Death of John Conway.

Just prior at midnight last Saturday ,word filtered to Phil Conway in Horan's pub ,of the totally unexpected death of his brother John,who was never a day sick in his 73 years on this earth .He suffered a massive and irreversible stroke which cut him down in the prime of a very well lived and fulfilled life.
A native of Halltown,Robinstown,(the Dunderry side of Lawless Cross,)he was born to the late Pat Conway and his wife Mary (nee Cregan of Tullaghanstown) and was one of twelve children.
His mother Mary died young and it fell to his father and older siblings to raise himself and his eleven siblings a challenge they rose to admirably  in very hard and unforgiving times .
He is survived by his family in Blackbourne ,England by his loving wife Joan,a native of Wexford and four daughters and three sons and many grandchildren ,whose names are not currently to hand and will be published as soon as possible.
He was home last year and despite his half a century in England he very much regarded Ireland as home and spent some time with his brother Seamus in Navan ,never suspecting that this would be his last temporal visit to the land of his ancestors.His forst cousin Michael Murtagh was only buried last week so these are devastating times for the wider clan.
His passing will be mourned by many ,especially his siblings and their families,namely the Coogans of Tullaghanstown ,whose mother Molly ,R.I.P.,wife of Jimmy was the eldest sibling,Nell Gough,Dunderry, (sister),Sheila Byrne ,Sandymount (sister),Paddy Conway,Halltown (brother)LIly Gough,Tullaghanstown,(sister).Phyllis Maguire,Blackbourne (sister)Seamus,Navan(brother)Philip,(Fig),Dunderry  (brother)Richard ,Halltown,(brother)Theresa Mc Carthy,Blanchardstown(sister) and Imelda Boyle .Martry (sister).As far as I know he was predeceased by a brother Hugh,who died as an infant of two years many years ago.
Many of his siblings are over eighty years old and they have outlived my own people the Mc Cormacks  ,with whom they were great friends,even going so far as to share a grave with them,which can be evidenced to this day in Churchtown graveyard ..They also shared a love of football and as the apple never falls far from the tree Stephen and Andy Coogan,who are doing so well today on the field of play are from this line of Gaels.
John himself was a solid footballer,being very strong physically,a trait he developed from lifting half hundredweights during his time in Callaghans.
In England subsequently his strenght won him many prizes in competition.
On behalf of myself and the wider family ,all Gaels in the Community and the Dunderry G.A.A. Clubs and all  the people of the Parish we extend our deepest sympathy to all the bereaved.
His funeral will be held in Blackburn this Friday August 26th.after which his body will be cremated.Thereafter his ashes will be brought home to Dunderry and interrred in the local graveyard,where it is undeerstood he recently bought a plot.The exact date of this event has not yet been fixed ,but as soon as it becomes known it will be published here.
D.P.S.