O'Loughlin, Liz
January 28, 2014She had been receiving treatment in the Mater Hospital, spending the last weeks of her life at home with her loving family. It was her wish that normality would pertain in the O'Loughlin home as much as possible, and she sought to protect her children from the seriousness of her illness, constantly stressing the need for positivity.
A native of Garr, Rhode, Co. Offaly, Liz was daughter of the late Willie and Kathleen Coyne and the third-eldest in a family of ten children. She is the first of her family to pass away. Liz attended secondary school in Mountmellick where, in January 1976, romance blossomed when she met Declan O'Loughlin from Meelick, Rosenallis. In their leaving cert year, Liz played Nano Nagle, founder of the Presentation Order, while Declan played Nano's father.
Declan and Liz married in June 1981 in Ballinabrackey, Co. Meath and went on to have a family of three children: sons Ivor and Billy and daughter Kate, whom she referred to as the icing on the cake. When her mother died on Christmas Eve 1987, Liz became a maternal figure to all the family, minding her father and taking on the responsibility for rearing her youngest sister Niamh.
Liz was an incredible business woman. She and Declan ran O'Loughlin's Bar on Dublin Street, Carlow from 1986 to '94. The following year, they opened O'Loughlin Hotel in Portlaoise and Liz's influence was immediately felt in the town. Her personality and character were ideally suited to the hotel industry and her knowledge of cooking and baking helped establish O'Loughlin's Hotel as the landmark it is today.
A secondary teacher, Liz was very highly regarded within the profession. She graduated with an arts degree from UCD and her first teaching appointment was in Naas. When the family moved to Ballickmoyler, Liz taught at St Mary's CBS Academy before going on to teach in Presentation de la Salle, College, Bagenalstown. Liz, whose subjects were English, Irish and Geography taught up to the time that illness intervened in October of last year. The sense of loss among her teaching colleagues and pupils was palpable at Liz's funeral Mass on Wednesday last in the Cathedral of the Assumption, Carlow when many a tear was shed.
Declan and Liz were a good match, being kindred spirits. Theirs was a marriage of strength, unity and long, unbroken love. Liz was a woman who saw the best in people, counselling and advising many, an aspect in which her instinctive mothering skills came into play. She loved poetry and literature - Seamus Heaney was one of her favourite poets - while she also liked to indulge her love of poetry and prose through her writings.
Liz also loved music and opera. Her daughter Kate would make CDs of Liz's favourite music, which she loved.
A woman of deep intelligence, Liz was wonderful at multi tasking, combining her family and professional life, excelling as a cook, central to the continued success of their business enterprises, while always finding time in the busy schedule to write her poetry and prose. One of her writings was carried in the memorial Mass booklet: The highest expression of love is not to possess but to relinquish. Also on the Mass booklet was quotation from John McGahern ... the best of life is lived quietly, where nothing happens but our calm journey through the day, where change is imperceptible and the precious life is everything.
Those words could be applied as the theme for Liz O'Loughlin's life. Family meant everything and it was a great joy to herself and Declan when their first grandchild, Elsa, was born to Marie and Ivor in December 2011.
The passing of Liz O'Loughlin caused widespread regret, almost disbelief, among people that one so vital, vibrant and active should be taken so quickly. Huge numbers called to the O'Loughlin home in the days following Liz's death to offer their sympathies to Declan and the family. Declan is widely known within Laois GAA circles and indeed through the broad GAA family. He was a former county senior football and hurler, winning a Laois SHC medal with Clonaslee. Declan lined for Laois in the 1981 Leinster SFC final against Offaly. He was also a Laois senior football selector during the Mick O'Dwyer management era with the O'Moore County.
During this period, Liz was of huge support to Declan behind the scenes. Declan is proprietor of The Irishman's licensed premises at Court Place, Carlow and of O'Loughlin's Hotel in Portlaoise. Liz was a huge part of both businesses and had an incredible way of making customers feel welcome. She was waked at home until Wednesday morning, when her remains were removed to the Cathedral of the Assumption for her concelebrated funeral Mass, at which Fr Paddy Byrne, CC, Portlaoise was chief celebrant.
There were a total of was 11 celebrants, while Bishop Denis Nulty was also present. The readings at Mass were by Vincent Coyne, Liz's brother, and Aileen Broderick, a close friend of Liz's. The Prayers of the Faithful were recited by Eoin Murphy (nephew), Imelda Coyne Morgan (sister), Majella Dempsey (sister), Trisha Horan (sister-in-law) and Genevieve Coyne Mitchell (sister).
The Offertory gifts were brought forward by Sinead Horan, Liz Lawlor and Claire Furlong, all of whom boarded in Mountmellick with Liz and remained firm lifelong friends. In a comprehensive eulogy, Fr Byrne spoke of her as a wonderful wife, mother and grandmother, always at the centre of family life. He referred to the warmth of her personality and marvellous qualities she had brought to her life, also outlining to the congregation how Liz's romance with Declan had developed. He spoke of her practical nature, the wonderful way she had with people, the devotion of her pupils and teaching colleagues in the workplace and her outstanding role as wife, mother and grandmother.
At the end of Mass there were tributes to their mother from her sons Ivor and Billy. Ivor read a poem taken from Liz's notes and written by her and titled Await The Calm, while Billy read three verses of Seamus Heaney's St Kevin and the Blackbird. Ivor lifted the solemnity of the occasion by remarking how, in the final week of her life, Liz had turned to Declan and said: "If Carlsberg did husbands ..." Declan never left Liz's side from the time her illness began. Liz adored him.
The wonderful singing at Mass was provided by the choir from Presentation de la Salle College, Bagenalstown, under the direction of music teacher at the school Marian Walsh. The hymns in Irish were chosen by the O'Loughlins, while The Winter Song was a favourite of Liz's. Student Beatrice Kelly played violin, flute playing was by Nikita Guidera, while the responsorial psalm was sung by Leona Lee.
At the Communion of Mass, there was a beautiful rendition of Ave Marie by Anne Minchin, Leighlinbridge.
Liz's remains were borne from the cathedral to the strains of Finbar Furey's rendition of Sweet Sixteen. Willie Coyne had loved this song as it reminded him of his own wife.
After Mass, at which the overflow attendance bore testament to the popularity enjoyed by Liz O'Loughlin with all sections of society, there was a private cremation ceremony. Liz is mourned by her husband Declan, children Ivor, Billy, Kate, Niamh Cahir (Dublin), daughter-in-law Marie (nee Purcell), granddaugther Elsa, brothers Vincent (London), Liam (Garr, Rhode) sisters Genevive Coyne Mitchell (London), Catherine Douah (London), Imelda Coyne Morgan (Rathcoffey, Co. Kildare), Mary Dempsey (Mullingar), Majella Dempsey (Mountmellick), Bernadette McAtamney (Ballymore Eustace, Co Kildare) and mother-in-law Sarah O'Loughlin, by brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nephews, nieces, other relatives and friends.
As Ivor referred to in his words on the altar, Liz would say of all this grief - "This, too, shall pass."
The Nationalist, 28th January 2014 Tweet
