McBride, Patsy
August 21, 2009Patsy had attended the All Ireland Mayo v Meath football quarter-final and the Kilkenny v Waterford hurling semi-final in Croke Park earlier on Sunday afternoon.
He became unwell sometime afterwards and was taken to Beaumont Hospital, where he passed on to his eternal reward.
Patsy remains reposed at his home in Lurganboy on Tuesday, August 11 and on Wednesday morning, August 12 prior to their removal to the Church of the Annunciation, Mullies where his Funeral Mass and Service took place with burial afterwards in Diffreen Cemetery, Glencar.
Wife Brigid, sons Paul, Padraig and Oliver, brother Liam, daughter-in-laws Gina and Elaine, grandchildren Enya and Brian, nieces, nephews, Maretta, Mary, relatives, neighbours and a large circle of friends survive Patsy.
Patsy was a member of the only Leitrim team ever to play in a National Football League semi-final in 1959 against Derry who defeated them in Croke Park. He was captain of the Manorhamilton Sean McDermott GFC team that won the 1958 Leitrim Junior Football championship, which was the first ever such, title won by the Club when they beat Annaduff in the decider.
Prior to that Patsy had played on a Mullies team with among others Pat Mitchell in 1953. A north Leitrim amalgamation team Sean Treacy's took on but was defeated by Aughavas in the 1955 Leitrim Senior Football final and Patsy was a sub on the Treacy's side that day.
Meanwhile, he lined out for Sean Treacy's in the 1956 Leitrim Senior football semi-final against Melvin Gaels in Kinlough where the Gaels triumphed by a point. Patsy also played for Sean Treacy's in the 1957 Leitrim Senior Football semi-final against Melvin Gaels in Manorhamilton where the Kinlough men won convincingly.
Further success was enjoyed by the talented Patsy at County level when he played for the Glencar team that overcame Aughnasheelin in the 1965 Leitrim Junior League final. He also played hurling for the successful Sean McDermott GFC at Leitrim senior championship level during the 1950's.
It was perhaps something of a remarkable coincidence that Patsy died after attending two games in Croke Park on Sunday week last as the National GAA headquarters had been the venue where the Lurganboy man had one of his greatest sporting moments a half a century ago when he lined out for Leitrim in the 1959 NFL semi-final against Derry.
A noted fiddle player Patsy often teamed with the late Peter McKenna and other musicians to provide the music at Sean McDermott GFC Céilí's in the 1950. He was a member of the Glencar/Manor instrumental music group that won the Leitrim and Connacht Scor titles in 2000 and later competed in the All Ireland Scor finals in Belfast.
He very much enjoyed the fiftieth anniversary celebrations for the 1958 Sean McDermott GFC team that took place in the Bee Park Community Centre on June 1, 2008 and he paid warm tributes to his colleagues in his captain's team speech that night.
Patsy McBride was born in Cornaneane, Mullies seventy-two years ago. The McBride family sometime afterwards moved to live in Lurganboy where Patsy resided ever since apart form a few years in England and Dublin.
Following the completion of his education Patsy took up a job with ICI on a minerals survey that was being carried out in parts of north Leitrim at that time. When employment in this enterprise ceased Patsy went to work in Armstrong's Joinery in Manorhamilton.
In the late 1950's the economy in the Manorhamilton area became somewhat depressed as in the rest of the country and Patsy emigrated from his native area to England shortly after he had played for Leitrim in the National Football League semi-final in Croke Park in 1959.
In England he worked in Fords in Dagenham for a number of years and while there saved enough money to return home and buy a farm in Nure, Lurganboy. Farming in the early 1960's was going through lean times and Patsy had to go to Dublin where he worked with one of the country's major construction firms, John Sisk, for a number of years.
A few years later after taking up an appointment with Leitrim County Council as a maintenance craftsman Patsy returned home with his wife Brigid to live in the house he had built in Lurganboy.
It was in Lurganboy that Patsy and Brigid (nee Flynn), a native of Fenagh, raised their family of three sons, Paul, Padraig and Oliver. Patsy worked with Leitrim Council until he retired seven years ago.
He was a founder member in the early 1990's of the Lurganboy Development Association, which completely re-invigorated many aspects of his native village in the years since it was establishment and continues to do so.
Over a long period of time Patsy quietly played a vital role in leading and supporting many essential Mullies and Glencar Parish areas works as he did in other facets of parochial life.
He was a very active member of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann and the Cill Fhearga/Cluainin CCE Branch formed a guard of honour for the removal of his remains at Mullies Church for Patsy's funeral on Wednesday week.
A number of his 1958 Sean McDermott GFC team playing colleagues also participated in the guard of honour on Wednesday week at Mullies Church as did members of the Glencar/Manor GAA Club that Patsy always strongly supported.
A guard of honour was also formed at his home by his neighbours in Lurganboy for the arrival of his remains from Dublin early on Tuesday morning, August 11.
Fr Paddy Sullivan, Glencar was the chief celebrant at Patsy's Concelebrated Funeral Mass in Mullies on Wednesday afternoon, August 12 and he was assisted by Fr. Thomas Keogan, PP Kinlough, Fr John McMahon, CC Manorhamilton and Fr. Fintan McKiernan PP Derrylin, who preached a moving homily on some of Patsy's memorable lifetime achievements.
Deepest sympathy is extended to the family of Patsy McBride who died suddenly in Beaumount Hospital Dublin on Sunday, August 9 and may eternal light shine upon him.
- Friday 21st August 2009 Tweet
