OBITUARY: 'Loving family man and someone who had a kind word and smile for everyone'

The late Christy Phelan, Ard na Gréine, Clonmel, who died on May 9, 2023, is fondly remembered as a loving family man, a gentleman and someone who had a kind word and smile for everyone.

The last of the Ard na Gréine Phelans, Christy’s main interest in his life was his family - his children, grandchildren and more recently, great grandchildren.

Outside of family, he had a lifelong interest in sport, especially hurling, football, soccer and pitch and putt, while he was also a keen swimmer.

He was a hard-working man all his life, in a wide range of different businesses.

Born in Ard-na-Gréine in 1939 to Patrick and Margaret Phelan, Christy was the youngest of seven children. He started work at the tender age of 15 in James White & Co., Gladstone Street.

He then served his time in Paddy McGrath’s C/C Wholesale.

Around that time, he met and married Bridget Poyntz with whom he had two children, before Bridget sadly passed away.

Christy then went on to work for Tayto, covering the south east where he earned his nickname Mr. Tayto.

It was during this time that he met and married Mary Hough, with whom he had four more children.

The highlight of Christy’s career was getting a job as sales manager with Coca-Cola in Tuam, county Galway where, after receiving advice and encouragement from his good friend, Gerry Brennan, Thomas Street, he and his family moved and lived for four years.

Unfortunately, Christy had a serious accident rendering him unable to work and so moved his family back to Clonmel in 1979.

Once he had recovered from surgery, Christy had various jobs, including with Antoine Denmead and in Gleesons and The Local Bar, where over the years he made a wide circle of friends.

Christy had many hobbies and interests and played pitch and putt at Hillview Sports Club and was both pitch and putt Captain and grounds captain in the early 1980’s.

He loved swimming and made sure that all his children learned to swim from a young age. He was a member of Hotel Minella Sports Club for many years and swam on a daily basis.

Christy loved hurling and his native Tipperary hurling team. In his youth, he played with St. Mary’s hurling club and Clonmel Commercials Football Club, winning South minor medals in both codes.

In recent years, he was a Manchester United supporter in the middle of a family of Liverpool supporters. This often led to many a heated debate in the sittingroom on a high stool with a pint of Guinness.

Christy’s priority was always his family and he was always there to give advice, which he did in his own quiet and caring manner.

Christy was very proud of all his children and grandchildren, and in the last few months, his great grandchildren.

Unfortunately, in November of last year, Christy’s health deteriorated and he spent many months in hospital between Waterford and Clonmel. He knew he needed to be there to recover, but always wanted to come home to his family.

Sadly, Christy passed away in Tipperary University Hospital on May 9, 2023, the last of the Ard na Gréine Phelans.

Christy’s family take great comfort from the sympathy expressed by the Clonmel community, in particular comments such as -

“Christy Phelan was a gentleman,” and “he always had a kind word and a smile for everyone”.

Naturally Christy is missed by his family, in particular his wife Mary, but they are comforted by the fact that he is no longer in pain and that he is, as his strong faith led him to believe, reunited in heaven with his family.

Christy will be sadly missed by his loving wife Mary, daughters Margaret, Celina and Roseanne, sons Bernard, Malcolm and Dermot, grandchildren Shannon, Amy, Darragh, Don, Aaron, Derry, Ryan, Rihanna, Tristan, Béibhínn, Keelan and Saorla, great-grandchildren Sonny and Sofia, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, sisters-in- law, nephews, nieces, extended family and his many friends.

May Christy rest in peace.