The late William Baggott Bruree lost two of its most popular and recognisable faces in the year just past. Denis McGrath passed away during the summer and now William (Willie) Baggott has bid goodbye to the village. Mr Baggott was a native of Herberstown but moved to Cuan Mhuire in Bruree on October 10 1977, says Sister Agnes. "He was one of the first to come from Cuan Mhuire in Athy to us here in Bruree all those years ago. Willie was very well liked by everyone here in Cuan Mhuire and is sadly missed by all of us," said Sister Agnes. Following his arrival in the village, Mr Baggott was to remain in Bruree for the next 30 years, only leaving to go into the Mid-Western Regional Hospital a couple of months before he passed away on December 30. His love of life in Bruree meant he was buried there, following Requiem Mass in Herberstown. Mr Baggott was something of a renaissance man as he loved Gaelic games, local history, reading, amateur dramatics, poetry, traditional music and was a respected ballad writer too. Sister Agnes said he was a highly intelligent man. "He loved GAA. Often when you would be tidying about the place you would find all these notebooks filled with GAA results belonging to Willie. He was also very well-read and was a member of two or three different libraries," said Sister Agnes. In his hey-day Mr Baggott would travel far and wide to watch GAA matches and he loved nothing more than to chat about his favourite GAA matches and players. He was known to admire the hurlers Jimmy Carroll, Jim O'Brien, Bobby Rackard and too many more to mention. He composed a ballad about Christy Ring which was very well received when he recited it on local radio. Mr Baggott spent some time in Kilburn, London in his youth but the draw to come home to his native county was too strong. He has left a legacy in Bruree and local parishes that will be hard to replace. Sympathy is expressed to his family and wide circle of friends across County Limerick and to all who knew him in Cuan Mhuire. There is an empty spot at the dining table. William Baggott; Born 1925; died December 30th 2008 Tweet

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