Derry did Sadie proud at poignant Macmillan Coffee Morning

Derry’s House in the Wells was packed to capacity as the community came together for the annual Macmillan Coffee Morning, held this year in honour of the late Sadie Callan (née McGilloway), fondly known as ‘Wee Sadie’.

The  coffee morning took place on Thursday, a week after Sadie’s untimely death,  and raised a phenomenal £10,605.

Speaking to Derry Now following the coffee morning, Sadie’s daughter, Fionnuala, thanked everyone who had come along and donated. “Derry did Mammy proud,” she said.

IN PICTURES: 'Wee Sadie’s Coffee Morning’ in The House in the Wells

'Wee Sadie’s Coffee Morning’ raises over £10K for Macmillan Cancer Support

According to Fionnuala, the Macmillan Coffee Morning in the House in the Wells, where she worked, was the highlight of Sadie’s year.

“Over the years, they raised more than £50,000,” said Fionnuala. “We used to get the phone call from her every June and we used to be thinking, ‘Here she goes already with the raffle tickets’. She would have been going to all of the local businesses for vouchers.

Sadie with daughter Fionnuala and son Dónal.

“She was a very determined woman. She just loved getting everything organised for the coffee morning, that was her wee thing. She put her heart and soul into it every year.

“Originally, the coffee morning was to take place on Thursday, September 28, and she was going to retire that day too but sadly we ended up having her funeral that day instead.

“Our family would like to thank everyone who came along today, just to continue Mammy’s legacy with her wee Coffee Morning. Everybody knew how much it meant to her every year.

Sadie, Fionnuala and grandson Cahir.

“She would have been raging if we’d cancelled it,” said Fionnuala, “so we decided to put it back a week instead. She would have been angry otherwise.”

Giving a bittersweet insight into Sadie’s devotion to her annual Macmillan Coffee Morning, Fionnuala recalled that, even when she was in hospital, Sadie kept saying to her, “Fionnuala, I need to be out of here by Thursday. I have a coffee morning to do”.

“All she was worried about was the coffee morning,” said Fionnuala. “She would have been so proud today.”

Sadie with son-in-law Eamonn.

Fionnuala said Sadie was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014 and Macmillan were very good to her.

“They gave her help with travel expenses to go to Belfast for treatment. They were so good and generous. The coffee morning was Mammy’s way of giving back. It just kept getting bigger and better every year. It just kept her going. She did raffles and she would have bought things herself and made up hampers. This year we ended up with two or three times the amount of prizes for the raffle. She would have been so, so pleased.

“The turnout today was amazing, absolutely amazing. I never saw a crowd like it. It was brilliant. You couldn’t move. It was brilliant. The whole community came out and supported her.”

Fionnuala thanked everyone involved on behalf of her father, Jimmy and her brothers, Niall and Dónal. “Today was a team effort,” she said. “I have to thank Mammy’s friends and her family and Derry as a whole.  The whole community was just absolutely amazing. 

Sadie, Jimmy, Niall, Dónal, son-in-law Eamonn and daughter-in-law Lauren.

“I couldn’t praise Mammy’s work, the House in the Wells, highly enough. They were absolutely brilliant. They just loved her and they couldn’t do enough for us today. The residents were brilliant too with the donations they made.”

Fionnuala described her mother as the “best wee wife, mammy and granny”.

“She was the most selfless person. She just lived her life for everybody else. She never said a bad word about anybody. She was just the best.”

Many tributes were paid to Sadie following her death. A former Republican prisoner, Sadie had taken part in the ‘No Work, No Wash’ protest in Armagh Gaol.

Former Blanketman and MLA, Raymond McCartney said: “Sadie McGilloway Callan, known to all, as Wee Sadie, was laid to rest this morning in the City cemetery.

“It was a fitting testimony to the love, affection and esteem she was held in by her family, friends and comrades. The biggest loss is to her husband, Jimmy, her children, Fionnuala, Niall and Donál, her siblings, Ann, Briege, Tony, James, Mena and Gabrielle, and grandchildren, Cadhán, Cahir, Daithí and Fiadh, we can only imagine your pain and grief at this time.

“We share in that albeit in a different way, the loss of a friend and comrade, someone’s support, solidarity and friendship we were afforded and took comfort from over many years.

“Fr McFaul’s poignant eulogy at her requiem captured the essence and spirit of a woman of Creggan, who was a devoted daughter and sister, a loving wife, mother and grandmother. She brought to family life all the values and lessons she experienced and ensured that those she loved and cherished would be enriched by them.

“Sile Darragh, who was Sadie’s friend and comrade from the time they first met in Armagh prison, spoke of her loyalty, friendship. She contrasted her slight of build to the enormity of her heart and courage. A courage that knew no bounds, and a loyalty and friendship that was true and an example to us all.

“The place we live in, the lives we now live, the struggle for justice and freedom is all the better, and Sadie McGilloway played a significant part in all that.

“Sile observed that Sadie never took a step back, never faltered to the next challenge, spoke up and out when it was necessary. All with a humility that this remarkable woman possessed and displayed in every aspect of her life.

“Whereas words most times never do justice, but today the large number of people and her honour guard who brought her to her final place of rest spoke loud and clear to tell Sadie, if she didn’t already know, what she meant to us all.

“Sadie, slán abhaile, suaimhneas go deo anois ó Rose and Raymond.”

Colly Kelly said the Republican family in Derry had lost an “absolute legend”.

He added: “I was very lucky that over the years in our roles she was there by my side with Lynn and Dada be that doing Black Ribbons, Easter Lilies, National Draw Tickets, Easter and Bloody Sunday functions, Derry Grave raffles, Jigs and Reels.

“She was a stalwart who never complained and always got stuck in right until the end and that’s not even taking into account her own fundraising for Macmillan cancer. Really she was one of a kind.”