Sudden death of Joan Maguire of Hill of Tara

Founder of renowned gift shop and café

The sudden death has occurred of Joan Maguire, of the renowned café and gift shop on the Hill of Tara.

Aged 93, Joan was a member of the Devine family, whose family was in business on the historic hill for generations.

Her grandmother operated a public house on the hill, while her mother later ran a shop, when an old thatched building stood where Maguire's Hill of Heroes is now located. Joan developed the business to cater for the archaeologists and American tourists who mainly visited Tara back in the days before it became the popular attraction that it is today.

She met her future husband, Dessie Maguire of the well-known Kilmessan clan, at the 150th anniversary commemorations of the 1798 Battle of the Hill of Tara in 1948, when he was helping out with visitors in the parlour of their premises.

They went on to have a family of five, and later ran a bed and breakfast business on the Hill. Dessie died in February 2006, aged 78.

Her family described her as "a wonderful source of strength, inspiration and love."

Joan is survived by family, Michael, Canice, Theresa, Sinead, and Marie, grandchildren Louise, David, Ciara, Emma, Conor, Conor P, Rory, Iga, Bella, Fergus, Daisy, Bonnie, Jewel, Remy and Lughan, extended family and very many friends around Tara and around the world.

She is reposing at her home at Hill of Tara C15 P046 on Tuesday from 2pm to 8pm. Removal on Wednesday morning at 10.15am to the Church of St Colmcille, Skryne for Funeral Mass at 11am, followed by burial in Hill of Tara graveyard.

House private on Wednesday morning.