Stack, Veronica
October 24, 2013
Veronica Stack (nee Harney), Park Grove, Park Road, Killarney, Kerry and Kilmuckridge, Wexford, passed away on the 30th September at Kerry General Hospital, peacefully in her sleep, with all of her family around her.
Veronica was a real family woman, always putting others before herself. She was a great friend as well as a great mother to her three daughters; she was a wonderful wife to Jason, and most of, all she was a great person.
In 2009 Veronica was diagnosed with breast cancer, a condition she faced head-on with a fierce courage and determination. Never once did she let it get in the way of leading her life to the fullest. In 2010 she started helping out with the juvenile camogie team in the Dr Croke's GAA club in Killarney and in the effort to resurrect the game in Killarney, she became one of the founding members of Killarney Camogie Club. The club has gone from strength to strength bringing girls from all local clubs together under the one team making it one of the first of its type in the country.
Veronica was herself an accomplished camogie player for the famous Buffers Alley Club. A testament to Veronica's strength and determination was her completion of the 180km ring of Kerry Cycle only twelve weeks ago. This was a great achievement in itself for any ordinary person but even more so for Veronica as she was undergoing treatment for her cancer. She proved that she was no 'ordinary' person by crossing the line at 6.12 that evening.
Born on the 11th May 1967 in Gorey Maternity Hospital to Hugh and Catherine Harney, Ballymacsimon, Kilmuckridge, Veronica was the eldest of seven children.
She attended St Joseph's national school and then Kilmuckridge Vocational College. She was an accomplished Irish set dancer and danced with the Kilmuckridge Set Dancers and won many competitions including the All-Ireland Scor na nOg competition as well as dancing on the Late Late Show.
When Veronica left school she completed a CERT course in restaurant and elementary bar after which she worked in Kelly's Hotel, Rosslare and the Granville in Waterford before emigrating to Germany where she worked in the Europa Hotel in Baden-Baden for two years. She then opened the first Irish pub in Stuttgart which she ran successfully for the next five years. However, the call of home was strong and she returned in 1995. Veronica was a fluent German speaker she also travelled extensively throughout Europe during her time in Germany.
In 1996 Veronica moved to Cork where she completed a bar management course and it was there she met her husband to be Jason. They moved to Killarney in March 1997 to begin their new life together. She worked the summer season in the Torc Great Southern Hotel and in the October of the same year she began work in the Ross Hotel where she worked in various departments over the next sixteen years.
In June 2000 Veronica and Jason's first child Kate arrived and was followed in 2002 by Niamh. In March 2005 they were married and in the November the following year their third daughter Sadhbh was born.
Veronica liked nothing better than going for a walk in the National Park with her three girls and two dogs and she truly appreciated her surroundings. She often commented on "how lucky we were to live in such a beautiful part of the world.'
Veronica was a beautiful, kind, caring and the most determined person her family have ever known. She was the centre of their lives and they will never forget her. Their happy memories of the time spent with her are happy ones.
May she rest in peace.
Kerry's Eye, 24th October, 2013
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