Today the cold wet clay fell on the coffin of Niall Smith ,Dressogue,Athboy ,a proud native of Dunderry,a husband to Marie,a father to Fiona,Nigel and Francis,a brother to Marie (Dalton ) a grandfather ,a father in law,a neighbour,a friend and a man whose existence will long live in the memory of all those who knew him.
Those close to him knew knew that he was tortured betimes but never suspected that his agonies would be terminated so tragically and would weigh so heavily on all ,particularly his immediate family who are in a state of utter shock and bewilderment.
Not inappropriately his burial took place in Dunderry Graveyard on a weekend of tempest and drenching rain similar to the prevailing conditions of THE MAN in whom he totally believed and who died over 2,000 years ago.
I don't doubt for one second that himself,the Showman,the Old Showman,Metal Mickey and Skin are driving the Highways of Heaven,free of multi agency checks ,insufferable work smothering regulations ,breakdowns and with a full order book of back loads in the full and beaming approval of Jesus Christ.
Dunderry Church was absolutely packed last evening as his mortal remains arrived there for the last time and was thronged also this morning for his funeral Mass .Both occasions were sombre events as is fitting and his sons,daughter ,nieces and extended families paid heart rending tribute to a man so desperately missed and a life so well lived, albeit far too shortly spent.
Father Hornick,ably assisted by his Athboy counterpart ,presided admirably over the ceremonies and if there is a better singer than Paddy Mc Garry for these occasions ,I have yet to hear him.
I do hope that he appreciates fully the unreal talent that God bestowed on him,
The fact that he often shared a session with the Nailer,and indeed myself in the days of yore inspired him to impart the proper amount of passion and poignancy into the well chosen hymns sung.
It took ages for all the sympathisers to commiserate with the family and file past the coffin on both Friday and today.I'd wager that Nailer would never have dreamt that he so many and so dispersed good and true friends.
The Nailer and his clan has history,all good,with myself and my mother's people the Mc Cormacks going back the generations.The old Showman and Joe and Tommy Mc Cormack were Shinners a lifetime ago. Tommy reverted to Labour at a time when Labour were proud to advance the cause of working people.
I ran as an Independent for the last Dail.About two weeks before the election the Nailer called to the house and offerd me the benefit of his experience in spreading the good news of my candidature ,an offer I gladly accepted.And canvass he did.
Then a week before the Election ,surprise of surprisesm RTE came to my house to interview me for "The week in politics "programme.The weather was like today and we were on tender hooks awaiting the arrival of the crew,who were delayed with a puncture in what was Indian territory to them.
When they did arrive like drowned rats we had no idea what format the interview was going to take and had each practised our lines .
They interviewed me separately from Nailer and very kindly explained to him that his chance would come on another day.He accepted this graciously and took it in his stride.
I made the introductory headline appearance in the programme subsequently.publicity money could not buy.
Maybe Nailer got the hump as a week later he was canvassing for Sinn Fein, a throwback to his father's genes maybe,In any event he backed a winner in Peadar Tobin.No fool he.
It wouldn't be the first time that Nailer and family helped us out.In the late 1980's Tommy Mac moved into a shed behind their house in Dressogue to shepherd hogget ewes through the lambing period.Tommy never believed in doing things by half and was a shepherd in the real sense of the word.
He lived in the shed for over a month and was cared for and fed like a King by Nailer and Marie.
He didn't lose even one lamb.I kid you not.
Anyone who knows about these things will tell you that if you handle a hogget's lamb the human scent will more often than not cause her to abandon the lamb.Tommy overcame this by turning a sheet of galvanise into a crude sleigh by attaching a rope harness and poking any distressed newly born lamb onto the sleigh with the toe of his boot and pulling it into the shed with the hogget continuously smelling the lamb as it was in transit.
When inside he had the door rigged for quick shutting and lamb and hogget mother would be coaxed back to full health under the heat of the Super Ser.
I tell a white lie when I say thart not even one lamb was lost.One was lost and it was my fault.It happened like this.
One Sunday he wanted a break and asked me to go on duty,which I did.One ewe was unable to deliver and I caught her and put my hand in to deliver the lamb.But the lamb was coming wrong and I had to manipulate the tiny front leg to get her into delivery position.I felt a snap but delivered a live lamb in the end.But she couldn't stand up as a front leg was broken by my clumsiness.After the ewe took to the lamb the vet put on plaster of Paris and a splint on the break.Unfortunately too long a period was let expire before the cast was removed and the circulation had been cut off and the leg had to be amputated.She lived for a few months on three legs but was slaughtered before her time as she eventually could not bear her weight.
Tommy was a very clever man and learned from this experience.When a similar break arose subsequently,he cured it himself.Figuring that the plaster was too rigid,he devise a splint made of plastering scrim,ice pop sticks and melted tar,which was poured on the scrim,absorbed by it and stretched with the growth of the lamb's leg.
