Thousands bid farewell to the late Henry Connors
HENRY CONNORS, who passed away peacefully on December 23 following an illness, was a popular member of the Palace community where he and his wife Nan raised their children.
A native of Wexford, Henry was the beloved son of the late Tom and Margaret Connors of Rathgarogue.
Henry grew up in a family of two sisters and six brothers, the late John, ‘Alice’, Larry, Tommy and Mickey and his surviving brothers Jerry and Paddy and sister Kate.
At the young age of 17 Henry married his wife Nan, who was also 17. Shortly after getting married the young couple travelled a lot before settling down in Clonleigh, Palace.
With his wife and family and the late Andy and Ann and Nellie Cash, Henry and his family got on very well in the community where his children attended Poulpeasty NS and his grandchildren still attend the school to this day.
Henry respected his neighbours and they, in turn, respected him.
He was very proud of his sons who played with Poulpeasty school at underage level and with the local hurling club, Cloughbawn.
Today his grandsons still hurl with the club.
Henry was a great fan of the Wexford hurling team. Back when Tony Doran and Dan Quigley were lining out for the team he would travel far and wide to watch them play and he was very proud to have a Wexford hurler as a neighbour
Henry made many friends throughout and everyone who met him loved him.
Henry was a very kind and respectable man who did no hurt and no harm to anyone. He loved his wife and children and was proud of his family and always bragged about their achievements. He doted on his grandchildren and great-grandchildren and loved his sons-in-laws and daughters-in-laws, treating them as his own.
A great family man, Henry loved his brothers and sisters and nephews and nieces, while also enjoying the company of his friends.
Henry was devastated by the sad passing of his son John 30 months ago and he never quite got over it as they were very close at that time when John passed away.
The community and his neighbours rallied around him and their kindness and respect for him in his time of need was something he was very proud of and something that will never be forgotten.
Henry had a great love of horses having grown up his horses nearby from a young age.
He knew a lot about horses and if there was ever anything needed to know, from their worth or whether they were a good or a bad horse, Henry was called upon and he would always say, with a grin: ‘Am I a good judge or what.’
Everyone would praise him for his knowledge and he enjoyed the adulation.
Sadly Henry suffered ill health in later years and attended dialysis in University Hospital Waterford three times a week where the nurses and staff were very fond of him.
He spent some time in hospital prior to his passing.
A large crowd attended Henry’s funeral Mass at Christ the King Church in Poulpeasty and his burial afterwards in the Crosstown Cemetery.
May his gentle soul rest in peace.