The grim reaper busy as a bee.

This time of the year is a fierce time for deaths.This year in particular we have lost a huge number of friends and friends of friends.From Dunderry we have lost Paul Earley and of Moon coin native,Jimmy O Brien of Churchtown,husband of Lily Rodgers,a daughter of the Buller.
I once worked with Dennis O Driscoll,a Thurles man and a nice guy,who has become a famous poet. His brother Frank,himself and myself joined the now defunct Estate Duty Office in the early 1970,s.I haven't met either in decades but they were decent and genuine guys when we hung out together all those years ago.He too has died too early.
This morning I went to the funeral Mass of Bartle  Mc Nally,probably the oldest surviving Mulhuddart man until his recent death.He is survived by three sons,Paddy,Gerard and Noel.The latter is married to my wife's sister Rose.Bartle hadn't been well these last few years and despite manfully fighting a hugely debilitating stroke he mercifully succumbed to another a few days ago.
Gerard a young man,is himself very unwell and disabled and was unable to attend.A very sad and sombre occasion.
 Bartle was married to  Mags Mansfield a member of an old GAA family from Corduff and the funeral was held there as they used attend Sunday Mass there when both were alive.
They lived beside the School in Mulhuddart for many years and the three boys still live  there.We lived in Mulhuddart in the seventies until the mid eighties and in our earlier years there a Mass bus used leave the village every Sunday for 9 o clock mass in Blanchardstown as that Church was the nearest to Mulhuddart at the time.
Bartle was one of the quietest man I have ever met.He was totally self educated and was a self taught master of a variety of skills.He could and did work as a cattle drover ,farmer,jarvey and Gardener par excellence ,amongst other occupations.He could build ,plaster and dance with the best.Before he got sick himself and his wife were regular attendees at the ballroom scene around Meath and knew well a number of Dunderry people of similar inclination.
Amongst the gifts that formed part of the Mass offerings were a hurley and Dublin jersey belonging to his granddaughter Martha ,daughter of Rose and Noel.Bartle was fierce proud of her and I am sure that Tony Hanley,Rose's late father and a former Templemore footballer of note ,would have been similarly impressed.
Go deana Dia trocaire ar a hanam dilis.
As a footnote Mulhuddart School,where four of my daughter started their education ,is boarded up and the roof sagging,the lead having been robbed it seems.Too small to survive in these times ,it seems.As far as I am concerned this is an act of cultural vandalism and whoever ids responsible should hand their heads in shame.Like a once distinct and proud village this school if being written from the pages of history by an uncaring and anti Irish political system ,which knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.
At the funeral I met Pat Carr and Jem .his brother ,both former Mulhuddart residents and Eddie Reid,from the Shillerin Road,another  proud Mulhuddart man,now in exile in Clonee.I haven't met the latter in decades.We hurled together with Brigids and both fished for trout in the Tolka,when there were trout to be had there. He took up running in Dunboyne and became one of the best runners in his class in Ireland.His daughter is following in his footsteps. He is running a half marathon along the banks of the canal soon.One fit son of a bitch and an example to all.He is an advisor to the tipster for my blog and conceded that they know far more about trout fishing than horses,a sentiment with which i agree.
Mulhuddart produced its fair share of hurlers in its day.Along with Eddie Reid,,Pat Carr and Kevin,Ben Dempsey and Anthony Larkin played for a while.Nailer Brooks was a stalwart with Eoghan Ruaidh in his day and Andy Dowling hurled withe Port and Docks years ago.He was a small man,but a tough one.
I saw the Red Ponyton and met Peadar and Margaret Hughes ,Rose O Leary and her husband Michael Flanagan.And Jem Mansfield,with whom I manned many a gap in the Brigid's defence years ago And his wife too..Christy Lawler,the former scion of advertising in the Irish Press ,when a job there was what you would call a job,was there with his wife Betty and his son Joe ,who was so kind to me when I was in Navan Hospital was also there.As a matter of historical record myself and Christy were on the Committee of Inspection of the Irish Press when it went into liquidation all those years ago and Tom Grace was appointed Liquidator.
And we  met Eileen O Byrne of the famour O Byrne family and chewed the GAA cud for a while.
Former Muluddart resident Paddy Madden and his wife Claire were there too.They have moved to Galway.Another man I hurled with and a tough and fair one too.
 Tomorrow we head to Killimor near Ballinasloe for the funeral of Michael Hardiman ,brother of Nancy  Horan from Dunderry and of Kate who spent many years here.