Sea mus was a quiet man who followed his family’ s links to these a with his fishing boat
THE death has occurred of James Joseph (Seamus) Sheelan, native of Rathcor, at his home in Ballymakellett, Ravensdale on 19 June, 2017.
Seamus was diagnosed with a terminal illness just less than four short weeks before his sudden death.
He was born on 2 October, 1933, one of nine children, to his parents, James and Katie (nee Connor).
In his younger years, he attended The Bush Technical School and played Gaelic football.
Upon leaving school he learned his trade as a mechanic in Williamson’s Garage, Dundalk, where he gained an extensive knowledge of car mechanics.
In his twenties and thirties, Seamus worked in Scotland and England, eventually returning home to Ireland where he began working in Platin, Drogheda.
It was upon his return in 1970 that he met his wife to be Susan (nee Goss) and they married in 1972. Living the early years of their married life in Cluan Enda, they then moved to Ballymakellett, where Seamus built his own home and they raised their four children.
In the early Eighties, Seamus travelled to Moneypoint, Co. Clare every week to work on the ESB Power Station.
He then moved on to work for Sean Quinn in Derrylin, Co. Fermanagh and in his latter years he worked locally in Dundalk, until his eventual retirement. Seamus took great pride in his work and truly appreciated the friends he made through his work over the years.
Most people who met Seamus would describe him as a quiet man, but his family enjoyed many years of fun times including playing card games, board games and pitch and putt, and also witnessing first hand his great enthusiasm for his favourite football team, Manchester United.
Seamus loved exploring the beautiful sights of his home country. He travelled all over Ireland in the holidays with his young family in the Eighties and Nineties, and in the last twenty years of his life he enjoyed many trips to England, Spain and Italy with his wife Susan.
From a young age, he had a great love for the sea, his father and grandfather having both had careers as sea pilots. Seamus loved fishing and had his own cuddy boat, where he spent many happy times on the open seas.
He will be sadly missed by his wife Susan, sons and daughters, Derek, Laura, Alma and Gary, daughters-in-law, sons-in-law, grandchildren, brother, sisters, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, extended family, long-time neighbours and friends.
After reposing at his residence, his remains were taken to St Mary’s Church Ravensdale, on Thursday, 22 June, 2017, where the funeral mass was led by Father Alan Hillard, assisted by Father Tommy McNulty.
The coffin bearers who took Seamus on his final journey were his sons Derek and Gary Sheelan and his nephews Mark McNulty and Stephen, Colin and Fintan Goss.
At the beginning of the ceremony, several symbols of Seamus’s life were brought forward by family members.
His grandchildren Kallan and Hollyann Robinson presented a boat and a photograph of Seamus and Susan at a recent family event, while his daughter-in-law Anita Sheelan presented a tape measure and his niece Diane Kelly presented gardening gloves. Each of the symbols represented important aspects of Seamus’s life.
Readings where delivered by Seamus’s son Gary Sheelan and his nephew Mark McNulty. The Prayers of the Faithful were led by his grandchildren Kate and Ava Sheelan and his daughters Laura Robinson and Alma Sheelan, and Seamus’s nephews Alan and Paul Sheelan brought forward the offertory procession.
Seamus’s son Derek Sheelan delivered a heartfelt eulogy and his daughter-in-law Doireann Sheelan sang beautifully throughout the ceremony accompanied by local organist Liz McConnon.
Burial took place afterwards in Calvary Cemetery, where each of Seamus’s grandchildren offered a white rose to remember their beloved grandfather.
His Month’s Mind Mass will be held in St Mary’s Church, Ravensdale, on Sunday, 23 July at 11:30am.