Montessori College for a year. She then was bursar for St Catherine’s College of Home Economics until 1996. She was then made Prioress in Sutton Convent from 1996 to 2005. She moved to Cabra in 2005. Spending a few years in Santa Sabina House, Cabra and then from 2009 to 2013 in the St Mary’s Community in Cabra. Her last few months of illness necessitated care in Santa Sabina House.

She developed a taste for visiting and travel to various Dominican houses in Ireland and as far afield as New Orleans and South Africa. Her New Orleans trip was at 79 years of age as she was concerned that her imminent 80th birthday might result in restrictions on her future travel movements.

Sister Inez was a determined and assertive person. She was also very practical and organised. The phrase ‘does not suffer fools gladly’ was made for her. These traits made her ideally suited to the many positions of responsibility she had in the Dominican Order.

After her remains reposed at St Mary’s Dominican Convent, Sr Inez’s removal took place to the Convent Chapel for a funeral Mass, followed by burial in the Convent cemetery.

She was mourned at her funeral by the Dominican Community, her nieces and nephews, a large number of grandnieces and grandnephews and a great grandnephew.