Former Chief Ambulance Officer Sean Duffy laid to rest in Ballyshannon 

The funeral of Sean Duffy Higginstown, Ballyshannon which took place at St Joseph’s Church, the Rock, Ballyshannon on Friday last has evoked a huge outpouring of compassion and sympathy to his family, who like the deceased himself, are held in the highest regard throughout the wider south Donegal community and beyond. 

The former Chief Ambulance Officer of the region, supervised many of the innovations and life saving initiatives within the paramedic field in the north-west, that we now take for granted. 

Sean passed peacefully, at Mowlam House Nursing Home, surrounded by his loving family and in the care of the wonderful Staff at Mowlam House Nursing Home last Wednesday (November 29) and the family put it on record their thanks to the healthcare staff of the Nursing Home and the Sligo Hospice Palliative care staff for their compassionate care and support during Sean’s illness.

At his Funeral Mass at St. Joseph’s, Fr Jeremiah Munyoki CC of Magh Ene Parish reflected on the many accomplishments and spirituality of the deceased.

The son of John Joe and Molly he received his early education in Monaghan and Dublin and had for a period, had even studied for the priesthood in Maynooth.

Even as a teenager, when he worked as a delivery driver, Sean's person to person skills had become obvious to those who met him.

After meeting his wife Joan, who at the time was employed in the Great Northern Hotel in Bundoran, the young couple followed the path of many before them and they settled in London, working with Aer Lingus, before returning to Dublin and taking up a position with Dublin Bus. 

The family then moved to Ballyshannon, where Sean took up the important position of ambulance driver with the North Western Health Board in 1973, his first base being the Rock Hospital. 

In those days, such vacancies were almost impossible to procure, unlike the modern National Ambulance Service, where the need and jobs on offer has increased exponentially. 

Sean’s dedication and commitment to his job, saw him rise through the ranks and ultimately culminated in becoming the region’s Chief Ambulance Officers with the NWHB, in a role that had multiplied and diversified over the years of his service, as it expanded into the whole medical area of paramedics.  

His work took him throughout the region and Sean, in many ways, became the face of the many new health initiatives that varied from the likes of the Happy Hearts initiative of the Irish Heart Foundation to the introduction of better CPR techniques, which in themselves, helped save many additional lives.  

In the early nineties, Sean along with colleagues Gerry McCloskey and Tommy O’Doherty travelled over to Scotland and their first hand observations expedited the introduction of defibrillators into the ambulance service within the NWHB, to help make a difference for cardiac arrest patients and outcomes in a pre-hospital environment.   

On retirement Sean was still busy on the highways and byways driving for Kevin Byrne Coaches, with Fr Munyoki, describing  him fondly “as a handyman, who was into just about everything”, a reference to Sean's carpentry and building skills.

He also referenced his Gaelic football days, playing rugby at Blackrock College and Sean’s great love of golf.      

He said that Sean’s spirituality was also clearly evident, having visited the Holy Land, Medujorge and having attended Lough Derg on more than 40 occasions, a remarkable achievement in itself. 

Deceased will be sadly missed by his wife Joan, children Brian, Barry, Neil and Amanda, their spouses Deirdre, Siobhán and Avril and by his beloved sisters Pauline and Olive. Predeceased by his brother Gregory and his mother and father Molly and John Joe. Grandfather to Mark, Aisling, Ciarán, Tara, Codai and Rebecca and great-grandfather of Erin to whom deepest sympathy is extended along with his large volume of friends and extended family.

Following Requiem Mass at St. Joseph’s Church, Ballyshannon on Friday, December 1, this was followed by cremation at 4pm in Lakelands Crematorium, Cavan.