The late Michael Breen The death in the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, following a short and sudden illness, of Michael (Mickey) Breen, a well-known building contractor who lived with his wife and two daughters at Manor View, Tempo cause genuine shock and regret. He was 60. At his hugely-attended funeral Mass, for which the principal celebrant was his brother, Fr Tom. PE, Dromore, the parish priest of Pobal, Fr John Halton told the congregation they had come together as a wounded community. When news of his illness got out just two weeks previously, he said, everyone assumed all would be well and that Mickey, 'a hard worker and skilled tradesman', would have gone on to enjoy retirement. "But, that was not to be for, as the Readings put it 'Length of days is not makes age honourable, nor number of years the true measure of life. Understanding: this is man's grey hairs, untarnished life. This is ripe old age." And, in the course of a remarkable homily, he went on to define how the deceased's understanding and untarnished life held sway, at home, at work and at play. For instance , he was a 'team' player, he was generous with his many talents and shared those gifts at work with employees who later became employers in their own right. Mickey was born in August, 1946, the son of James and Rose Breen, Toneyglaskin, Tempo. He was the second youngest in a family of 10, of whom he was pre-deceased by his sister, Mary in Galway. After finishing at Sooneen PS, he spent two years in St Macartan's College in Monaghan before opting for the world of work. He worked with a local farmer for one year and then commenced his apprenticeship as a plasterer with J&I Conway. He moved on to secure work with the late John Slevin, a contractor and then joined up with another well-known name in the building industry, Tom McGrath, from Derrygonnelly. This was an enduring placement until, eventually, Mickey decided to branch our on his own. This was the very successful business he ran until his untimely death in the RVH on 11th April, 2007. His legacy of contracts well executed can be found across several counties, including Dublin. He was highly respected by those he worked for and by those he employed, some of whom were with him for up to 35 years. It was in 1970 that he met and married the former Kathleen McHugh, from Kinawley. They lived for two years in Westville Terrace in enniskillen until Mickey purchased a small business in his native Tempo. There they remained for seven years before moving to Maor View. The couple had two daughters, Karen a specialist registrar in haemotology in the Mater Hospital in Dublin, and Roisin, a physiotherapist in Beaumont Hospital in Dublin. The year 1970 was made doubly auspicious for it was in that year, as a playing member with Tempo Maguries GFC, he helped the club to a 'double' of league and championship. His involvement with and support for the club never waned. For 10 years, he was one of Damien Campbell's faithful umpires when Damien was an inter-county referee. They travelled with others all over to matches, the highlight for Mickey of course doing umpire in Croke Park on numerous occasions. That he was held in the highest regard by the club was amply illustrated by the presence of so many club members, players and former players in a most impressive guard of honour following the funeral Mass in the local St Mary's Community Centre (the church is undergoing repairs at present), many of whom were wearing the distinctive Tempo GFC blazer. Also present in the guard of honour were representatives of two other local organisations with which he was involved, the Tempo branch of Comhaltas in which is wife, Kathleen, plays a prominent county role, and St Mary's Silver Band, Tempo in which he was a former drum major (leader). But, he had other strings to his bow. He was an active member of the community in Tempo. For over 30 years he served on the fund-raising Bingo Committee, he was part of the team that helped make St Mary's Community Centre a reality, and he was actively involved with he cross-community Tempo Development Association. Along with is wife, he helped promote Tempo branch of CCE so that the young people of the area could acquire a knowledge of Irish traditional music, song and dance, thereby preserving that tradition for the next generation to take up the baton. He travelled to fleadhanna all over Ireland, and enjoyed ceili music and ceili dancing. In the course of his homily, Fr Halton focused on the deceased's home-building, as opposed to house building awareness: "He knew that the great calling from God was to be a good husband and a good father, and that home was a place of welcome, forgiveness and love. He knew that his role was that of a home maker, where God revealed His goodness through the goodness of the parents". At the end of the composite guard of honour, Mickey's remains were buried in the local cemetery. In addition to his wife, Kathleen and his daughters, Karen and Roisin, Mickey is survived by his sisters and brothers, Bea, Fintona; Eileen, Christine, dromore, Gertrude, Cornashannel; Fr Tom, PE, Dromore; Jim, Philip, and Artie, Tempo. Courtesy of the Fermanagh Herald 26 April 2007 Tweet

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