Mick, What a wonderful, moving tribute to your friend Patricia. I'm very sorry for your loss, and I wish you and all those who knew Patricia peace and comfort. Karen. > Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2012 21:54:48 +0100 > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > Subject: [IRL-CARLOW] Patricia Murphy 1955 - 2012. > > There was widespread sadness at the sudden death on Friday 6th July, > following a tragic accident at her place of residence in Granby Row, of > Patricia Murphy. > Formerly Patricia Marnell and a native of Ballintaggort, Callan, Co. > Kilkenny. > In 1980 she married John,Murphy of Thomastown and lived in the Royal Oak > area for the next 32 years. > Following her appointment to the staff of the Holy Angels Day Care Centre, > where she became a indispensable and highly valued member of staff, > Patricia moved into an apartment in Carlow town in order to be near her > place of work. > Patricia attended Mohober National School, Co. Tipperary, before attending > St. Michael's Boarding School in Clonmel. > Upon leaving school she trained as a chef in one of Ireland's premier > hotels, The Dunraven Arms, Adare, Co. Limerick, and worked at catering for > a number of years before being appointed as manager of the Carmel Hotel in > Kilkenny, she resigned as manager in order to get married. > She later took up a position in St. Joseph's Orphanage in Kilkenny before > her career took on a totally different direction when she managed a Turf > Accountant's office for Malcolm Skelly in John Street, Kilkenny. Malcolm > thought highly of her work and upon her leaving he closed the John Street > office. > Patricia then worked in St. Lazerians Nursing Home in Bagnelstown for a > number of years. > Her final place of work and where she was very happy and appreciated was at > the Holy Angels and where she attended work up to the day of her death. > In all the positions Patricia held she was highly appreciated by all her > employers and proved herself to be caring, trustworthy and hard-working. > A avid reader, Patricia loved to travel and along with her husband, John > and family, among the countries she visited were, Australia, Thailand, > Turkey and Spain, where she absorbed the culture and loved to mingle with > the people and roam through the marketplaces. > Patricia is mourned by her husband, John, her daughters, Lorraine and > Grace, her sisters, Mary, Margaret and Rose, her brothers, Henry and Martin > , her uncle Paddy, nephews and nieces and a large circle of friends. > Burial took place in Wells Cemetery following Requiem Mass in > Leighlinbridge, celebrated by Father Tom Lawlor. In a moving ceremony hymns > were sung by Clare Cully and Helen Mooney. > The following eulogy was delivered by Michael Purcell during her funeral > Mass :- > Thanks to Patricia's family for asking me to say a few words today in > memory of Trish.. > First of all I need to say that there are some people. whom Trish meant a > lot to, they are unable to be with us today. > Nurse Geraldine Connell , the Manager of the Holy Angels Day Care Centre > along with four other > members of staff are out of the country. They left before we received the > news that Trish had died. > They were stunned and greatly saddened by the news and have asked me to > pass on their sincere heartfelt sympathy to her husband, John, and her > daughters , Lorraine and Grace and all of Trish's family and friends. > I am sure that If Trish could speak right now, she would tell me to > " get down outa that and don't be making a right Ejit of yourself" > Well, Ejit or not , > I will try summarise what Trish meant to us at Holy Angels and the immense > loss she will be to us all. > Words are inadequate to capture the essence of Trish's personalty. the > basic goodness of her life or to express all that Trish was to us, and the > sense of loss and sadness we now feel. > Trish came to us at Holy Angels some years ago, and she immediately fell > in love with the place and its mission in our society. > In a short time she proved herself to be indispensable and had us > wondering how did we ever manage without her. > >From then on she took care of all the staff, and she always enjoyed > interacting with the children and the parents and kept the place in tip-top > shape. > Her role in making sure everything ran smoothly will long be cherished by > all who were the recipients of her kindness and professionalism. - I know > she would not like me using the term " professionalism" . > But that's what she was, a professional carer of people and a professional > at her job.. > Every thing in its place and every person cared for. She acted like a > mother to all. > Both Trish and us - we were lucky - because we very often expressed direct > to her how much we appreciated all she done for us. > In that regard we have no regrets, for she knew how much we valued and > loved her, despite the fact that she disliked praise or recognition or > never liked to be the centre of attention, we told her, time and time > again, how much we treasured her. > > Loads of Cliches come to mind to describe Trish, such as ; > "A Trojan Worker" , ( in fact we wondered in amazement from where she > sourced her energy ! ) > "A Heart of Gold" ( and there the wonder grew as to how such a fragile > frame could hold such a big heart. ) > Other Cliches come to mind such as ; "Good Natured", "One in a Million", > "Irreplacable" . > But Trish was all those cliches combined. Yes, that and more. > Yesterday I heard one of the girls remark how Trish could make something > out of very little. > She was talking not about issues but about provisions, for Trish could > produce a fine meal at short notice for unexpected visitors, a visiting > doctor and a team of clinics or a parents morning, as well as constantly > producing special treats for the children at Holy Angels. > But with issues too, she could make something out of very little, as I > often found out to my cost, when in a forceful manner she could put forward > a challenge and I have to say more often than not, she was usually proved > right in the end. > Among her first words nearly every morning to myself, Phil and Michael > were, "what's that doing there" ?, "who moved this" ?, "why isn't that > done" ?, as she proceeded to put everything in order for the day ahead. > The Centre did not come to life until Trish was there at the heart of it > and every morning we listened for her welcome step in the hall. > Trish had her favourites but if I was to mention who her favourites were, > we would be here all day. In fact all of us were her favourites. > She possessed a twinkling sense of fun and a mischievous wit, the stories > are numerous and all who knew her will have their own recollections of the > antics she got up to. tinged with the sadness of her sudden and tragic > passing, > A reminder that we are so lightly here, but enhanced by the very many fond > memories that remain with us. > Memories of Trish that will in the days ahead help us cope with the loss > of a very special friend > and a very much esteemed colleague. > > The past week was one of her happiest at Holy Angels as she took part in > all the Summer Camp activities. > She rarely missed a day at work, so on Friday last when she failed to > turn up to bid goodbye to the children and staff before the summer > holidays, we guessed there was something wrong. > Because of the circumstances of Trish's death I thought in the past few > days of the words from Aeschylus :- > " Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget > falls drop by drop upon the heart > until, in our own despair, against our will, > comes wisdom through the awful grace of God". > and so it comes to pass. > Your works' all done now Trish, you're leaving early, and this time I'm > not looking at my watch. > It's time to go home. M.P. > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message