Much sadness following death of Glenisk co-founder and well-known Offaly woman

Tributes are being paid following the death of Mary Cleary of Killeigh, who co-founded the Glenisk company along with her late husband Jack. 

She was in her 92nd year and passed to her eternal reward on February 28. 

In addition to producing yogurt from Killeigh in Co. Offaly, founders Jack and Mary Cleary also raised 14 children.

The late Mary was born in Portlaoise on September 4, 1932, the eldest of three children. She was predeceased by her sister, Lily, and brother, Mattie.

Mary's later father, Joseph Dunne, was a butcher who also did some part-time farming. 

Having gone to the Presentation Convent in Portlaoise, the year before Mary did her Leaving Certificate her family moved to Tullamore. However, she stayed in Portlaoise with an aunt and uncle, to complete her Leaving Cert, and then moved to Clara Road, Tullamore, having turned 18.

The young Mary began her working life in the office with her father who had a butcher shop just off O’Connor Square. Fate would play its part as her future brother-in-law, Paddy Cleary, worked in the butchers, and it was through Paddy that she met her future husband Jack in 1950. They married four years later and started out their married life in Newtown, Killeigh. 

The couple originally took over the running of a shop on the Clara Road in Tullamore, where Dolan's Gala is now located. 

The late Jack went into dairy farming in the 1970s and toward the end of the decade they set up their own creamery, and Tullamore Dairies was founded. 

In the mid 1980s - another business idea came to fruition with the establishment of Glenisk in 1987, when Jack was aged 62. 

Jack sadly passed away in 1995, leaving a big void in Mary's life, and that of the Cleary family. 

Mary always kept active and was a member of Killeigh Parish Council for a number of years. 

Many of her family retain strong ties to the Killegh area and play a part in local sporting organisations as well the very successful recent fundraising campaign to develop the Killeigh Community Centre.

Mary died peacefully in the presence of her loving family in her 92nd year under the wonderful care of the staff of the Midlands Regional Hospital Tullamore. Pre-deceased by her husband Jack, her sister Elizabeth and brother Matthew. Mary will be sadly missed and fondly remembered by her children, John, Teresa, Geraldine, Michael, Kathleen, Kevin, Vincent, Brendan, Brian, Evelyn, Aidan, Bernadette, Gerard and Mark, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and many dear friends.

Reposing in Lawless' Funeral Home, Mucklagh Village (R35 C5P6) on Friday afternoon, March 1st 2024, from 2:00 pm until 5:00 pm followed by Removal to St. Patrick's Church, Killeigh arriving 6:00 pm. Requiem Mass on Saturday at 11:00 am. Burial afterwards in Killeigh Cemetery.

The family has request no flowers, but donations, if desired, to Friends of Tullamore Hospital.