The late Michael Lahart The parish of Drangan/Cloneen lost its oldest and most cherished parishioner with the death of Michael (Mikie) Lahart in April 2006. Mikie was a member of the Lahart family from Crohane. He was one of nine children, eight boys and one girl. The Laharts were an industrious farming family held in high esteem in the community. For many years Mikie worked on the family farm and was a great horseman in an era when tillage and transport were dependent on the use of horses. In the 1930s with his brother Tom, and later with Bill, Mikie took to the road every autumn with the threshing machine. They worked not just in the parish of Drangan/Cloneen but also in adjoining parishes of Killenaule, Ballingarry and Fethard. Mikie loved to regale the younger generation with stories of the threshing which was not just an important economic event but also a great social event in the rural community. The threshing was an important communal occasion where the work of neighbours, who assisted each other on a reciprocal basis, was lubricated with half-barrels and quarter-casts of stout served in mugs. These refreshments which also included liberal supplies of lemonade accompanied the bacon, cabbage and mashed potatoes which sustained the workers. With the corn harvested many evenings were spent dancing as such events were organised to coincide with the threshing. Frequently Mikie and his brother would sleep away from home for long stretches staying in the houses of farmers who were having their threshing done. Mikie like to recall how in one farmer's house he happily slept in a room which was reputed to be haunted. Mikie played hurling in the 1930s with Drangan, or as they were known then 'Moyne Rovers'. He played on both junior and seniors teams. His brothers Bill, Jim and Pat also played. Later in the 1960s he was a selector for Drangan hurlers; during this period St Patrick's were South Tipperary junior hurling champions. He remained a loyal supporter of St Patrick's and rarely missed a match in either hurling or football. He attended his last game just a couple of months before his death. He was one of Tipperary's best supporters and revelled in the county team success. He attended his first All-Ireland in Croke Park in 1925 when tipperary beat Galway in the final. His love of hurling was matched by his love of horses and his abiding interest in 'the sport of kings'. He had an empathy with horses and took a special interest in breeding and training horses. He liked to recall how, on many occasions during the 1940s, together with Joanne Coady, he walked from Crohane to Kilkenny - a distance of over 20 miles - to show horses. He loved to have a flutter on the horses and sustained this interest right up to the end of his life. Mikie's involvement an service to the community was not confined to sport. During the Second World War, or what in Ireland was termed 'The Emergency', he served as a member of the Local Defence Force (LDF), walking from Crohane to Drangan for the training sessions. He was given one of the first five rifles to be delivered to the Drangan Branch. His duties included guarding overnight a consignment of arms stored in Mullinahone. Mike was also centrally involved in another important community activity, the erection of the Holy Year Cross on Cohane Hill in 1950. The large cross was planned and moulded in the Lahart home. The 35 cwt cross was raised aloft in Tobin;s land and guided into position by a team of 15 men, including members of the Tobin and Lahart families. The golden jubilee of this event was marked in 2000, an event greatly enjoyed by Mike. On the occasion of his marriage on 6th of February 1951 to Bridie Tobin, the love of his life, Mikie moved to Knockura. Here he farmed with the same industry and commitment which he demonstrated at Crohane. He was indeed a model farmer who worked in harmony with nature. His farming prowess was recognised by 'The Farmers Journal' who nominated him as outstanding small farmer of the year in the 1960s. Following the death of Bridie in 1995, the last phase of his life was spent in Ballinard with his daughter Joan and her husband Jimmy Doran and their family where he maintained his interest in horses and farming. Mikie was a modest man who valued family and friendship above all else. He was devoted to his wife Bridie and daughter Joan. His sociability, infectious good humour and love of conversation made him a valued friend and highly esteemed neighbour. It is perhaps an irony that this longevity would make him a local celebrity. He was the subject of genuine affection by all who were privileged to know him. This affection was well demonstrated by the great tide of goodwill which was shown to him on the occasion of his 100th birthday which was celebrated in November 2005, at a function in Cloneen where his family, friends and neighbours gathered to mourn his passing and commemorate a long and remarkable life. Drangan and Cloneen have lost their only centenarian, their strongest link with the past and one of nature's true gentlemen. He is survived by his daughter Joan, her husband Jimmy, his granddaughter Cathy, his grandson Eddie and partner Joanne and great-grandchildren Amber and Shannon, his sister Maggie and brothers Pat and Frank. He will be sadly missed by these and other extended family members and by a huge circle of friends and neighbours. Courtesy of Tipperary Star 7 October 2006 Tweet

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