Devlin, Marianne
January 11, 2012
A huge gathering of mourners attended the funeral of retired primary school teacher Marianne Devlin (nee Crosbie) in St Patrick's Church, Rosslare Harbour.
Marianne (Mar) a daughter of Flo and the late Michael Crosbie, died on December 15. She was 63 years old.
She grew up in Tuskamore Avenue, Rosslare Harbour and even as a child she loved to play school, teaching her cousins and young neighbours.
It was a carefree childhood filled with memories of trips to the boat strand with her mum, aunts and cousins and cycling to Auntie Bessie in Rathmore.
At the age of 10 she received a scholarship to attend the Presentation secondary school in Wexford.
After completing her Leaving Cert, she went to Carysfort teacher training college and returned to Rosslare Harbour in 1968 to take up her first teaching job in Kilrane national school.
In 1974, she met John Devlin and they married and moved to Templeogue, Dublin.
Marianne obtained a teaching post in James's Street in the Liberties.
The couple came back to Wexford in 1978 and Marianne joined Kilrane NS again, teaching junior infants for many years.
She loved teaching and especially teaching the younger children. She had the pleasure of teaching three of her siblings and three of her own children!
Marianne was devoted to her husband John and her four children Michael, Emer, Ronan and Sorcha.
She was involved in many fundraising activities for St. Patrick's Special School which her daughter Sorcha attended.
One of them resulted in the purchase of a new minibus for the school.
She was a member of the Board of Management of St. Patrick's for 10 years and was a teachers' representative on the Parents' Council of Kilrane NS for a long number of years.
One of the highlights of her life was a 100-mile walk in the Holy Land in aid of Rehab.
Marianne was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997 and made a full recovery but was forced to retire early due to the illness.
She received ongoing treatment in St. Luke's Hospital every six weeks for 10 years and later in the Blackrock Clinic.
Early retirement gave her and John the freedom to travel. They visited Australia, Venice, Verona and New York together, to name but a few destinations.
It also enabled her to spend time with her friends on their annual trip to Lanzarote.
Marianne was a Peace Commissioner for many years. She was a life-long member of St. Mary's GAA Club which provided a guard of honour at her funeral.
In the past few years, she was blessed with two granddaughters Ella and Lucy and loved to spend time with them.
Her friends and family will miss a wonderful wife, mother and grandmother, a true friend and an absolute lady.
Her funeral mass was celebrated by Fr David Murphy. An oration was delivered by family friend Michael O'Grady.
Music was provided by the local choir with solos by George Lawlor and Lar Roche.
At her burial in St Aidan's Cemetery, Kilrane, Brendan Wickham played "The West Awake" on tin whistle.
- Courtesy of Wexford People, January 11 2012
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