Obituaries 12th July 2014
Olive Rice Cole, Athboy
The passing at the weekend of Olive Rice-Cole of Chapel Land, Athboy, one of the county’s best known music teachers and the former director of Athboy Church Choir, has brought great sadness to all who knew her and experienced her teaching skills. She died peacefully on Sunday morning at Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan, in her 94th year.
She was introduced to music while a boarder at St Michael’s Loreto Secondary School in Navan, from September 1934 to June 1940, where she always acknowledged the influence of Sr Ignatius. In the Loreto centenary book 10 years ago, she said: I was sufficiently lucky to have had her as my teacher in all aspects of music. She gave me the broadest education in the musical world that anyone who could have had, and so my further musical studies came very easily to me indeed.'
Later, with Sr Ignatius, she was a founding member of the Association of Teachers of Music in Post Primary Schools, and two years ago, was honoured by the association at a function in Dublin. The association was responsible for the introduction of music as an exam subject for State examinations.
At Loreto, she also recalled that sport played a big part in the school, with netball, badminton and rounders through the winter and from Easter on, tennis, ending in the singles and doubles finals between Loreto Navan and Loreto Mullingar, played on the Sunday before the start of the Intermediate and Leaving Certificate examinations.
By the time Olive departed the boarding school at Loreto, she was proficient in piano, violin, viola, cello and double bass. It helped that when growing up at Castlepark, Slane, her parents were both piano players and sang, and the family entertained itself with overtures to light operas and piano duets on Sunday evenings.
Olive went on to receive qualifications as a licentiate of the Trinity College London and of the Leinster School of Music, and began working as a music teacher for Meath Vocational Education Committee, moving around the different VEC secondary schools in the county.
The Department of Education introduced free education, and there was much more emphasis on the exam subjects in the Leaving and Intermediate Certificates. So teachers were looking for extra time for their exam subjects and the hours for music were reduced. Olive saw an advertisement in a newspaper seeking a music teacher in a school 30 miles from Dublin, and answered it.
'It turned out to be my old school, Loreto,' she recalled in a Meath Chronicle interview two years ago. 'When I applied, Mother Ignatius said if they knew I was available, they wouldn’t have advertised.'
After a period, she was asked to work full time at Loreto, having been dividing her time between the convent school and the VEC up until then. She enjoyed success with her Loreto school choirs on two occasions nationally, winning the regional finals of the Irish Press Telecom Eireann Schools Choral Competition, and appearing in the National Concert Hall. RTE in their coverage, featured the Loreto Choir, appropriately playing ‘Old King Cole’.
For 25 years, Olive cross-crossed the country as a member of the board of examiners of the Leinster School of Music, mainly around Easter week, June or around Christmas. She also taught private lessons.
She officially ‘retired’ from Loreto 20 years ago, but remained on to help individual students through exams until the middle of the last decade.
Outside the educational world, she acted as musical director for a number of local musical societies, in Kells Musical Society’s productions of ‘Carousel’ and ‘Showboat’. In Trim, she worked on ‘The White Horse Inn’ and ‘Oklahoma’. Her first musical in Athboy was ‘Trial by Jury’, produced in the Macra Hall in the 1940s. And she was involved in ‘The Righteous are Bold’ which Athboy brought to the All-Ireland Drama Finals in Athlone in the 1950s, and won gold medals for Joan Dempsey and Johnny Farrell.
Around 30 years ago, the choir at St James’ Church in Athboy decided to get serious, and with Olive as organist, developed into one of the best in the county. She only retired as director last year. The choir represented the diocese of Meath on the annual pilgrimage, and also received a Distinguished Award at Navan Choral Festival.
Olive enjoyed music and concerts up until her recent short illness, and was delighted to attend the Sean Og Boylan concert in St James' Church of Ireland, Athboy, in May.
Olive herself was named Athboy Community Person of the Year 1999 for her local activities, which included being one of the original members of the Athboy ICA guild, and her involvement in the Pitch and Putt Club. Writing in Athboy ICA’s jubilee book she said her first introduction to ICA was in Fethard, Co Tipperary after she married Michael Rice, in 1943.
She was a member of an old Meath family, the O'Reillys, who were farming at Killeen in Dunsany before moving to Castlepark just over a century ago. Predeceased by her husbands, Michael Rice and Paddy Cole; son, Dickie and son-in-law, Hugh, she is survived by her daughter, Miriam Dowse; son, John; daughter-in-law, Carmel; grandchildren, Anne and Michael; great granddaughter, Ella; sister, Sr Carmel (Kathleen), Presentation Sisters, Kilcock; sister-in-law Monica Rice; nieces, nephews, relatives and a large circle of friends.
Andrew Smyth, Navan
The death of Andrew Smyth at Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan, on 12th June last, was the source of considerable sadness. Andrew resided in Rath na Riogh, Leighsbrook House, and also spent a number of years in Troytown House.
Formerly of St Mary’s Park, the son of the late of Felix and Nancy, he was also predeceased by his brother, Phelim, in November 2013.
A former student of Belcamp College, Dublin, St Patrick’s Classical School, Navan, and University College, Dublin, he had a great interest in politics and history, and was an avid table tennis player in his younger years.
He is survived by his brothers, Pat, Kevin and Aidan; sisters, Ann, Mary and Una; brothers-in-law, Davie and John; sisters-in-law, Dinagh, Anne, Rosemary and Mandy; nephews and nieces.
