Funeral hears that retired Ballyshannon Garda was a man of great skills and diversity

The funeral took place at the weekend, Pentecost Sunday, of Patrick (Pat) Guilfoyle, Chapel Street, Ballyshannon, a retired member of An Garda Siochana (AGS).

His unexpected death caused great shock and sadness to many people, who recalled the many varied and different aspects of his life.

Symbols of Pat’s life brought to the altar included books, reflecting his avid love of reading; the daily papers and the crosswords; an instrument that reflected his love of carpentry and a medal that he received as a serving member of AGS back in 2002.

Parish Priest Fr Cathal O’Fearraí, recalled the deceased being a regular at the church, usually the 9am Mass.

In his homily, Fr O’Fearraí recalled how Pat’s life had touched the lives of so many, the second youngest of ten children to Martin and Teresa Guilfoyle from College Street.

He followed the educational path of many of his contemporaries from Scoil Cathriona over to De La Salle Boys’ School on the Rock.

He later attended the local Vocational School, then located beside St Patrick’s Church, where he excelled particularly in the areas of Technical Drawing, carpentry and metalwork, skills which he acquired and which he developed and used all of his life.

He was later to join the ranks of An Garda Siochana, where he served in Dublin, Milford and later in Bundoran.

Through his Garda work, he also served for a couple of years in the Middle East with the United Nations. He retired from the force in 2004.

It was while serving in Milford that he met a young doctor, Carmel Gallagher, who happened to be visiting a friend, who was working there at the time, later getting married in 1981 and later settling up at College Street before building a new home in Chapel Street.

Fr O’Fearraí recalled: “Pat was very much interested in all aspects of life, but was particularly skilled, using the same skills that he acquired at school, carpentry and ironwork; he did most of the woodwork in his new home in Chapel Street and also the gates.”

He said that Pat was very precise and meticulous in this work, measuring twice and cutting only once.

Pat was also a creature of habit and loved his daily routine, “a good student of life, an armchair student”, Fr O’Fearraí added with a special interest in his hometown.

Deceased’s main interest in life was his family and he had plans that Monday to go and visit family in Dublin with his wife Carmel.

“But it wasn’t to be, God called him suddenly home.”

The Mass was concelebrated by Fr Dermot Burke.

Deceased will be forever remembered by his wife Carmel, his daughters Lisa, Patricia, Maeve and Carmel, his sons-in-law Joey, Karsten and grandchild Aisling. Predeceased by his brothers Martin, Eddie, Joe, and sisters Margaret, Ann and Leonie.

Great sadness at recent passing of Roy Burke, Knather, Ballyshannon

Sadly missed by his sister Pauline and brother-in-law Steve, brother Bill and sister-in-law May, his many nieces, nephews, his extended family, friends and neighbours, to whom deepest sympathy is extended.

Following Sunday’s Mass of the Resurrection at St. Patrick's Church, Ballyshannon this was followed by interment in St. Joseph's Cemetery, The Rock.