McDonnell, Frankie
June 06, 2007
The late Frankie McDonnell,
The death, took place of Frankie McDonnell, Fairview Crescent, Killgoan, Monaghan in St James' Hospital, Dublin, surrounded by his loving family and in the care of a devoted surgeon, oncology team and nurses of the ICU and HDU. He was aged 73.
Frankie was born in Moher, kinawley, the eldest of nine children of Charles and Mary Agnes McDonnell (nee Curran).
He spent his early days in Carroo National School where he was taught by his mother.
As a child, he loved adult company and spent many hours fishing with his uncles and brothers in the mountain rivers in Fermanagh.
In later years, he made many fishing expeditions to Donegal with his good friend, Owen Smyth. Frankie had a very fine singing voice and although he was very shy, he occasionally charmed listeners with his lovely Fermanagh lilt.
However, he wasn't at all shy when it came to whistling Irish ballads and folk songs.
In his earlier years, he was a talented fiddler and flute player.
Football was a great passion in his life. He played minor football for Fermanagh in full back position and at local level for Kinawley and Swanlinbar.
He also played in Donegal and Offaly when working in these counties.
Frankie was a rambler, a pasttime which continued throughout his life. He loved meeting people and made friends where ever he went. He was fortunate enough, in his retirement, to have travelled to America and Italy. He was an avid reader and an accomplished story teller with a great ability to embellish a year or two.
Frankie, with is wife, Concepta and children, adopted Monaghan in the early 70s as the place where they would make their home.
There, Frankie found employment with John James McKenna, Dawson Street and later with Dan McNally.
He was a devoted husband to Concepta and a loving father to Frank, Marie, Eamonn, Donal and Aisling and father in law to Teresa, Betty, Sylvia and John and a doting grandad to his seventeen children.
Courtesy of the Fermanagh Herald
06 June 2007
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