Sean no simple, ordinary man
SEÁN Cranny, of Marlbog Road, Haggardstown, whose death occurred on 18 September, 2018, was a simple, ordinary man but nonetheless remarkable.
He possessed a worldly ingenuity and resourcefulness and kind heartedness and capacity and willingness to help others, as well as being a staunch ally and friend.
Always one for the background who shunned the limelight, he was extremely industrious at home which he built together with his wife Aedamar with the help of family and friends.
He also worked hard in the community and was always there to help out family and friends and those at his work. He spent the bulk of his working career between the GEC factory in Dunleer and as a postman with An Post.
He was quiet but had a lively and funny wit and was very respected and popular as one who was extremely committed to family and friends and anything in which he was involved, from work to his leisure interests.
Seán loved all sport, particularly Gaelic football and hurling. He played through the under-age ranks to his adult years with local club Geraldines, and was a loyal and devoted supporter of the club who gave endless hours of his time in different roles, such as team mentor and committee man.
He was very much involved in the young teams that fed into the club’s first County Minor Championship winning side in 1995.
He physically worked on the building of the then new hall as part of what is the splendid clubroom complex that stands at McGeough Park; as well as actively supporting club development in other ways, including fund raising.
He also in recent years took a very active role in the Heynestown Fianna Fáil Cumann which is named after his late father Pete.
He loved other sports, including horse racing, on which he enjoyed having a flutter, particularly on the Grand National and Cheltenham meetings. He also followed soccer and rugby and watched his favourite sports on television.
He was a keen follower of the ITV “Heartbeat” police series set in the 1960s North Riding of Yorkshire.
Seán was born in the Royal Victoria Hospital Belfast as at the time his parents Pete and Mary lived in Ballyclare, Pete working with the Great Northern Railway.
He was the first born of their four children, with one other son, Peter, who passed away in 2009, and two daughters, Maureen and Briege.
He was a toddler when the couple moved back home to Mary’s native Dromiskin, with Pete from nearby Kilsaran.
Seán attended the local national school and then Haggardstown when his parents were allocated one of the newly-built council cottages at Marlbog Road where he lived for the rest of his life, except for a short period in Blackrock after his marriage to Aedamar Maguire from Rathiddy, Knockbridge.
He received further education in Dunleer Technical College before commencing work in the GEC factory in the town. He spent over 20 years there with a firm that engaged in the manufacture/assembly of electrical appliances.
Subsequently Seán worked in the construction industry as an employee of PJ Walls and was involved in the construction of factory premises in Dundalk and the then new telephone exchange on The Ramparts.
He also carried out gardening work before finishing his working days with An Post. He joined the service in 1981 and over a span of 27 years engaged in the daily home delivery of mail as well as lorry and van despatch duties.
From 1991 he served as the permanent postman for Castlebellingham, Kilsaran and Stabannon, and it was a labour of love as he struck up a close rapport with residents.
A mark of the man was how he helped out the elderly and others not able to get to the shops for provisions or a newspaper. He’d collect and bring the items to them and do turns which were much appreciated.
He was held in the same high regard by his colleagues who he willingly assisted or obliged. The turnout for his retirement party in 2008 underlined the respect and esteem in which he was held.
His kind and giving nature spread across his family and social life. Unprompted and unobtrusively he was known to turn up to do jobs like rotavating a garden.
From his garden in which he spent so much time cultivating and growing vegetables when he retired, he would regularly drop produce at the home of family members, in a lot of instances not even letting them know he called.
He was very adept at DIY and had a shed like an Aladdin’s Cave, brimming with tools and equipment for every conceivable situation. He built his own car trailer, recycling parts that he had for other uses.
Seán was the ‘go to man’ in the family if anything went wrong or needed fixing. If he couldn’t fix or sort the problem he would get somebody who could do it, a person always as reliable and dependable as himself.
He formed a remarkable team with Aedamar and together, with little means, built their home, furnished and decorated it and landscaped the garden and kept them with pride, carrying out improvements all the time.
They would have celebrated the Golden Jubilee anniversary of their wedding next July.
Seán was very proud of his two children, seeing them go through college and the careers they made.
He adored his daughter-in-law Lisa, and his grand-daughter, Mia and two grandsons, Cormac and Fionn were the apples of his eye. He loved taking care of them with Aedamar and being very involved in their lives.
His wife and family are eternally grateful to the paramedics and doctors and nurses who attended Seán before he passed away at Our Lady of Lourdes hospital.
He was predeceased by his parents, Pete and Mary in 1991 and 2002 respectively, and younger brother, Peter in 2009.
He will be very sadly missed by wife, Aedamar; daughter, Michelle; son, David; grandchildren, Mia, Cormac and Fionn; sisters, Maureen O’Hare and Briege Conlon; daughter-in-law, Lisa, Michelle’s partner, Noel Power, nephews, nieces, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, relatives and friends.
After reposing at his home on the Thursday and Friday, Sean’s remains were taken the next day to his local church of Saint Fursey’s.
Members of the Geraldines and Heynestown Fianna Fail cumann provided a Guard of Honour, and the coffin was draped with the green and white flag of the Geraldines.
Father Brian White CC concelebrated the Requeim Mass with Father Patrick Rushe, Chaplain DkIT. Father Pádraig Keenan PP also assisted, while Father White delivered the eulogy.
The Offertory gifts were taken up by his sister, Maureen O’Hare and close friend, Kevin Lynch.
The Prayers of the Faithful were led by granddaughter, Mia, daughter-in-law, Lisa, and nieces, Moira Maguire, Ruth Mellan and Rosetta Mulrey.
The Readings were given by son, David and daughter, Michelle.
The music was provided by his niece, Anne-Marie Comaskey who was the vocalist, and Elizabeth McConnon on the organ.
Sean’s Month’s Mind Mass was on Sunday, October 21 at 9am in Saint Fursey’s Church, Haggardstown.