Furey, PJ (Pat)
December 28, 2012Aged 97, PJ had just attended the annual Christmas Party at the Askea Day Centre when he took suddenly ill and died. During the party, Pat was in his usual good form, reciting three poems, singing a song and playing draughts with his friend Fr Tom Little.
While the sudden nature of his passing came as a great shock to his family, neighbours and friends, it was perhaps appropriate that he should pass away at the Askea Centre, a place he loved and where he attended practically every day from Monday to Friday since last September.
PJ Furey was born on 19 March 1915 into farming stock in Oranmore, Co Galway, the youngest of eight children.
When the Irish government enlisted a number of extra gardai to help meet any threat that might arise in this country at the start of World War 2, PJ was among those who joined this group. Enlisted in September 1939, he and his colleagues underwent an extensive training course in Garda Headquarters at Phoenix Park. This special group of recruits were known as TACA and remained on in the force following The Emergency.
PJ's first appointment was to the Bridewell station in Dublin. It was to be the first of nine locations throughout the country over the following decades. He
subsequently served in Poulaphouca, Leighlinbridge, Campile, Glangelton (Co Cavan), Lough Gowna (Co Cavan), before being transferred to Ballitore, Co Kildare on promotion as sergeant. From there he was appointed as second sergeant to Carlow station before his final destination in Durrow, Co Laois. He retired from the force on 7 July 1972.
Having joined civvy street, PJ worked at the headquarters of Avonmore in Ballyragget, Co Kilkenny, where he was engaged in the weighing of the co-op's fleet of lorries on leaving and arriving at base. By that time, the Furey family had returned to Carlow, residing in Hillview Drive.
On 26 September 1944, PJ married Margaret Richardson from Castlebar, the couple having met in Dublin. They wed in Margaret's home town.
An anecdote from PJ's garda life is worth recording. When moving from Poulaphouca to Leighlinbridge station, he sent word ahead to have some form of transport available to convey him to his new lodgings in Co Carlow. When he arrived at Leighlinbridge station, he found there was a pony and trap waiting to carry him. PJ thought he had long left that mode of transport behind him in Galway!
As a writer of verse, PJ penned a poem about his last day in the force, which he titled My last patrol in Durrow. He wrote poetry about different counties and various topics - he was completely up-to-date with happenings home and abroad. He committed his poetry to CD and sold them, giving the money raised to charity - an indication of his generous nature.
PJ was a dedicated and excellent draughts player and promoted the board game at every given opportunity. Over the years, he became 'Mr Draughts' in the Carlow area and competed all over the country.
There is an interesting aside to his involvement in draughts. His late brother Martin was a member of the Old IRA captured by British forces during the War of Independence and transferred to the Frongoch internment camp in Wales. Frongoch was also where Michael Collins was interned following the Easter Rising. While in confinement, Martin developed an interest in playing draughts to pass the time and it was a pastime that he passed on to his younger brother PJ.
Draughts was an important part of PJ Furey's life and he was a champion player and masters champion, winning a host of trophies and cups down the years. Only last February, he competed in Naas, taking part in ten games, winning eight and drawing two - at the age of 96.
PJ was a dedicated sportsman, following all sports. He was an avid hurling follower, regarding it as a wonderfully skilled field game, and could relate the scores and teams from matches from the dim and distant past. He followed the fortunes of the Galway hurlers and footballers closely, revelling in their victories. He also harboured a great admiration for the Kilkenny hurlers. In fact, he wrote a poem dedicated to The Cats before they engaged Tipperary in the 'Drive for Five' in 2010.
A fine hurler in his day, PJ was named 'Hurler of the Year' while playing for the Horeswood GAA club while stationed in Campile. PJ loved to write poetry and he could also recite lengthy ballads of renown, never missing out on a line. He retained a remarkable sharpness of mind for his advanced years - to which he made few, if any, concessions - although he became less mobile in latter times.
He was in his element last summer during the London Olympics and gloried in the achievement of Katie Taylor in winning the gold medal in boxing. He had a great love for boxing.
Family meant everything to PJ, who certainly bridged the generation gap. He loved his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and they in turn loved him. His regard for family was clearly emphasised by the fact that in his 90s he made a monthly trip to visit his last surviving sibling, Cathy Burke, in Galway city. Pat would get the bus or train from Carlow to Dublin and made a bus/train connection onward to the City of the Tribes. He would visit his sister and return home - all on the one day. Cathy passed away in September 2008.
A religious and very Christian man, PJ organised two Rosary groups in Carlow town, which have continued over the past 22 years. He also delivered the religious Magazine The Lourdes Messenger to houses in the Rathnapish area.
He reposed at Healy's of Pollerton Castle until removal of his remains to the Church of the Holy Family, Askea on Friday night, where they were received by Fr Liam Morgan, CC, Askea-Bennekerry-Tinryland. Fr Little celebrated the funeral Mass on Saturday morning, when there was a very
large congregation.
Significant memorabilia from PJ's life were brought to the altar by his younger grandchildren, under the guidance of a 'senior' grandchild, Garda Ciaran Furey, who is based in Mountjoy station, Dublin.
These symbols were: his garda hat; a framed certificate from his retirement, outlining his garda career; a Galway flag; a CD of his poetry; a family photograph; a statue of Our Lady; his Rosary beads; his 1999 masters draughts trophy; and his bicycle pump. Pat had cycled around town up to the age of 92, being a familiar figure to the people of Carlow.
At the end of Mass, PJ's daughter Anna Mulvihill paid tribute to her father's many sterling qualities in a eulogy. She quoted a few lines from one of his poems entitled The Sermon on the Mount.
Prefects from Presentation College, Askea, where Anna and her husband Sean taught, were present in uniform at the church.
A guard of honour was formed by members of An Garda Si'ochana from the church to St Mary's Cemetery, where six serving members of the force carried PJ's coffin from the hearse to his final resting place. Fr Little recited the final prayers at the graveside before the Last Post was sounded as a final farewell to a proud Irishman. A tricolour was placed on the coffin and at the graveside there was a ceremonial folding of the national flag, which was handed over to Sean, PJ's eldest child, in a poignant moment for the Furey family.
PJ is survived by his wife Margaret (Peg), children Sean (Green Road, Carlow), Anna Mulvihill (Killeshin, Carlow), Mary Maher (Lisdowney, Co Kilkenny), Regina Furey (Maynooth), Patricia Furey (Maynooth) and Bernadette Wynne (Dublin). Pat's youngest son Sylvester (Syl) predeceased him in February 2000, aged 50. Syl was a talented football half-forward, playing for Laois in the All-Ireland MFC final of 1967 against Cork. He was a retired garda.
He is also survived by sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, his 22 grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, good neighbours and many friends.
May PJ rest in peace.
Courtesy of The Carlow Nationalist. Tweet
