Longford poignantly remembers late George Belton as a ‘quiet and unassuming man’

George Belton, the Ardagh native who died following a workplace accident in Ballymahon, was remembered as a quiet unassuming man, who loved his work, at his Funeral Mass on Monday in St Brigid's Church, Ardagh.

News of the tragic death of Mr Belton, Ardagh and 18 College Park, Longford town, last Thursday evening, May 16 shocked and saddened the entire community.

George was a member of a well known family, from Richfort, Ardagh.

Chief celebrant, Fr Vincent Connaughton, told the mourners that “George’s life focused on family, work and also his friends and work colleagues.”

The other celebrants were Fr Charlie Healy, Fr Brian Brennan, Fr Brendan O’Sullivan, Fr Simon Cadam and Fr James MacKiernan.

“George was a quiet, unassuming man who did many good things. But he did them in a quiet way. He helped people in many ways - helped people to get a job, supported people through difficult times, gave a helping hand to work colleagues,” Fr Connaughton stated.

George’s wife, Pauline Coady, runs the Grafters Hair Salon in Longford town and Fr Connaughton told the congregation, “George gave great support to Pauline’s business. He was always obliging to help out the business and was at Pauline’s side.”

He went on to say that George “died in the midst of doing something that he truly loved.”

“George was a workaholic. He was rarely off his phone. He worked day and night. He was a diligent and committed worker for Hanly Bros,” he added.

When gifts were brought up at the beginning of the funeral, one of them included a work shirt, which was carried up by Alan Hanly of the Hanly Group.

“In the sharpness of our pain, we give thanks for the great man that George was. His life, though cut short, was good and happy. The memories of George are good memories,” he commented.

He went on to describe a takeaway meal that George had enjoyed recently with Pauline.

“Pauline told me that they had a takeaway meal recently and watched a film on Netflix. Nobody can take away those moments,” the priest said.

“George enjoyed a pint. He also enjoyed good food and sweet things,” he added.

The church in which the funeral mass took place, St Brigid’s Ardagh, had marked many important milestones of George’s life.
“George was baptised here on June 10 1962. He was confirmed on April 9 1973,” he stated.

“For George, Jesus was the way, the truth and the life. We are now placing George’s spirit and soul with God, who will continue to love him. We were glad of George’s love and friendship,” Fr Connaughton continued.

The chief celebrant also mentioned others who were directly affected by the accident in which George had died.

“These include the driver of the lorry that hit George, his work colleagues and the emergency services that attended the scene of the accident,” he stated.

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Pauline addressed the congregation at the end of the funeral. “People have come up trumps for us since last Thursday night. That was the night that our lives changed forever. When he was leaving for work, he told me that he would be back home at 4am. However, he never came home,” she said.

“I met George when I was 13. We were together for 47 years,” she told mourners.

Cllr Seamus Butler was a neighbour of George’s in College Park.

He told the Leader that George was a “pure gentleman” and “truly hard working.” He added, “This is a tragedy of a man going to work and not coming back.”

He went on to state that the tragedy “had stunned the neighbourhood” and “there was a massive turnout at the removal in Glennon’s.”

Referring to Mr Belton’s wife Pauline, Cllr Butler stated that “she is a tremendous business woman. My wife, when she was teaching, brought Pauline into a group of her students to speak to them.”

The late Mr Belton was predeceased by his parents Paddy and Anne, his sister Brigid (Keogh), granddaughter Alison and nephew Derek.

He is lovingly remembered and sadly missed by his heartbroken family, his wife Pauline Coady, sons Simon, Warren and Keith and his partner Sinead, grandchildren Sorcha, Chloe, Paddy and their mother Loraine, his brothers Robert (June), Pat (Valerie), John (Mary), Gerard (Kay), Oliver (Liz), his sisters Anne Donoghue (Sean), Catherine Geoghegan (Jim) and Geri Pegano (Mike)(USA), the Coady family Anne Cooney (John), Niall (Deirdre), Gerry and Claire, Barry (Rhona) and Liam (Emma), his brother-in-law Charlie Keogh, nieces and nephews, relatives and extended family, his many friends and neighbours, his work colleagues and friends at Hanly Bros. and his other work family at Grafters Hair Company.

May he Rest In Peace.