The late Patrick G Crowley Patrick G Crowley was born on February 19, 1919 and died on January 27, 2006 a few days short of his 87th birthday. Paddy Crowley was the youngest of William and Bridget Crowley's children and is predeceased by his sister Ita Mangan and brothers William A. Crowley, Solicitor and Fr. Declan Crowely CSSP. He was educated at Killorglin Boys National School, the Intermediate School, Killorglin and Rockwell College, Co Tipperary following in his brother's footsteps. His father William was from Abbeyfeale and came to Killorglin in 1903. He married Bridget Griffin of Upper Bridge Street, Killorglin. The couple ran a drapery business at Market Street, Killorglin until William's death in 1936 and Bridget's death in 1941. Paddy went to work in Denis Guiney's drapery business in Dublin where he met his future wife Aileen Connolly from Tuam. The couple married in 1947 and returned to the family home at Market Street, Killorglin. They had six children Mary (McBride), Liam, Eamon, Joseph, Declan and Dominic. Paddy and Aileen developed a successful drapery business in Killorglin which is now carried on by their son Declan. The couple worked as a team - complimenting each other's skills and knowledge. This idyll was shattered for Paddy on June 7, 1970 when Aileen died at the Richmond Hospital in Dublin leaving him to raise their six children and carry on the drapery business. The couple were very conscious of the need to promote community development. Paddy, his brother William, the late John A. Foley and Tim 'Chub' O'Connor came together with others to open a fishing tackle manufacturing company 'Tailteann Sports Products Ltd' in the mid-1950's to provide employment in the area. The company survived for almost two years in difficult times. Paddy was also chairman of Puck Fair Committee and was involved in the building of the CYMS hall in Killorglin. He loved football and sport in general. He played with Laune Rangers and later with Kickems Football Club in Dublin. Paddy took a life long interest in Laune Rangers, Mid Kerry and the Kerry teams. He was very proud of pictures of himself taken with Mike Frank Russel and Billy O'Shea, holding the Sam Maguire cup, and a picture of himself with his great friend Canon Mattie Keane admiring the All-Ireland Club Championship Cup won by Rangers in 1996. He was honoured to be chosen as President of Laune Rangers. A member of St Vincent de Paul, he and the late Jimmy O'Donoghue and Tom Foley would visit the hospitals in Killarney every Friday. On Sunday afternoons he liked to visit his friends in Cromane. He was very upset by the untimely death of his son-in-law Tom McBride in February 2000 and his grandson Cathal in November 1989, but accepted the loss of his wife, son-in-law and grandson with Christian stoicism and saw these as being part of God's plan. He and Aileen had 18 grandchildren and 16 of them attended his removal and burial. Their eldest grand-daughter, Grainne McBride is in Austalia so was unable to attend the funeral. Paddy often spoke to his grandchildren about his own life experiences and in turn enjoyed listening to their experiences in college or travelling abroad as he had never left Ireland or attended third level college. His nephew Canon Owen Mangan described him at his funeral mass in January 29, 2006 as a 'Christian gentleman'. Both these words aptly and correctly summarise the Paddy Crowley we knew and the values he stood for. Courtesy of the Tipperary Star April 2006 Tweet

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