Jack Whit more had a keen interest in Wexford wild fowl
Warm tributes have been paid to the late Jack Whitmore of Fort Road, Gorey, and formerly of Main Street, Gorey.
He passed away at the age of 85 on December 20 at his residence. Beloved husband of Bridie and loving father of John, Brenda, Paschal, Leonard, Lynda and Anna, he is deeply regretted by his loving wife, sons, daughters, sisters, brother, grandchildren, sonsin-law, daughters-in-law, nieces, nephews, relatives, friends and neighbours.
A native of Bishopswater, Wexford, Jack was the son of Paddy and Mary Ann Whitmore.
He opened his jewellers shop on Gorey’s Main Street in September 1957 having trained in Rattigan’s jewellers in Wexford.
During his formative years in Wexford, Jack, a qualified watch technician, became well-known in many homes in Wexford as he called regularly to ensure the grandfather clocks were keeping time, were kept oiled, and were kept on beat.
He moved to Gorey to give his own jewellery business a go. He had already met and married Bridie Kenny from Inch, Blackwater, and they worked side by side from the early days.
Bridie’s sister Kate worked in the Railway Hotel, where McGovern’s is now, and had spoken well of the town.
Jack had been in the same class in school as Sean Stafford, who had just moved to Gorey, and he showed Jack around and told him it was a great town.
He and Bridie soon built up a successful jewellery business, and they were very well respected in the town. The reins were handed over to their son Paschal in 1988, and it has continued to grow and prosper ever since.
Jack was remembered as a great character who had a very keen interest in ducks and wildfowl. He had a bird sanctuary for twenty years at Creagh on land rented from Ernie Harris. He often shared his knowledge with local children, and enlisted their help to collect duck eggs. He was in charge of the hatching of mallard ducklings for the North Wexford Wildfowlers Club and supplied gamekeepers nationwide.
He was a keen clay pigeon shooter and was known to have a very good shot, winning many competitions.
He once featured in a photograph on the front page of the Irish Times as the first person to breed Greenland white fronted geese in captivity.
A spokesperson for the Wexford Wetlands initiative commented that Jack Whitmore knew and understood wetlands better than anyone else in Wexford, and was a key person in the Wetlands Initiative in Wexford.
May he rest in peace.