He will be sadly missed by his family, comrades and staff at Ras na Riogh and the Táin; relatives and friends. The funeral took place from St Oliver’s Church, Navan to St Mary’s Cemetery.
Dolores Brown, Dublin and Navan
The regretted death occurred on 18th June last of Dolores Anne Brown, Goatstown, Dublin, at the age of 92.
A native of Navan, she was daughter of the late Anne and Alfred Hyland.
Wife of the late Alan Brown, she is survived by her daughters, Deirdre and Olivia, both Dublin; son, Peter, Dublin, and Colin, Cork; sister and brother-in-law, Rose and John Smyth, Navan; grandchildren; great grandchildren; relatives and friends.
She was sister of the late Fr Paddy Hyland of Navan and the Kiltegan Fathers, and the late Maureen Quigley, Monaghan.
The funeral took place from Holy Cross Church, Dundrum, to Deansgrange Cemetery.
Mick Boyne, Trim
The regretted death occurred on 19th June last of Mick Boyne, Doolistown, Trim, at Connolly Memorial Hospital, Blanchardstown.
Aged 79, he was a native of Doolistown, and was predeceased by his wife, Marie, in December 1995.
He started his working life in George Griffin’s at Carberstown, Trim. He then went to work in Fowler’s of Rathmolyon, and before spending 43 years with Bord na Mona in Ballivor.
He also repaired televisions and radios in his spare time.
He retired at the age of 63 and enjoyed a good social life with the Trim Active Retirement group.
He is survived by his family, Bridget Dowdall, Doolistown; Michael Boyne, Doolistown; Maeline Smyth, Rathmolyon, Enfield and John Boyne, Pinebrook, Trim; brothers, sisters, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, nephews, nieces, relatives and friends.
The funeral took place at St Bridget’s Church, Boardsmill, followed by burial in St Loman’s Cemetery.
Veronica Shalvey, Navan
Widespread regret was occasioned by the death of Veronica Shalvey, Flower Hill, Slane Road, Navan, on 23rd June last, at Millbury Nursing Home, Navan. Daughter of the late Patrick and Gertrude McConnell, she was a native of Rahoney, Athboy.
Deceased worked in Edenderry and Trim, and moved to Navan in 1958, where she married and raised her family. She started her own business, a grocery and newsagent, The Hilltop Shop, on the Slane Road in Navan. A very outgoing lady, she loved music, taking in concerts such as Andre Rieu, Neil Diamond, and Joe Dolan.
A stylish woman, she enjoyed life, loved holidays, enjoyed meeting people and always had time for a chat and driving her car out to meet friends in various places. Veronica was born and grew up on a farm, and therefore loved all animals.
She is survived by her daughter, Yvonne; son, Gerry; granddaughter, Siobhan; sister, Josephine, (Kent, England); brother, Patrick, sister-in-law, Ina, nieces, nephews, relatives, friends and colleagues.
The funeral took place from St Mary’s Church, Navan, to St Finian’s Cemetery.
Patrick Mooney, Navan
The regretted death occurred on 20th June last of Patrick (Pat) Mooney, Tara Court Green, Navan, at the Mater Hospital, Dublin.
A native of Yellow Furze, Beauparc, Mr Mooney (59) was a son of the late Peter and May Mooney. He lived in Navan for 33 years.
He is survived by his wife, Linda; sons, Alan, John and Ian; brothers, sisters, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law and grandchildren.
The Funeral Mass took place on 23rd June in the Church of the Assumption, Beauparc, followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery.
Tony Smith, Carnaross
An appreciation from Meath Vintage Group
There was widespread shock and sadness in the vintage world at the news of the sudden and untimely death of our friend and esteemed club member Tony Smith, Seymourstown, Carnaross. There will be many words written and spoken about Tony, but we would wish to remember Tony as a staunch member of our club.
Back in the mid 1990s, Tony and some like-minded friends could see the demise of our heritage and got together to try to stem this trend by forming Meath Vintage Group. Over the years, members have come and gone, but Tony remained true to the very end.
We remember Tony as a man of his word, who could stand his ground in any company and was never afraid to speak his mind, no matter the outcome.
The esteem Tony was held in, and his ability to organise and fundraise is evident from the attendance at the Seymourstown Threshing, which was always a joy to attend and not only for the renowned Smith hospitality, but for the general good feeling attached to Seymourstown, only when all was up and running did Tony relax!
Tony started this threshing as a fund raiser for the Guide Dogs for the Blind but for the last number of years, for family reasons, he supported the Meath branch of Multiple Sclerosis and over the years has contributed handsomely to both causes.
Tony’s generosity, coupled with his willingness to support, and to fundraise, has helped Meath Vintage Group donate large sums of money to many worthy causes over the years, and his loss will be felt keenly by these charities.
Whilst Meath Vintage Group, and the vintage world in general, has lost a very valued friend, it pales in comparison to the loss felt by Eilish and the family. It can be truly said that where Tony went Eilish was always by his side, except maybe on the many tractor runs he so staunchly supported only because he didn’t have a passenger seat on the tractor!
To Eilish, their sons and daughters, Bernie, Tommy, Caroline, Philip, Grainne, Jackie, Anthony, Ashling, grandchildren, Tony’s sisters and extended family we extend our sincere sympathy and to Tony we say ' The light of Heaven to you Tony, rest easy'.
- Anne Berrill.