The Late Mr Michael Cunningham The death has taken place at his home of Mr Michael Cunningham, Bridge House, Newbridge. A well known farmer, he was particularly interested in sheep production. He was a towering figure in the community life of Newbridge parish for over 60 years. When God's Angels called to Newbridge just as the summer sun was rising over our beloved village to usher Mickey Cunningham on that wonderful journey back to heaven, we knew a chapter of history was closing for many people. And what a chapter it was. Mickey (Mark), as he was known locally, crammed into 86 years of life the kind of action many of us can only dream about. Michael Cunningham will be fondly remembered by a host of people for a host of reasons. My association with Mickey Cunningham goes back to my school days in Windfield National School. I remember him vividly calling to my parents one evening to see if they would allow me to gather two chairs from every house in Ballinlass to provide seating accommodation at the old hall in Newbridge on the occasion of perhaps the biggest social event of its time in the parish. The local Macra na Feirme club organised a gigantic concert for Joe Lynch, then a singer, who was later to become famous as 'Dinny Byrne' in Glenroe. As a result of my chair collection activity with the ass and cart, I was the proud recipient of an admission ticket and no youngsters attending the Slane Castle concert was as proud as I was that night! Mickey Cunningham, together with many other young people in the area at the time, was instrumental in awakening a new sense of pride in a rural community that was reeked with poverty, had been stifled by emigration and badgered by a sense of isolation. When there was little else to do in the 1940's and 50's the local Macra branch and the GAA club were almost the only organised activity in parishes like Newbridge. It was the efforts of people like Mickey Cunningham, Paddy Hynes, John Joe Kelly, Marty Feeney and John Joe Crehan, together with many more fine people long since gone to their eternal reward, that Newbridge produced so many more fine amateur drama productions in the old hall in the 1950's and the Newbridge Macra Question Time Team won several awards in that same period. Mickey Cunningham was a life long supporter of the GAA - he together with his brother Nicholas were on the famous Newbridge team that won the Northboard final in 1942. Off the field, Mickey helped to organise the famous Newbridge seven-a-side football tournament, which attracted huge crowds to the village when the winners where presented with prizes such as bicycles, radios, and suitlenghts. Mickey often related the story his attendance at the 1938 football final at Croke Park, when he and the late Tom Curley of Woodbrook cycled all the way up and down to the match. His remains were removed to St. Patrick's church, Newbridge. The funeral to Killyan cemetery took place after concelebrated Mass of the resurrection. Concelebrants Fr. Tom Beirne, Newbridge. Fr. Sean Beirne PP Ballygar, Canon G Donnelly PP retired, Ballygar, Canon G Donnelly PP retired Ballygar, Fr. Tommy Conway, Mississippi, Fr. Bernard Colter, SMA Cork, Fr. Dan O'Neill, SMA Galway; Fr. Paddy Conneally, Columban Fathers Navan, Fr. Owen Doyle, CC Woodford, Fr. Paddy Connaughton, Navan. Deceased is survived by his wife Siobhan, daughters Brid Wheeler, Dublin; Miss Maire Cunningham, Dublin; Una Colter, Dublin; Caitriona Cunningham, Dublin; Helen Martinez, Madrid; sons Mark Los Angeles, California; Patrick, Dublin; John, Dublin; Nicholas, Manchester; Dermot, Galway; brother Nicolas, Dublin; sisters Miss Delia Cunningham, Dublin; Margaret Moynihan, Killarney. Courtesy of the Roscommon Herald June 2004 Tweet

Most Read Stories