Molly Newman meets her maker.

In her 103rd .year on this earth,the greatly loved Molly Newman shuffled off this mortal coil to the great consternation of her loving family,both immediate and extended,her neighbours and at least two parishes in this Diocese ,Dunderry and Boyerstown,a number of locations in the USA and England and a part of Holland ,in all of which locations reside members of her extended family.And these are only the locations I know about.
This lady was a Hanly from Rathmoylan,a description  I use advisedly as all who knew her would attest to and which could be evidenced in many ways ,not least in the way herself and her husband took in the infant child of her first cousin on the premature death of his mother,in times that were tough for all .Francis Bruton very properly regarded her as his mother and no natural son could do more for a woman than he,his wife Eileen and their children ,Kevin,Shane and Damian did for this lady in her ailing years.
Not only they.but everyone in this family were there when she was in  need..Her son Eugene ,his wife Anne and their children ,Owen,Jenny ,Pamela and Hazel were in constant attendance as were those of Olivers children not forced to the emigrant boat.
Her daughters Carmel and Patsi were both nurses and they spent much time in her care in latter years. Both of them and Carmel's husband Frank were regular attendees at the Vigil Mass in Dunderry in recent years and I am absolutely certain that their strong Catholic faith not only sustained them in difficult times but underlined and underscored the practical love they lavished on her .
As  I write this I hear an advertisement for liveline on the Radio concerning the latest condemnation of Christian Prayer from a Labour Councillor in  Tipperary. Like some of her family who I spoke to last night I am sick to the stomach of these people.Needless to say no Labour Councillor nor any of that anti Catholic ilk turned up to help care for her in her hours of need.Actions speak louder than words and her friends and neighbours went quietly about their works of love without spouting it on national radio.They are made of the right stuff.
Her husband Owen predeceased her by many years,38 I think and was a great friend of my mother's people the Mc Cormacks of Churchtown.I well remember them talking of Butty Thomas,who was Owen Newman's father and who I think was a relation to John Newman .GAA scion of the early 1900,s and who Newman Park in Bohernmeen is named after.
Our house in Blanchardstown was a house well known to Dunderry people and All the Newman men and Francis often called there when passing through from visiting Dublin.Francis has strong childhood memories of calling there with Molly and Owen while a young child.But then my mother and the Dundery people were like that.The best of neighbours always and no matter where.
Like their namesakes the Newmans of Tullaghanstown ,where father and sons concurrently drew the old age pension,both Molly and at least one child Thomas ,who is the most youthful 70 I ever saw,are in that category.Even I am not brave enough to suggest that any of the incredibly youthful looking daughters would also qualify.
Thomas emigrated many years ago and worked his way up from being a rigger in the oil business to the very top of the tree,to the extent of sponsoring research in an Irish University into the industry.  He played football with Dundery ,never lost his accent and was a frequent visitor home.Only a few weeks ago I met him after Mass and he knew that his mothers time was limited.
Oliver and Eugene were great friends of my uncle Tommy Mc Cormack .Oliver or "Golly " being somewhat of a boozing buddy and a partner in craic.
Many's the time my aunt Molly ate Tommy over a cache of empty booze bottles found in his car after some "outing" involving himself,Golly, probably Tommy Dowd,maybe Oliver Travers,possibly Patsi Coogan,definitively Mattie Lawless and maybe myself or Robert on the tails of the company.Great times.
Both Oliver and Eugene were on the winning Dunderry Inter Team in 1970.Golly played minor with Meath a feat replicated by his son Brian ,who captained the team .Brian played under 21 with Meath as well and I am sure that David his brother also manned the green jersey He was an intricate part of the team who developed the Dunderry Clubhouse..Father and sons were unstinting players for Dunderry and servants par excellence at under 21 and adult level and in Hurling also.Brother Paul was also in that tradition but his love of all things equine overcame his love of the Gaelic Game in his twenties and he devoted  his spare time in that direction.
Their sisters were part of an  Ultans lady's football team that swept all before them.
Myself and Eugene made our Dunderry Junior Football debuts in the Showgrounds in Navan many years ago at 16 years of age ,against Martry Harps ,I think..Eugene was a tasty footballer and his son Owen and daughters,Jenny,Pamela and Hazel graced the football,hurling and camogie fields of Meath for Dunderry  in their youth.
When Eugene lived in the village himself and Tommy Dowd for a period ran the juvenile footballers .The sole transport was Eugene's car.
Eileen Bruton is a long time member of the Dunderry Club and Kevin,Shane and Damian prominent hurlers and footballers with us.
Like all the Newmans they don't do fear,are built to the ground and when they hit you (legitimately of course) you stay hit.
Fifty years ago I used come here on the summer holidays.Hay was cocked at the time.It was drawn home by horse and bogey.A bogey was a flat bottomed dray which was tipped up and the entire cock of hay was drawn on to it by ratcheting up the cock with chains .The Mc Cormacks used make hay in Stauntons where Michael Mc Cormack now lives.Joe used drive down to Stauntons to draw the hay home and we would pass Newmans on the way.Even though we didn't know why we were drawn to the girls we passed,Assumpta Newman,Catty Lawless and the Conway sisters springing to mind.We fancied them desperately and did all sort of antics to draw their attention.Feck all good it did us.
Well I met Assumpta ,Cathy and Teresa these last few days,Assumpta for the first time in fifty years.They are grannies now and they wintered fierce well.
A massive crowd turned up for the funeral in Boyerstown Church yesterday ,with far more people outside the Church than inside and Father Brendan,a Dunderry admirer,was way off the mark when he said the burial would take place "in a few minutes,"after the attendance had a chance to sympathise with the family.Clearly he is unused to Dunderry funerals as the "few minutes " lengthened to a good hour.I.d say.
But that was the mark of the woman.
This lady has left a massive legacy of love in her wake and I'd say St .Peter met her half way up to usher her inside the pearly gates.
Ar Dheis De go Raibh a hAnam dilis.