The late Michael Ryan Two Thurles men this week pay tribute to their brother, the late Michael Ryan, 30, Kennedy Park, and formerly of 11 Fianna Road, Thurles, who died on Sunday January 4 at Thurles Community Hospital of the Assumption. The remains were removed from St. Mary's Funeral Home to the Cathedral of the Assumption, Thurles. Following Office and Requiem Mass, celebrated by Fr. Thomas Lanigan Ryan, CC, who visited Michael and Pat regularly and who was assisted by Fr Joe Walsh, interment took place in St Patrick's Cemetery, Thurles. Huge crowds representative of all walks of life in the community attended the obsequies for the quiet, gentle, inoffensive Thurles gentleman who was always conscious of this own dignity and that of others and who had a great sense of humour and a smile and friendly word for every one. Pat Ryan, Michael's loving carer for the past 30 years, said: "Michael never said a wrong word about or harmed anybody. He was loved by all in his years on earth. Michael loved music and he was a fine singer who loved the traditional old hymns like Soul of my Saviour, "Oh Mother I Could Weep for Mirth" .... He had a proud record of having attended the annual musical, once called the opera of Thurles Musical Society for over 50 years since the days it was in Delahunty's New Cinema. Members of that Musical Society, many of whom are in the local Cathedral Choir, sang at the Mass in the Cathedral. Michael loved the GAA also and Thurles Sarsfields who honoured him with the blue and white flag on his coffin and who turned out in large numbers on both days of the funeral. Michael, you could say, had blue blood in his body so keen a fan was he of the famous Blues, for whom his late father, John Joe, played in other decades. John Joe was a steward at Semple Stadium in other decades and carried on the hawking and hurley making tradition also. Michael was also popular with the Sports correspondents of radio and television and of local and national newspapers, including the "Tipperary Star" which was strongly represented at his funeral. Michael's mother, Bridie was daughter of the late Mick Ryan, Ballinaclough, a member of the famous Toomevara Greyhounds. But Michael was an out and out true "Blue." It was a proud moment for Michael when Ger "Redser" O'Grady handed him the Breen Cup in the Sarsfields Social Centre. It was like winning the Lotto for Michael to have a photo of this moment. He received programmes from and sent programmes to GAA people in every county in Ireland. He had a marvellous programme collection and his funeral was attended by his great friends, Morgan Darcy, ex groundsman at Pearse Stadium, Galway and Olivia Kelly of Roscommon and former administrator at Pearse Stadium. Letters and Mass cards including a blue and gold one from a great Kilkenny Gael, are still coming in from all over Ireland. Michael just seemed to bring out love in people and he loved everybody. Michael was also a great railway man, even back in the late 'Fifties' when Con Kennedy's father would give my mum, Bridie, railway buttons which she would sew on his coat. Michael spent many happy years at Thurles Railway Station where he met railway folks from all over Ireland. His friends at Thurles Railway Station who were very king to him included Paddy Byrne, Seamus Ryan, Anne Spillane, Paddy Maher who was very special to Michael and whom Michael loved in articular. Miss Moore, Eddie Ryan, who had the shop at the station and, of course, various Station Masters over the years, including the current Station Master, Nicholas Moroney, who treated Michael like his own son. And I will always remember the great salute to Michael as Ryan's hearse passed over the Railway Bridge having come by Kennedy Park, past his home and Abbey Road, and the wonderful sound of of the train hooter in a moving and unique farewell tribute to Michael. As Michael's sister in law, Pamela in Texas said: "It was lovely and like something out of a movie, "The Quiet Man", loved the train scene in the film starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. I went on many a trip with Michael to all parts of Ireland and it would take me an hour to go down Patrick Street in Cork as Michael's GAA and Railway friends, would stop for a chat. In Dun Laoghaire we had super friends, Maria Kelly and Tony Rueben and Gillian. Tony always got out the accordion whenever we met them as he knew about Michael's love of music. The late Archbishop Kinane said to my mum that Michael was a "Child of God" Michael I love you, and miss you brother. Pray for me. - Pat Michael was visited in hospital by his long time friend, former Garda Chief Supt. Pat Murray and some of his last words were for Pat Murray whose visit lit up his last moments. Michael was known to Gardai all over Ireland (for the right reasons, of course) and thanks to their constant generosity and thoughtfulness Michael had a unique Garda Museum of memorabilia. He was given a great reception at the Garda College, Templemore, where Garda Joe Fanning was ever a kind friend. He also had great friends in the Ursuline Convent, Thurles who were very kind to him over the years on his visits there. And he travelled widely with Hugh Ryans Undertakers who were great friends of Michael for many years. A Month's Mind Mass for Michael will be held in the Cathedral of the Assumption, Thurles on