Noel Gill

The tragic death of Noel Gill (29), Buckwaria, Westport, the youngest son of Frank and Bernie Gill, husband to Sindy Gill and father to Christopher (10) and Cian (5) has left a deep sense of shock and sadness in the community.

Noel was renowned for his mischievous sense of humour,  his optimistic outlook on life, his gregariousness, his strong work ethic, his loyalty to friends and family, his  dedication to Liverpool Football Club which was second only to the love of his wife and sons.

Noel was born in 1979 at 28 Horkan’s Hill, Westport. He soon developed a cheeky grin and wicked sense of humour that earned him friendships which would last for life. His passion for the game of soccer and Liverpool Football Club in particular was nurtured by his older brothers Padraic and Frank.  He played for Horkan’s Hill football team when he was ten years old, his position was all over the pitch and his playing style was aggressive. Although not a scholar Noel had street smarts, which was proven at an early age when he started a cottage industry selling turf briquettes. His mother Bernie was impressed at the money Noel was making – until she checked out the coal cellar and found the winter fuel supply had disappeared.

At age fifteen Noel travelled out  to Leipzig, East Germany  to join Padraic in pursuit of work during difficult economic times, it was here that he met the love of his life Sindy Klober in the “Coca Cola Pub”.  They began dating in 1996, but Noel had to return to Ireland the following year, any money he earned was used to return to Germany to see Sindy. Even though they were both very young they knew that they wanted to make their way through life together. In 1998 Sindy left Germany to move to Ireland and live with Noel. The following spring their first son Christopher was born. Followed six years later by Cian – the first thing Noel bought baby Cian was a Liverpool babygrow; there would be no way his children would support that other team in red. It was that November Noel proposed to Sindy. The marriage went ahead in August 2008 at Ballintuber Abbey. It was a wonderful wedding with Noel and Sindy walking down the aisle to the anthem “You’ll Never Walk Alone”. Noel’s family, friends, neighbours and work colleagues attended the ceremony and followed on to the reception, which was held at Hotel Westport. No one could predict that the next time we would hear that song and see Noel in a church would be under such tragic circumstances.

Noel and Sindy moved to Buckwaria in July 2008. The house was built and designed by Noel and Sindy with significant help from brothers Padraic and Frank and friends Petie Geraghty Liam Killeen, Mark Sheridan and Declan McGuire amongst others.  Noel continued to work hard to pay for the house and all the wonderful gadgets and gizmos he liked to fill it with. His brother Padraic founded P G Dry Lining, a successful dry lining ceiling business and Noel joined him in the enterprise. During the Celtic Tiger years when work was plentiful and times were good you would often find Noel taking a pint bottle of cider in one of Westport’s many pubs. Johnny Moran would say that Noel could “hold a conversation with up to ten people in the bar whilst simultaneously talking into the telephone and following the runners and riders on TV.”

It was with some irony that Noel and Sindy’s relationship was nurtured during a downturn in the economy. This time Noel’s pursuit of work would take him away from his beloved wife. 2009 was going to be a very hard year. Noel found himself working in Norway and then Holland. He returned as often as he could, put he was determined to pay his bills and make sure that Sindy and the children were provided for. It was November 19, 2005 that Noel proposed to Sindy, it was November 19, 2009 that Sindy first heard that Noel was missing in Rotterdam.

Noel had just watched the Ireland – France match in a pub. He was last seen on or near the Erasmus Bridge in the early hours of the morning. Now his friends and family were on high alert. Sindy flew out to Holland and joined Padraic, they were in turn joined by Caroline and Frank Gill, members of Sindy’s family and friends Mark Sheridan, Liam Killeen, Les Oosten and Declan McGuire. Noel’s family will always be eternally grateful to them for joining in the search to find Noel. They printed leaflets with Noel’s picture, handed them out to the people of Rotterdam, talked to the locals, and with the help of Garda Jim Corrigan coordinated the investigation with the Dutch police. Marloes Bliek from Haarlem, Amsterdam was instrumental in getting Noel’s case featured in the Dutch media, again - for that the family will be eternally grateful. It was on the sixth of December that Noel’s body was found. The same day that Noel’s closest friend Petie Geraghty died of a massive heart attack. While the events were not linked, Caroline, Noel’s sister and Petie’s partner of twenty years, related that the day before Petie had told her of a dream he had, where he found missing Noel in the water and hugged him. Friends for life they would now be together in death, enjoying a Cider with ice and laughing at the rest of us with tears in our eyes.

From the moment that Noel was reported missing in Rotterdam to the moment he was returned to his family, the support of the community was fantastic. The requiem Mass at St Mary’s Church was packed, and it was impossible for family and friends not to cry when Noel’s coffin was carried down the aisle to the anthem “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”

That night at the home Noel and Sindy had so lovingly built, family and close friends celebrated the life of a man whom Shakespeare might have said: “Lived not too wisely, but too well.”

It is enough to say that anyone who knew Noel would simply say “He will be deeply missed.”