Nora Gavin

Glananane, Leenane

The death took place on September 17 of Nora Gavin, Glananane, Leenane, who was in her 99th year.

A native of Carrakennedy, she was the daughter of John and Catherine Dunne. She had two sisters Sara Ann and Mary Bridget, and three brothers, Willie, Paddy and Richie.

Her mother died in childbirth when Nora was five years old, she went to live with her grandparents in Carrarevaugh. Her grandmother died when Nora was sixteen and she went back to her father in Carrakennedy. She often spoke of her happy times growing up and especially about her brother Willie and how they got on so well together. She recalled stories about the Carrakennedy ambush and how she watched it from her window; she was six years old at this time.

Nora met the love of her life, Martin Gavin and married in the early forties and went to live in Glananane. She made her home in Glananane and helped build the new house in 1950. One of the first things she developed was her flower garden; a friend told her family at her funeral that his father told him that Nora’s flower garden was one of the few on the road between Westport and Clifden and that he often stopped and swopped plant and flower cuttings with her. In later years she would sit in her garden and talk about the flowers and shrubs and who she got them from. She had fourteen children, she lost her first baby boy when he was four days old, and her daughter Kathleen aged 5 years old; (her two angels she called them). She spoke about Kathleen a lot and shed a tear always for her and never forgot her anniversary on May 15. She carried a little doll belonging to Kathleen in her handbag all those years . Nora loved her family and was so proud of them all.

Her husband Martin died in 1980 and she lived with her son Michael until her death last month. She loved life and had a great interest in everything. The newspaper was very important to her daily life as she needed to know what was going on in the world. She had great faith, and always had her rosary beads in her hands to pray. Nora has six children in New York and they travelled home every year, sometimes twice a year, she looked forward to their visits so much. She got up every morning at eight o’ clock, had a cup of tea and then made her phone call to her daughters in Ireland and then waited for the daily phone calls from New York. She knew the exact time each one would ring. Nora has 27 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren and loved when they came to visit, she had a great interest in them all.

Nora was heartbroken when her daughter-in-law Noreen Gavin (nee Moran) passed away. She attended her wake three days before she passed away herself and planned to attend the funeral Mass, but due to bad weather she could not travel.

Nora was waked at her home and a large crowd came to pay their respects to this great lady. Fr. Karl Burns officiated at the reception ceremony and a large cortege accompanied her removal to St. Michael’s Church, Leenane. Concelebrants at Nora’s Mass were Fr. Jackie Conroy, Fr. Kieran Burke, Fr. Benny Mc Hale and Fr. Declan Carroll. Family members took part in the liturgy, bearing gifts to the altar symbolic of Nora’s life, doing the readings and prayers of the faithful, providing songs and music. Fr. Jackie spoke about Nora and how he enjoyed his visits to her each month for thirteen years.

Nora is survived by her sons, Martin John, Tommie Joe, Willie, Patrick, Michael, Christopher and her daughters Mary, Sally, Phyllis, Marian, Pauline, Patsy and sons-in-law and daughter-in-law, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, neighbours and friends.

Nora’s Months Mind Mass will take place in St. Michael’s Church, on Sunday, October 20, at 11.30am.

Sigh and Cry

We enter, this maze of life.

We do not know its twists and turns.

We do not know where we exit, or when, we pass away.

But if I do, and if you must, sigh and cry.

But do not, cry for long, my friends.

Just celebrate, my life.

After we pass away our children represent us in this world.

They carry with them our love and our teachings.

And yes, one day, I’ll pass away.

and if you must, sigh and cry..