Longford's Mafie Flaherty lived for her family

Put simply, the warmhearted mother of four lived for her family.

A diehard Longfordian through and through, Mafie was the very embodiment of old Longford stock, where neighbourliness and affability to all who crossed her path was ultimately what defined her and made her such a respected presence among her peers.

Put simply, Mafie loved Longford and the county town she called home for the best part of eight decades was all the greater for it.

Evidence of that overriding belief was more than borne out just over five weeks ago when news of her untimely passing emerged.

It was a passage which was made all the more poignant in that it came just three months after Tony, her soul mate, husband and man she idolised passed away.

The second eldest of six children to Tommy and Chrissy Devlin, Templemichael Terrace, Mafie, like many of her generation left school in her teenage years and entered the workforce with Longford Weavers being her chosen destination.

Indeed, it was there Mafie met the man she would later go on and marry and spend the next 60 years devoted to.

The couple subsequently went on to set up home in Bannon Terrace and raise four children, Tommy, Brendan, Colette and Tony Jr.

And it was here that Mafie’s steadfast loyalty to those closest to her shone through as she took on the role of being a stay at home mother to her young family.

Whatever her children needed, Mafie was never found wanting, a trait which was aptly summed up by Tony Jr when addressing a full to capacity St Mel’s Cathedral at her funeral mass.

“When we were growing up our house was always welcoming to everyone that wanted to come in,” he said.

“There was always other kids apart from her own there, both from her extended family and friends.

“Mam was always the heart and soul of the home and she definitely was the boss.

“I remember when we were growing up, apart from ourselves mam would always have extra people at the dinner table especially during school terms where some of her nephews would join us at the dinner table.”

In a comical anecdote, onlookers were told of how that invite which ordinarily involved an invite to her brother Seamus, would invariably end in a hearty mince dinner.

“When we were having it Seamus would swear by the bottle of gaviscon he would have to drink to wash it down,” said Tony.

“Seamus reckons Dr (Mel) Gorman had the recipe for the mince dinner and made a fortune prescribing gaviscon to us all.

“Anyone that had that famous culinary dish of Mam’s will know what I’m talking about.”

Joking aside, there was a deep seated self-sacrificing virtue to Mafie that extended far beyond the four walls of her home.

Walking was one of her most cherished pastimes, a hobby which saw her play her part in furthering the cause of various local charities.

“Mam used to always enjoy her walks with Jenny,Kathy, Anna Mae and the other girls and a lot of people might not know this but Mam completed 10 womens mini marathons in Dublin with the women and they also raised alot of money for local charities while doing this,” added Tony.

Gardening and her own penchant for roses was another of Mafie's favoured interests.

And while her ability to get around became decidedly more onerous in latter years, her zest for life never wavered.

“Mam had a great relaxed attitude to life and one of her favourite sayings was 'ah f*** it, shur it will be grand, I will do it tomorrow'.

“Mam was a very loyal loving wife and mother and I have to say we had a very happy and loving upbringing in a very loving home.

“She would always have your back and she would always support us in whatever decision we made in life.

“She was always our rock and on many occasions she was always there to pick up the pieces for us.”

That mantra arguably summed up what made Mafie the unique, selfless woman she was.

At the very core of that mindset was the fact she hailed from a loving and deeply united family.

Her relationship with her siblings was as close as you could wish to find in any household, connection which extended in equal measure to her many nephews and nieces.

“But one thing about Mam,like Dad was that she was always so proud of her grandchildren, their achievements and how proud they were of her.

“We, as a family, could see how true that was especially in the last couple of weeks when they were sitting by her bedside around the clock with us. They had such a close bond with her.”

It was an inseperable connection which also extended to Mayfie's six great grandchildren.

In a poignant tribute, members of the congregation heard details of the extraordinary lengths members of Mafie's own extended family went to on a daily basis.

“There is one special person here who I could not forget for all she has done for our Mam for the past number of years,” added an emotional sounding Tony.

“I could not put into words how good she was to mam, she has been there at every beck and call for her.

“The two of them were in daily contact with each other for more than 25 years. She even got the nickname little Mafie because she is so like mam in everyway.

“That person is her niece Tara and on behalf of the family I want to say a big thank you Tara for all you done, we could never repay you for it.”

Equally wholesome appreciation was reserved for Mafie's friend and cousin Kathleen Barry, Fr Micheal McGrath, those who led

Mafie's funeral mass, Dr Sumi Moodley, Loughrey's Pharmacy and the staff of Lisadell Unit in Laurel Lodge where Mafie spent her final years.

In a final and heart-rending tribute, her youngest son recalled how a heading carried in the Leader at the time of his father's passing carried the headline that Longford had “lost a legend”.

“Let me tell you in the eyes of us all as a family we have lost another legend because in her own way Mafie was a legend too.”

And that just perhaps underlines just how much of a void has been left by the passing of one of Longford's most admired and inimitable of characters.