One of life’s true gentlemen, adored husband, father and grandfather
Jimmy Flynn, of 19 Rockmount Gardens, and formerly Little Mills Road, and 16 Bridge Street, Dundalk, passed away unexpectedly, due to complications after surgery, in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin on 19 June, 2020. He was surrounded by his heartbroken and loving family. Jimmy would have been 77 years of age on 26 June, 2020
He was a hardworking and a very committed family man. A loving husband, dedicated father, and grandfather. Jimmy loved his sport, music, reading and most of all, he loved having a laugh.
Jimmy left school at a young age, as was quite common in those days. Nevertheless, he was a very intelligent man, was very well read and always kept abreast of what was going on in the world and he could debate economics, politics, literature and world events with anyone.
Jimmy was extremely interested in all sorts of sports from a young age. He was a particularly good boxer in his youth, before he started playing Gaelic Football.
He played for the Clans and won two Minor Championships during that time and later transferred to St Bride’s (Knockbridge). Jimmy excelled as a goalkeeper while also being a talented outfield player in his minor days.
He trained and played football in the evenings and weekends while working and raising a young family.
He was part of the Bride’s team that won the Junior Championship and Rannafast Cup in 1967. They went on to win the Cardinal O’Donnell Cup the following year.
Jimmy, being the goalkeeper, was particularly proud of the fact that they won the Cardinal O’Donnell Cup without conceding a single goal throughout the whole competition-a feat which no other team had managed to achieve at that point in time.
He met Rosemarie Farrell, the love of his life, when they were both 18 and got married when they were 21 in 1964. They had a big family, 9 girls and 1 boy and Jimmy loved them all very much.
He was heartbroken when they lost their baby Gráinne in 1975 and again when in 1988 their eldest daughter Sinéad was tragically killed in a car accident.
Jimmy worked extremely hard most of his life to provide for his wife and family.
He served his time as a painter and decorator with his father Charlie, like his father before him.
Jimmy worked in McArdle’s Coach Builders and later in Halliday’s factory as a painter and then decided to go self-employed at a young age.
He was an incredibly talented decorator and painted the length and breadth of the country. Projects big and small and some unusual ones including the tall steel structures that hold the floodlights in Oriel Park.
In the mid-eighties, during the recession, Jimmy went to the UK for a short time and then to New York, USA, to work and provide for his family.
He got up and running as a contractor in Ireland again in the late ‘80s and retired in 2009 at the age of 65.
Jimmy employed many people over the years, whom he regarded as his friends. He had great time for everyone who worked for him, his clients, and generally, everyone he met.
Jimmy remained a loyal GAA supporter all his life following both County and National Championships. While in good health he attended Louth games.
Jimmy also played snooker for a long number of years with his lifelong friend Patsy Farrell. They continued to meet weekly for a pint and a catch up when Jimmy retired. This was something he enjoyed immensely, right up to the lockdown.
Although he was generally a busy man, Jimmy always found time to follow Ireland in International soccer and rugby as well as being a Manchester United fan. Jimmy was also a dedicated Dundalk FC supporter and regularly attended their games.
An avid reader, he always had a book or two on the go. He usually had a book and a newspaper down the side of his armchair, which he picked up at will and read for hours. He had an incredible ability to totally focus on what he was reading while half a dozen kids were running around the house making all sorts of noise.
Jimmy had a great love of music all his life, in particular classical music. On social occasions he would always be asked to sing a few songs and was always happy to oblige. He had a wonderful musical voice. He would always be singing away while painting at the same time.
He regularly went into the quiet sitting room in Little Mills to listen to his music on his own for a few hours. In retirement, he enjoyed going back through all his vinyl collection with his headphones on, in the sitting room on his favourite armchair listening to his favourite tunes for hours.
Jimmy often went with Rosemarie to the big concerts back in the day in Dublin and Belfast. Charlie Pride and Joe Dolan were big favourites. They also went to see Don Williams, Kenny Rogers, Tom Jones, Andrea Bocelli and many other big names.
Jimmy had some very skilful doctors over the years who worked miracles on him, and the family can’t speak highly enough of the staff in all the hospitals who gave him the very best of care and attention, sometimes in quite difficult circumstances.
Although Jimmy had to visit hospital on several occasions over the last 24 years, he always recovered very well and continued with normal life with a smile on his face and never complained.
In addition to all the care he received from the nurses and doctors over the years, he would not have made it this long if it wasn’t for all the love, care, attention and dedication he got from his loving wife of 56 years.
Jimmy loved all his family, including his sonsin-law and daughter-in-law, treating them like his own. They would say it was an absolute privilege to be Jimmy’s son-in-law and daughter-in-law that the family were extremely fortunate to have such a wonderful father. He was a father figure to many including Tommy Nolan in New York, who was formerly Sinéad’s fiancé.
Jimmy loved having fun with his family and friends. He was a quiet man, a man of few words, but he was very witty and the king of one-liners. Jimmy really enjoyed and appreciated a good night’s banter with family and/or friends, and he would have everyone belly laughing with his one-liners.
Almost everything that he did throughout his whole life was for the benefit of his family. Family really and truly meant everything to Jimmy and he really cherished and loved his family with all his heart, mind and soul.
Jimmy was always described as an absolute gentleman and a genuinely nice man who never spoke ill of anyone and everyone who knew him, adored him.
Jimmy is survived by his beloved wife, Rosemarie; his son Adrian; daughters, Rosie (USA), Laura, Jacqueline, Alison, Cecilia, Maureen and Deirdre; daughter-in-law, sons-in-law, grandchildren, brothers, Charlie Flynn and Paddy Flynn; sisters, Patricia Byrnes ( Wexford), Sheila Murphy (Ardee) and Maureen Clarke; brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, cousins, nieces, nephews, friends, neighbours and lifelong friend, Patsy Farrell.
Jimmy was predeceased by his daughters, Sinéad and baby Gráinne; his father, Charlie; mother, Maureen; brother, Terry Flynn and sister, Rosa Laverty.
After reposing in his home, Jimmy’s remains were removed to Kilkerley Church (Church of Immaculate Conception) for the funeral Mass celebrated by Fr Sheelan.
Readings were given by Micheál Martin and Adam Dolan. Prayers of the faithful were led by Maureen Hoey, Mairéad Flynn and Laura FlynnCarr. Offertory possession by Aishling Flynn, Daniel Carr, Colleen Martin, Anna Hoey and the Eulogy was given by his son Adrian Flynn.
Music was by Orlaith Muholland, Peter Kirk, Ciara Malone, Melissa Hays and Fidelma Bellew.
Burial took place afterwards in the adjoining cemetery.