O'Sullivan, Bridie
September 15, 2011
Anyone from Dunhallow who were making their way out of Cork city would invariably stop at what was affectionately known as "Bridie Nadd" where there was always a welcome, a cup of tea and sandwiches.
While the late Bridie O'Sullivan left Nadd pub almost 12 years ago and set up a sports shop in Cobh, it would be very fair to say that her heart was always in Dunhallow and in particular the GAA.
The late Bridie O'Sullivan formerly of Coolageela, Kanturk and Tullylease passed away on Friday, September 2 and was buried at Clonfert in Newmarket. At her funeral, her brother-in-law James Murphy told the large congregation that there were two people who were unaccustomed to the position of being at the front of the church - Bridie and himself.
"I met a good few people and am looking at a few more here today whose bacon was often saved by Bridie. I'm not saying that she told lies, but she certainly disguised the truth on a number of occasions," smiled Mr Murphy.
He said he along with family members Joan, Noreen, Mary and Paddy had each received many emails and text from people from all over the world, with the one theme running through them - they were saying goodbye to a legend.
He said when Bridie and himself had spoken during her illness, they had discussed where the mass would be held and she said Rockchapel.
"I said, Bridie, in a few months time, that won't be good idea as there is bound to be snow in Rockchapel and anyway, I said we're tried of your talk about 'The Rock' - wouldn't you go to Lyre, they have a lovely choir. She said, 'there will be no choir, when I think of all the nights in Nadd, when I couldn't get rid of the Banteer Folk Group and Tom Neenan singing 'Phil the Fluter,' at two in the morning. She said, "I owe him a turn and now he will sing for me on my terms," said Mr Murphy.
Mr Murphy said he has been lucky enough to have travelled to Australia and America and when asked what part of the world he hailed from, he would say, a small place you've probably never heard of - a place called Nadd - and the answer back usually was - "Do you know Bridie?"
Bridie was laid to rest in Confert by six members of the Dunhallow team who won the county title in 1990.
"They were not selected for their performance on the day, but I think more on their anticipated performance after our Bridie had been laid to rest. At some stage in all our lives, Bridie has been like a mother, like a sister, like a grandmother. When people ask me did Bridie have family, I can safely say, one of the biggest in Ireland," said Mr Muprhy.
This week, Duhallow football pundit John Fintan Daly spoke passionately about the late Bridie O'Sullivan as being "wonderful company, an extrovert, and passionate about football."
Bridie started out in life as a teacher, but found her niche in the pub trade. She had worked in pubs in Meelin, Rockchapel, Nadd and Cullen. When Bridie set up in Nadd pub, it was a port of call for many who were either on their way to Cork city or on their way home. No sooner when a person went in the door, when talk soon turned to football, and anyone who attempted to hood-wink Bridie about a local game, would soon have met their match.
John F Daly said he got to know Bridie in the late 1980s when she had a bar taken in Rockchapel. She then moved up to Nadd and the catch-phrase "Bridie Nadd" was born.
Mr Daly was highly involved in the Dunhallow team from 1986 until 1998, and there were 13 seasons of games which were played.
"Bridie was ever present at the games, no matter what the weather. She was a huge supporter of Duhallow football and played a key role in fund-raising. It would be fair to say that Bridie was the unofficial but yet, very official fundraiser," smiled Mr Daly.
She knew all the players and their families and was well able to give any game a judicial autopsy and kept tally of scores and how players fared. The players and their families in turn, were also very fond of her.
"She was a very genuine person and she was a very generous person. No sooner did any one go in the door of Bridie Nadd, then she was out with sandwiches and cups of team and she would stand a person a drink and was very interested in people, and in particular to talk football," said Mr Daly.
He said when she moved to Cobh and set up a sports shop, she brought her generosity, wit and kindness with her.
"I understand that she also played a huge role in Cobh and sponsored teams all over the place. She was a very well liked person and she stood out from the crowd. In times past, few would be able to drive past. 'Bridie Nadd' without calling in to see her. She went to all the big games but her real passion were the local club games. She really lived for that," said Mr Daly.
- Courtesy of The Corkman, September 15th 2011
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