O'Donnell, Mick
February 08, 2011
The Late Mick O'Donnell
The death has taken place suddenly of Mick O'Donnell aged 87 years. Born in Kilmeena on the 17th of May, 1923, he was the sixth born in a family of eleven to Martin Hugh O'Donnell and Bridget (Beecy) Lyons of The Colony, Louisburg. His father, also known as MH taught in Rossduane National School and it was here that Mick received his formative education. After completing his secondary education in the Christian Brothers School in Westport he returned to his first love- the farm. He had a great love for the land and over the years showed that with hard work one could make a reasonable living from what was a small holding.
He played football with Kilmeena through the forties and into the fifties and was a very active member of Kilmeena Gun Club down through the years. He was also involved with the National Farmers Association (NFA)- later known as the Irish Farmers Association (IFA).
After the war, there were significant work opportunities in England and Mick, like a lot of his neighbours and friends, emigrated in 1945. In Wolverhampton he kept up his passion for football winning a Divisional Final with Warwickshire in 1947. On the death of his sister Mary in 1948, Mick returned home where he once again took to working the family farm. He continued his football career with Kilmeena and was part of the victorious team that won the West-Mayo final in 1955.
In that same year Mick married the love of his life, Mary Jo Geraghty, his next-door neighbour. They had a brief honeymoon in Ireland which had to be fitted in around his availability to play with his beloved Kilmeena football team. There was great delight in 1956 when Maureen, their first child, was born. However, tragedy was to strike when she died at the tender age of 18 months. This heartbreak was to be repeated in 1963 when Mick and Mary Jo lost their fifth born child, Grace, also at the age of 18 months.
They bore these tragic losses with grace and dignity and cherished their eight remaining children. Further tragedy was to strike the family in 1976 when Mick lost his beloved wife Jo who died from a brain tumour at the age of 45 years.
Mick was now a widower with eight children ranging in age from 18 down to 3 years old. Despite the challenges this situation presented he was determined that the family would stay together and with the help of many people, particularly his sister Alice, and some of the best neighbours in the world Mick pushed on with the rearing of his young family.
Through these years Mick was seen as a progressive farmer running a small diary herd and utilising every square yard of the land to its maximum potential. Drains and ditches were constantly cleaned and wet land was drained to maximise its potential. He loved the land and right up to shortly before he died, his head would be seen bobbing below the ditch as he wore down yet another shovel to half of its original size.
He loved to socialise- in the fields, along the road, in the bog or while having his pint at the end of his day's work. Right up to few weeks before his death he was out on the road several times during the day in his short sleeves the land and the cattle and waiting for the next neighbour to stop so they could have "the chat' about football, politics, the weather or whatever. He really enjoyed those exchanges and was delighted at the way people still had time to stop and talk. He loved shell-fish and carefully watched the tide-tables and the moon to know when it was best to visit "the strand" for clusheens. In later years when the visit to the strand was not possible his great neighbours would keep the supply going. He was also fond of mackerel and he loved to arrive back at the house to see the bag of fresh fish hanging on the foot handle- he really appreciated their generosity.
He loved his game of cards and was always on the look out for a game of 25 in the pub or in the community centre or wherever. He was sharp at the cards right up to the end and enjoyed his weekly Thursday night game at Fitzgeralds in Buckfield right up until Christmas.
Throughout his life he was passionate about the GAA, as a player in the early years, later as an administrator and always as a keen supporter. He followed Kilmeena from under 12's right up the Intermediate team. He was also a great follower of football outside the parish and over the years rarely missed a Sunday in McHale Park during the closing stages of the County Championship at all grades. He was fortunate to have witnessed Mayo winning back-to-back All-Irelands in 1950 and '51 and had hoped to see another one. He made several trips to Croke Park hoping to see Mayo lift Sam again, but it was not to be.
Mick was a man of deep faith. He never missed his Sunday Mass and would never leave the house in the morning without first going down on his knees to say his prayers. While those close to him could not see his death coming it was apparent afterwards that Mick was ready to meet his maker.
On a number of occasions on the day he died he spoke of praying that the Lord would take him away from the pain and suffering he was enduring since his fall just before Christmas. Mick hot his wish on the evening of January 12th when he was called to the Lord. He was ready to go, he never wanted to be a burden on anybody, he wanted to live life right up to the end and that he did. He is now happily re-united with Mary Jo, Maureen, Grace and a host of family and friends of those gone before him.
Mick was one of the community's best known figures and was much-lobed and highly respected in Kilmeena. He will always be fondly remembered for his total dedication to his family, his friends and his community and for his good neighbourliness. He was always willing to lend a helping hand to those in need and all this goodwill was more than repaid in the final years of his life as neighbours and friends checked on his wellbeing and were ever ready to help.
Further proof of this was the wonderful kindness and generosity the community bestowed upon the family on hearing of his untimely death and on the days following. He was a man who loved and was contented in his own place. He loved all things local- the odd drink, card games, the banter and the craic, football games, gatherings and drama and concert performances., The curtain has fallen for the final time- on all of this- but we are sure they will continued in another realm and he is in good company, with all of those he loved, lost and mourned for in this life.
He was predeceased by his sisters Maureen ( who died aged 5 years), Mary (Sr Aquin). Portarlington who died in 1948, Alice Quinn (Kilmeena) who died in 2001 and Grace who died in Westport in July of last year and by his brother Hugh (Galway) who died in 2002.
He will be sadly missed by: his sons Martin (Castlebar), Pat (Carraholly) Michael (Dublin), Neil (Kilmeena) and Hugh (San Francisco), his daughters Bernie (Australia), Anne (San Francisco), and Kathleen (Boston), his daughters- in-law Pamela, Julie, Bridie and Tracy, his sons-in-law mark and Loren, his grandchildren Louise, Jenine, Kenneth, Conor, Ronan, Jessica, Evan, Sean and Mary Jo, his brother Brendan ( Kildare), his sisters Nuala Cox (St Brendan's, Mulranny), Brigid Higgins (Birmingham), Sr Brendan (Texas) and Sr Roisin (New Zealand), his sisters-in-law Mairead and Agnes, his nephews, nieces, his wonderful neighbours in Kilmeena and a large circle of friends.
Mick was waked in his home in Kilmeena and was removed from McGing's funeral home to St Brendan's Church Myna. His remains were received by Fr Jim Walsh assisted by Fr Micheal MacGreil. His funeral Mass was concelebrated by Fr. Vincent Kelly. After the funeral Mass, Mick was laid to rest with his wife and two infant children in the new cemetery in Kilmeena.
He was a much loved father, grandfather, brother, uncle and neighbour.
Mick died peacefully , befitting the man we knew.
May he rest in peace.
His month's Mind Mass will take place on Saturday February 19th in St Brendan's Church, Myna, Kilmeena, Westport at 11am.
Courtesy of The Mayo News
February 8th 2011
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