Anyhow the point is that the Smiths treated Tommy and myself like royaltyand often brought a very young Fiona and Nigel to our house,where if memory serves ,they particularly had a likeness for Agnes's gravy.
I in turn helped Nailer when I was in a position to.
Nigel had a brief but enjoyable hurling career under my tutelage.That is when himself and Gerry Murrray were not hiding in the fields to avoid being collected.I usually found them .Another connection was that our Mags worked with Marie and Nigel in the Lodge where they formed close bonds that persist to this day.
I know Francie since he was a young child.A grand chap.
And Nigel's partner,who also read at Mass ,is a former Camogie player I coached in her youth.A lovely woman.
But no tribute to Nailer would be complete without reference to the mechanical love of his life,trucks and trucking.
"Smith International " was the legend under which he and Frank a.k.a the Showman and betimes "Rodger Rabbit " ,traded in their prime and which name he preserved up to his untimely death.
I remember them in their prime inn Dunderrry when they were at the top of their trucking game and had a good few rigs on the road.Showman and himself were an odd pair for brothers and partners.Showman was well over six foot and built like a bull,with a tenor voice.Nailer was barely over five foot with a deep baritone voice.I often thought that the Lord got the voices mixed up ,but maybe not.One complimented the other.
Two other men,both now dead also wee on the crew,Michael Wimsey (A..K A Metal Mickey,further abbreviated to "Metal") and Joe Mc Nally (a.k.a "Skin").
One Saturday myself and Tommy Mc Cormack were working on a machine beside the boys who were laying a new wooden floor in a full length trailer.All day long the banter was magic.Not once was anyone on the Smith International crew called their Christian name,with roars of "Showman","Nailer","Metal" and "Skin"good naturedly filling the air.
Of that crew I am the only survivor."Metal " too died tragically,"Showman" of cancer at far too young an age,"Skin " of breathing difficulties and Tommy of cancer.I was spared when suffering a severe stroke four years ago.
These man lived like men and were independent to the nth.degree.
When these boys were in full business bloom in the late eighties and before "Showman's "death there was some buzz around Dunderry.Top shelves were emptied ,craic was had,Nailers courtship of Marie was celebrated often and well and full loads were dispersed worldwide,no bother at all.
And Father Enda narrowly missed being decapitated by a half block through a Pub window .while enjoying a well earned pint of the black stuff.A story for another day.
An uncle of mine suffered from Maniac Depression for most of his life.Nowadays it is called "Bipolar" I think.I am not a doctor nor an expert on this condition but know well that when the chemical balance of the brain is out of synch it can kick in and periods of sleepless elation are succeeded by periods of deep depression.Highs and Lows in my language.
Maybe Nailer had this condition.I don't know.
What I do know is that a number of months ago he was out of sorts and maybe fell off the wagon a few times.I left him home on a few occasions.He unburdened himself to me.Total love for his family I hasten to add.But he was a tortured man and felt pressurised.
I never thought that this would be the result.
I have long held that people who die as he did should have their dealings with State institutions in the run up to death examined to l see whether lessons could be learned to improve future outcomes and hope this happens here.
Let me hasten to add that I am not apportioning blame to anybody.It was one of these unforeseeable things.
Musketeers Liam is married to Niall's sister.They have buried his brother, mother and now Niall in quick succession.Fiona buried premature twins in recent times.
Lord help us all.and pray for his family in particular.
Ar Dheis De go raibh a hanam dilis.
P.S.I have been informed today that Nial was convicted of drink driving three weeks before his death and as a consequence barred from driving for four years.Given that the only occupation he ever had was truck driving and that he was in his sixties ,as far as I know ,that was the end of his working life in reality.
He was clearly unwell mentally in recent times and its not that long since he was in the physciatric unit in Navan.
As a self employed man he would have very little entitlements under the Social Welfare system.
There are all sorts of investigations into top up payments to charity bosses and the journalists are having a field day.Nobody died as a result of these top up payments.
Nial Smith is dead.
Did the three branches of the State talk to each other before the sentence above was imposed on Nial?
Has anybody involved in the charging and sentencing process even a tinge of regret ?Does anybody give a continental fuck about Nial and his family?
Given that it is the anniversary of another Meath man who died tragically.Shane Mc Entee,will Fine Gael pay anything other than pay lip service to tackling suicide amongst men and look closely at what happened to Nial to see if lessons can be learned for the future ?
Your guess is as good as mine but I will not be holding my breath.
I stress that I am not apportioning blame to anybody involves in the process but would like to know if a holistic approach was taken in his particular circumstances.
The say that the mark of a civilised society is how it treats its weaker members.Nailer was as down as it gets.
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