The late Jim Carrig When we come to describe the life of Jim Carrig we use terms like honesty, integrity, a perfect gentleman, a great neighbour, a marvellous husband, a man of deep faith. He was all of these but the two words uppermost in my mind are Community and Leadership. Jim was a natural leader and always led from the front, quietly and without fuss. From Creeves in West Limerick, he went to England in the 50s, where both Jim & Peg were very active in the Irish Clubs. When they came to Knockanore in 1965 they immediately became involved in local community affairs. Jim was a loyal follower of the GAA at all levels and supported Limerick, Waterford and the Shamrocks in good and bad times. The blue and white and the green and white flags flew in the front garden, the Limerick flag doubling as a Shamrock one depending on who was playing at the time. Jim was acting Secretary for the Shamrocks at one time and until his death, was an active promoter of the club lotto. In the early 70s when a guild of Muintir na Tire was formed in the parish with the help of Fr. O'Byrne, Jim of course became involved, and over the years was a key figure in the development of the association at local, county and national level, quietly with no fuss. He served in every position in the local guild and then moved on to the Waterford County Federation of Muintir and we spent many a long night driving to every local hall in the county and beyond trying to solve the problems of the world. He then represented the county on the National Executive of Muintir na Tire and gained the respect of all his colleagues. When the Blackwater Muintir Drama group was formed from the Kilwatermoy Dramatic Society, Jim came in to his own, his acting skills and dedication to detail inspired us all and went a long way in bringing the group to an All-Ireland Drama Final in Loughrea. His sense of fun and comedy were legend and he was never stuck for a party piece. When Jim came on stage, you knew that the show was in safe hands. In the early 70s the first Fete was held in Strancally and Jim helped to organise it and he has been involved in every Fete since then. For a time he served on the Promotion and Development Committee of Tallow Area Credit Union and in the past few years he had his own very popular programme on Youghal Local Radio. A Man of Many Talents That is just a synopsis of his time in our parish during his life he was practically a reference point for nearly every activity which took place. He was well known and respected over a wide area, and one particular "Bachelor in Trouble" from Kilrossanty would always greet me with... (Tell me, and how is Carrig up there?) On Sunday week last, Jim died as he had lived, quietly with no fuss. He was looking forward to watching the All-Ireland on the telly but as it turned out, I am sure that he had a better vantage point than any of the people in Croke Park. May I take this opportunity to offer the sympathy of the whole community to Peg and to all his family and friends. Jim is gone now but we know that he is in safe hands and as long as those who knew him are alive, he will not be forgotten. May the soul of Knockanore rest lightly on him and may he rest in peace. Slan abhaile a Seamus. Ar deis De a anam. Courtesy of the Imokilly People November 2004 Tweet

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