Obituaries

Mary Teresa Cannon passed away peacefully at the age of 87, in the loving care of her family on the morning of Sunday, May 18, 2014 at her home in Nottingham, England. She was predeceased by her husband James (Jim) Cannon, who passed away at the age of 65 on September 4, 1980. Mary was born on September 9, 1926 in Cree, County Clare. She was the second child of four children born to Michael and Elizabeth Guthrie (nee Reidy). Her brothers are Paddy and Joseph (predeceased) and sister, Bridget. As a child, Mary attended the local school and St Mary’s Church in Cree. From the young age of 14, she spent two years boarding at the Convent of Mercy, School of Domestic Economy, Dungarvon, County Waterford. She moved back home with her parents and later moved to Belfast employed as housekeeper for the family of Sean MacEntee, the then Teachta Dála and later Minister for Local Government and Public …

The death has taken place of Pat Hanrahan, Ard Aoibhinn, Limerick Road, Ennis, who was a widely known and popular retired Ennis businessman. A native of the town, he was born in 1932. A son of Tom and Mary Hanrahan, who owned a licensed premises at Abbey Street, Pat was proud of his Ennis background. He was educated at Ennis CBS, after which he went to work in Jack Moloney’s grocery shop on Parnell Street. It was during that time that he met his wife-to-be, the former Mary Sexton from Mullagh, who worked in the nearby Dervan’s shop. In 1953, Pat emigrated to England to take up employment with Ford’s of Dagenham and, while there, he and Mary were married by Clare-born priest, Fr Patrick Carmody. The first of their children, Deirdre, was born in England. Always longing for his native town, Pat made the decision, in 1963, to return to Ennis and he and Mary set up their first …

THE death took place recently of Michael O’Connor, Drumquin, Ballyncally, who contributed much to the farming community in Clare and spearheaded the introduction of the Simmental cattle breed to the county.  Aged 88 and a native of Birrinfadda, Cranny, he was a son of Jim and Susan O’ Connor. He was educated locally and his early years in employment were spent in West Cork in the Agriculture College in Clonakilty. He returned to Clare in 1953 to join the staff of Clarecastle AI station. After three years on the road with the operators, who travelled all over the county in their familar white coloured Volkswagen Beetle cars, Michael became progeny tester at the station, a position he held for over 30 years. He said that eventhough some farmers were sceptical about the AI scheme in the early years, it turned out to be a great success story. He was responsible for milk recording, carrying out tests in the progeny of …

THE death has occurred of Mr Paddy Kennedy, the Ennis undertaker, after a short illness.  Mr Kennedy, a  very popular man in the Ennis community, was well-known through his business as an undertaker. He was a discreet and comforting person to families who sought his services, which he carried out with total professionalism. Mr Kennedy enjoyed a wide circle of friends in Ennis and the wider area, who, along with his immediate family, were saddened to learn of his death. Mr Kennedy’s remains will repose at Kennedy’s funeral parlour from 5pm on Sunday with removal to Ennis Cathedral.  Burial will be after 11am requiem mass on Monday to Drumcliffe cemetery.

THE death has taken place of well-known and popular  Ennis businessman, Jimmy Brohan.  Mr Brohan’s shop in Parnell Street is an institution, preserving an old world charm at a time when the hardware business has extended into superstores. The traditional shopfront exudes character, with implements displayed on the footpath of the pedestrianised street.  In fact, this has proven to be a  great local tourist attraction and often photographed. If ever the phrase “from a needle to an anchor” applied, it is to be what can  be found in Brohan’s. If it couldn’t be sourced there, it would be a rare commodity  indeed, and he would point you in the right direction. Mr Brohan had operated in a premises farther up Parnell Street but moved to the current location a number of years back. While under new management in recent times, Jimmy still remained a central figure in the shop, along with members of his family. Jimmy was on first name …

THE death occurred recently of Bernie Wrafter, Roslevan, Ennis. A native of Ennis, she was a member of the well known Dunne family from Clare Road. A daughter of the late Freddie Dunne, who was a CIE bus inspector and Mary Dunne, Bernie was educated at the Convent of Mercy, Ennis and Ennis Vocational School and at the young age of 17 years emigrated to America. She was employed in New York for the next 10 years, during which time she met her husband to be, Alo Wrafter, who was a native of Tullamore. They got married after returning to Ireland and made their new home in Tullamore. However, some time later they decided to return to New York and after five years made a return journey home in 1967. On this occasion they lived in Dun Laoghaire where Bernie had a thriving guesthouse business overlooking the pier. To her credit she made her rooms available in the off-season holiday …

By CAROL BYRNE THE community of Feakle has laid to rest centenarian John Michael Tobin. He died last week in his 102nd year. The 101 year old from Laccaroe, Feakle died peacefully at Limerick Regional Hospital on Thursday, February 13. He was laid to rest in the local cemetery following funeral mass on Saturday at St Mary’s Church, Feakle. He lived with his son, JJ in Feakle, up to his death and he is also survived by his daughter, Martina, extended family and friends. John Michael was a post man in Feakle and a farmer. Hewas the last remaining person to have attended the funeral of the Scariff Martyrs, four men who were shot by Auxiliaries on Killaloe Bridge on November 16, 1920. John Michael attended their funeral with his mother on November 20, 1920. Each Easter Sunday, a memorial event is held to these men organised by East Clare Memorial Committee. John Michael has laid a wreath at the …

By Peter O’Connell ONE of Clare’s best-known GAA supporters passed away recently. Kevin Stapleton, who was 92, was born in Limerick and reared in Kilkee but lived and worked for 46 years in England. Resident in Ennis since his return to Ireland in 1989, he was a regular at Clare hurling and football games. He was also a colourful contributor to The Clare Champion letters page. In an interview with The Clare Champion in October 2012, Kevin recalled growing up in West Clare. “I was born in Limerick but I was in Kilkee at nine weeks old. My mother died at birth, so I never saw her,” he recounted sadly. Kevin and his twin brother, Thomas, were reared by their grandmother, Bridget Stapleton, whom they treated as their mother. She was a woman with straightforward convictions, as evidenced by Kevin’s name change around the time of his confirmation. It turns out his name was not actually Kevin. “When I was christened, …