Gavin, Michael Joe
January 24, 2012
Michael Joe Gavin, Hillside, Murrisk, Westport, who died recently in a motor accident, was a well-known community acivist in the area.
A native of the area, he was aged 51 years and was a son of Mary (Babs) and the late Michael Gavin. A general employee of the South West Mayo Development Company (leader) he was a familiar figure on FAS and Community Employment Schemes in the Murrisk area over many years.
Community service was very much in Michael Joe's blood. Whenever a local event, requiring voluntary effort, was held, he was always to the fore in offering his services. This was especially true at the time of the annual Reek pilgrimage and the stewarding of the annual Murrisk Pattern. Whatever job needed to be done Michael Joe was always there to do it.
He took great pride in the ongoing community effort to make Murrisk one of the tidiest villages in Ireland and always rejoiced when the historic village won environmental awards at county, regional and national level. He looked forward to the day when Murrisk would win overall national honours in the Tidy Towns Competition, but alas it was not to be in his lifetime.
Lending a helping hand to others came naturally to Michael Joe. He was the quintessential good neighbour and no task was ever too great for him to undertake on behalf of a neighbour or a friend. He was a most caring person, generous with his time and his skills to those in need. Murrisk was his world, the place where he lived, moved and had his being and to him there was no other place on Earth like it. His service to the community, his amiable and cheerful demeanour will ensure that he will be fondly remembered for all the right reasons by his family, his wide circle of friends and the people of Murrisk.
Michael Joe was one of those rare enough people who could be described as multi-talented. He engaged in farming and fishing activities and loved his annual trips to the bog to harvest the turf. Gaelic games were his great sporting love and in good times and bad he was a staunch supporter of local and Mayo county teams.
Like countless others he cherished the hope that senior All-Ireland honours would come to Mayo but will now have to do his cheering from above when and if, this happens.
Michael Joe took a great interest in national and local politics and was a staunch supporter of the Fine Gael party. He promoted the aims and objectives of the party at every available opportunity and was very much the party activist at election times.
He will be very sadly missed by his mother Mary (Babs), (Hillside, Murrisk), brothers John and Austin (Hillside, Murrisk) and Chris (Carrowkeel), sister Joan Lardner (Killower, Tuam, Co Galway), aunt and Godmother Teresa Grady, brother-in-law Pat Lardner, sister-in-law Patricia Gavin, nephews and nieces, Gavin, Mark and Ruth Lardner and Noel and Ciara Gavin, cousins, other relatives, neighbours and many friends.
Following repose at the family home on January 4 and later at Murrisk Community Centre, removal took place to St Patrick's Church, Lecanvey, where Fr Paddy Gill officiated at the reception ceremony.
The concelebrants of Michael Joe's Funeral Mass the following day were Fr Paddy Gill and Murrisk natives Fr Francis Carroll and Fr Sean Grady who minister in England.
Family members took part in the funeral liturgy and hymns were sung by St Patrick's Church Choir. In the Mass homily many tributes were paid to Michael Joe for his devotion to his family and friends and his outstanding loyalty to his community.
He was laid to rest in the family plot in Murrisk Abbey Cemetery.
May his caring and generous soul have peaceful rest.
- Courtesy of Mayo News, 24th January 2012
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