AnthonyLarkinwasamanaheadofhistime
ANTHONY LARKIN, of Parkfield, New Ross, who passed away peacefully at Waterford University Hospital surrounded by his family on Wednesday, was a great character and a brilliant man who is remembered with love and a wide smile by people near and far.
Anthony was born in Clonmel, County Tipperary, in August 1945, the son of Eddie and Nellie Larkin. The family moved to New Ross and he grew up alongside his sisters Edna and Angela at 24 Mary Street, attending New Ross CBS.
When he was a child Anthony was in and out of hospital which engendered in him a deep interest in health. Like many youths of his generation he did not finish secondary school, deciding instead to go working in Albatros and for Ross Company for a time.
He got involved with the Order of Malta and trained to be a safety officer, going on to work in that capacity at Great Island power plant and with the ESB, most notably in Moneypoint power station in County Clare.
In his younger days he was well known for his dancing abilities on dance halls around the town.
Anthony did a correspondence course in Chiropody and developed a great interest in Reflexology, which he trained in. He practised from his parent’s front room and developed his professional status.
Anthony met Kaye in the Royal Hotel in 1976 and they were married the following year, moving in to their home at Parkfield. He established his own practise there and was one of the first people in the country to study and practise Reflexology, which earned him an interview on the Late Late Show.
He was awarded an honourary doctorate in alternative medicine in the 80s but was too humble to accept it, believing that the title doctor should only be applied to medical professionals.
His work as a chiropodist earned him the nickname ‘ The Footman’ around New Ross and over the years Anthony helped numerous people with their foot complaints.
Anthony went on to teach the healing skill to people across the country, passing on his great knowledge with his trademark humour and good grace.
He collected every known book on Reflexology he could lay his hands on and was said to have had the greatest collection in the world. He was always looking to learn something new about the disciplines and his was one of the first houses in New Ross to have the internet, in 1994.
A mine of useless information Anthony was never without his daily newspaper. If anybody ever needed help writing a letter Anthony was always only a phone call away and over the years he helped countless people and was a true guiding light in the community.
He was a loyal friend and could be found every morning enjoying breakfast at Sid’s Diner with his friends, seated in his seat which nobody else dared occupy. Above all Anthony loved spending time with Kaye and his children. No birthday or anniversary was ever missed and he kept card companies in business with all of the cards he would write to family members.
In later years he was kept busy with his website and always kept up to speed with developments in Chiropody and Reflexology.
Described as a ‘ verbal assassin’, Anthony was never one to mince his words and his jokes and witty phrases were the stuff of legend.
A man who spoke straight from the heart and who wasn’t afraid to speak his mind, Anthony never held back on the subject of sports as he innately couldn’t stand anything sporty, even though his father was a talented footballer in his day.
Instead he enjoyed whiling away some ‘down time’ taking photographs, revelling in the technical side of the camera. He used to love going to London where he could get the latest cameras and to Dublin also, but as the world got small his journeys far afield got smaller, as he was able to buy everything he needed locally.
Anthony enjoyed great health up until recent times – when some people might have noticed a change in his appearance. He only started feeling tired on July 1 and was admitted to A&E at Waterford University Hospital with a throat complaint. His unexpected death in the early hours of Wednesday morning aged 72 has led to great sadness in New Ross and further afield.
People travelled from around the country to pay their respects at his packed funeral Mass at St Mary & St Michael’s Church, accompanying his remains to St Stephen’s Cemetery where he was laid to rest.
Anthony is sadly missed by his beloved wife Kaye; son Anton; daughter Elaine and her partner Pilar; his sisters Edna Carthy and Angela Barron; brothers-in-law; sister-in-law and their families; his cousins and many friends.
May his gentle soul rest in peace.