Tuesday, February 3 at 10.30am. "A child of God" Michael's brother Sean in Cathy, Houston, Texas writes: "When Michael Ryan was 12 years old, Bishop Kinane RIP told him that he was a "child of God". When you looked into his eyes, or shook his hand, it was clear to see that Michael was indeed a special child who saw only goodness and light, and never knew hatred, or jealousy or greed. There were no temptations for him, because from the moment he was born God held his hand through life's difficulties and trials. Money held no real value for Michael, his was a different world, even in those early days growing up in Fianna Road. He would call coins by the name of the animal on them and different notes by their colour. He had a curious knack of finding money, and he would come home and tell us that he had found horse money or paper money. He had a lovely singing voice, and he sang hymns in bed at night before he went to sleep. Michael had a love of church that was rare, even in the 60s in Ireland. He would go to Mass two or three times a day nearly everyday of the week back then and continued to do so until recent years. I suppose you could say that it was religious, but Michael didn't see it that way, and he never went to Mass just to say that he had been there. His was a special gift that many of us don't have, a divine gift of a soul so pure that only God knows. A child of God. Many of you will know that Michael attended funerals in Thurles for years, helping with the flowers, and comforting many people with his lovely smile. He never did it for recognition, rather because he loved helping Hugh Ryan's Undertakers and they always treated him like one of their own. Michael had a quick wit also in this regard. As one funeral made it's way down Liberty Square years ago, the manager of Hayes hotel at the time asked him who was after dying. Michael replied, "yet man in the coffin." He was always immaculately dressed for any occasion, especially when he went to mass or a funeral. His love of trains was to take up much of his life and he was very well-known at the Railway Station. He greeted everyone getting on and off the trains, and Michael wasn't shy about shaking hands with the Taoiseach or the President or Foreign dignitaries. He lifted the McCarthy and Sam Maguire Cups at the station, because all the players knew him, particularly the Cork players and management. I took for granted the amount of times that I walked into the station and there was Michael telling me that the Cork train just left and that I was just in time for the Dublin train, while at the same time advising me to step back from the platform for my own safety. Michael was Thurles through and through. You don't have to travel to America, or anywhere else to find true happiness. He found it here, he was quite happy going for a walk or talking to someone on the street because he knew everyone and they all knew him. He loved hurling and gaelic football, but he never liked soccer. If a soccer match came on the television he would change the channel and watch something else. His love of the Sarsfields was well known also, and when they won the county final a few years ago, Michael was in the Social Centre after the match when Redser O'Grady very kindly walked over to him and handed him the cup. As always, Michael took it in his stride, and they had a lovely photo taken together. He loved GAA books and programmes and thanks to his brother Patrick, had a collection from all over the 32 counties. Many of these were given to him by kind officials, some of whom were at the funeral. I thank you for that, and it will never be forgotten. Michael was a true GAA man and his name and love of the game will be remembered by many. In the end apart from his failing health, I think that life itself got the better of Michael. He stopped going to the Railway Station, and his walks became less and less. It wasn't the Thurles that he was comfortable in, traffic was faster, people talked less, and crossing the road was difficult for him. I think that in some ways he got tried of it all. However, he made his way through life when many others would have given up. Along the way he made many friends who helped him in different ways to enjoy life. Within himself, he had a connection with God that can't be explained, a wonderful mystery in itself. But Michael wouldn't want us to be too sad today. He would want us all to celebrate his unique life and for all of us to be as good to others as we can be. Think of him as a shining light that will forever watch over his beloved Thurles. I miss Michael more than I could imagine, and this letter breaks my heart to write. But Michael would want us all to be happy, and to go about our lives with smile and a greeting for everyone. He lived 42 of his 61 years in Kennedy Park. For 29 of those years his brother, Patrick, took care of him through sickness and health, in all kinds of circumstances some extremely difficult, and in all kinds of weather. Michael is a saint in heaven, Pat is a saint on earth this very day. My brother Tomas put it very well, when I spoke to him on Sunday. He said that Michael did not go to heaven on Sunday, he has always been there. Goodnight Michael, I will always love you and miss you. - Sean Ryan, Houston _ January 24th 2009 Tipperary Star Tweet

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