The Late Tommie Sheridan Yet another link from the chain of Westport's Covie land, has been severed, with the passing of Tommie Sheridan from Carnaclay, Westport. "They are going, going, going, From the valleys and the hills- and we must weep!" The above opening verse is from the poem "Dawn on the Hills of Ireland", by John Locke, but Tommie made it his own, and he recited it so often, and well, that people thought it was composed by Tommie himself! He had a varied, colourful and long life and held many honourary positions that demanded intelligence, trust, and popularity, and he filled them all with a natural ease and charm, with which he was born. Tommie served as GAA club secretary, was Treasurer of the West Mayo GAA board, Secretary of the Young Farmer's Association. All flourished under hid guidance and all thanked Tommie unreservedly for jobs well done. The one job that Tommie held down that returned a 'stipend' for his trouble, was that of a rates collector. He was considered to be the most popular one in the whole county. I could never understand how this could be at all, so I asked Tommie about it one day. "Well Cove", Tommie said, "I enjoyed every second of it! When I collected rates, I spoke to the man about everything under the sun, about himself, his wife and family, crops and cattle, but never the rates. Then before I'd leave, I'd say, By the way and I didn't have to go any further, he'd have the money in my hand, and I'd say, now John or Pat or Mick or whatever his name was, it's not for this I came - and he'd say 'indeed I know that Tommie, you were never hard to deal with' "He'd go off happy - I'd go of happy and it was all a pleasure for both of us - the giver, and the taker?" So the gentle, painless extraction of monies from the multitudes was not an acquired art, but a gift, direct from God to Tommie and he didn't even realise it. Now i know he was such a favourite with everybody - God was with him all the way. His going has left a big void in the town he loved so well, and he will be missed by everyone, because everybody knew and loved Tommie Sheridan. Ar Dheis De go raibh a anam dhilis. Courtesy of The Western People 12/06/2007 Tweet

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