Humble and hard-working Breda made juggling work and family life look easy
BRIDGET (Breda) Flanagan will be remembered as a very humble person who didn’t really complain about anything, especially when it came to herself and her illness.
She never told her family when she was in pain but always smiled through it. She was an extremely hard-working woman who had a great routine juggling work and family life and loved it.
She made it look so easy and was always happy. She always had time for a cuppa and a chat and would love her chats at the gate with the neighbours.
Along with her late husband Loughlan (Lockey), who adored her, they raised 12 children. Even though times were tough, they did a great job and their children never went without.
She loved socialising at the weekend with friends and family in their local pub Murphys and would head home with the children’s aunty June for a singsong and a few more drinks in the house which anyone was welcome to join in.
She was a founding member of the Little Bray Family Resource Centre. It all started with four women – Breda and her friends Noleen and Carmel Cranley and Nora Kane.
They got together in the evenings in St Vincent de Paul house with Sr Agnes, where they baked, played darts and cards and just general chit chat over tea and coffee a place where they could just sit and relax after there daily routine.
As the group got bigger, the ladies asked the council for a bigger place and they were offered a flat in Fassaroe.
They continued their get-togethers in the mornings where parents could leave their children in the creche while they relaxed and enjoyed tea and coffee.
The centre became bigger and started running courses for the women in the neighbour and even- tually turned into the resource centre.
Breda got a job working there in the later years through a CE scheme and loved her time there. She always said there was a great community spirit in the centre and it was one of the best things to happen to Fassaroe. She will be deeply missed by so many.
A native of Blackrock, Breda suffered the death of her mother shortly before her 21st birthday. She had five brothers and took on the job of looking after the house, her brothers and father.
She was a very independent and capable lady. She met Loughlin and they married in 1968. They moved to Lockey’s native Bray in 1973 and there they remained.
She raised her seven boys and five girls, and later had 41 grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren. The last baby was born just the day before Breda passed away. She got to see a photo and was delighted with the news.
Her door was always open throughout her life to any friend or neighbour who wanted to pop in, and she always managed to feed another mouth, even with her own 12 at the table.
As the grandchildren and great-grandchildren came along, she made sure she never forgot any of them on a birthday, at Christmas or Easter. Breda would sit down at the start of the year and mark each birthday on her calendar.
She was the rock of her family and will be very sadly missed.
Her granddaughter Jessica got married just days after Breda passed away. She had been looking forward to attending the wedding, but it wasn’t to be.
A place was set for Breda at the dinner table. A photograph was placed and a candle remained lighting throughout at the top table beside Jessica and her new husband.