The death at his home on Saturday 1 December last of Ned Tobin, Ballycormack, Bagenalstown, Co Carlow has left a huge void in the lives of his wife Frances, his three children, brother, sisters and extended family.

Aged 75, Ned had been in ill health for the final 17 months of his life. During his final illness, Ned was nursed at home around the clock by his wife, the former Frances Wall from Donore, Bagenalstown. The couple had met 52 years previously at one of the open air stage dances in Garryhill, which were held on Wednesday and Sunday nights.

Ned and Frances had a deep and abiding love for each other from the time they met, and the depth of that affection was demonstrated by the manner in which Frances looked after Ned during his illness.

A native of Drumphea, Garryhill, Ned worked as a lorry driver for Fenlon's quarry, Curracruit, Bagenalstown. He was engaged in the transportation of sand from the Fenlon quarry to Mount Leinster in the early 1960s at the time when the RTE mast was being installed on the mountain.

He later worked as a milk delivery man with John McDonald at the Leix Dairy in Carlow. His final place of employment was in Red Mills, Goresbridge, where he was a loader driver.

Ned Tobin will be remembered as a fine sportsman, playing Gaelic football, hurling and handball. He started his football career with the Myshall club in 1955 and played right up to 1969. He played in midfield and Ned's greatest asset was his high fielding and his ability to score points from a 50 (nowadays a 45). Ned was selected on the Carlow junior football team in the early 1960s.

He hurled with the local Ballinkillen club from 1971 to '73, winning junior and senior championship medals with the men in blue and gold, as well as a Bolger Cup SHL medal.

A lifelong member of Garryhill Handball Club, as a schoolboy Ned would have been a regular visitor to the open court in Lodge Lane. In later years, he had the benefit of playing in the modern covered handball courts in Garryhill.
Ned was a keen competitor in club competition and represented Garryhill with distinction in the county and Leinster championships.
In 1992, he scored a notable victory, winning the Masters B doubles when partnered by John O'Keeffe from the Tinryland club. The same year, Ned was a finalist in the Golden Masters singles competition.

Apart from playing handball competitively, Ned kept fit playing the game almost on a daily basis with his great friend, the late Jim Tyrrell from Goresbridge.
It was a great source of pride to Ned that two of his granddaughters, Emma and Ava, play camogie with the Bagenalstown club. Sadly, he did not live to see them play the game.
A man who had an interest in all sports, Ned continued to watch sport on television up the night before his unexpected death.
A lifelong pioneer, Ned received the gold Pioneer Total Abstinence Association (PTAA) pin, along with wife Frances, at a function in Ballinkillen Community Centre in 2009.

Having died at his residence, Ned was waked at home before removal to St Andrew's Parish Church, where he had married Frances on 20 April 1965. Fr Declan Foley, PP, Bagenalstown, received the remains and celebrated Ned's funeral Mass.
At the start of Mass, symbols of Ned's life were brought to the altar by three of his grandchildren:
Ava presented Ned's gold pioneer pin and a handball; Colin brought forward a handball trophy; while Emma brought up a hurley and sliotar.
The Bagenalstown Folk Group sang the hymns at Mass - Ned's eldest grandchild, Michelle, is a member of the group and sang 0 Holy Night solo at her grandfather's Mass.

After Mass, Ned was laid to rest in the Cemetery of the Assumption, with Fr Foley reciting the final prayers at the graveside. Guards of honour were provided from the church to the cemetery by members of Naomh Eoin and Ballinkillen GAA clubs.

Ned is mourned by his wife Frances, children Mary Bridgett (Chestnut Court, Bagenalstown), Caroline Byrne (Ballycormack) and Eamon (Ballycormack), by his brother Jim (Dublin), sisters Kitty (Enniscorthy), Lil (Enniscorthy) and Olive (Kerry), by his sons-in-law Martin and Tom, Eamon's partner Ann, by his loyal friend John, nephews, nieces, extended family, good neighbours, former GAA colleagues and many friends.

May Ned rest in peace.

Courtesy of The Carlow Nationalist Tweet

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