Timmie was known as an exemplery farmer
Obituary
Timothy (Timmie) Buckley RIP
A man of integrity, an exemplary farmer and a devoted family man.
When Dan Buckley of Farrendoyle, Kanturk died in 1958, the headline in the local paper was: “One of Munster’s most progressive farmers has died.” The same heading could be used to describe his son Timmie who died recently in Derrygallon, adjacent to Farrendoyle.
Timmie was born in 1928 to Dan and Mary Buckley and was the eldest of a family of nine, seven boys and two girls. He farmed from his earliest years at home and went full-time when he left primary school. As well as working hard, his mind was fixed on doing things better – a trait he carried through his life. He joined Macra na Feirme with an inquisitive mind, always open to learning.
When a farm in Derrygallon was acquired, it posed a challenge. Large fields were covered with furze bushes, briars and rushes. With energy, foresight and the support of his wife and partner Ita, he worked hard to improve the farm. He sought out and adopted many techniques that were new at the time and developed the farm into an exemplary enterprise.
It took Timmie a while to find the love of his life Ita Vaughan, who turned out to be only a few fields away. They married in 1960 in a double wedding with his brother Joe and Mary Carver. In time, they were blessed with four boys and two girls. Speaking at the funeral, his son Eamonn recounted “we lived a great life growing up in a happy home full of fun”. They took great pleasure in their children and travelled many miles with their daughters for set dancing competitions and concerts. Day-trips to the seaside at Ballybunion were a feature of every summer and later the trips went further afield.
Timmie and Ita made sure their children had everything they needed to go out into the world and placed a lot of emphasis on education. In time, those children became adults and their friends were always made welcome. Some of those friends became spouses and 16 beloved grandchildren widened the circle further. His great-granddaughter Sorcha began a new generation. He passed the farm to his son Eamonn but maintained a close bond with it and was always a partner.
While Timmie had a wide variety of interests he was particularly involved with Kanturk Mart. He worked hard to ensure its survival and growth and always ensured it served the farming community effectively and fairly. For him, going to the mart on Tuesday was almost as regular as going to mass on Sunday. Through the mart, he made many lasting friendships.
His loving wife Ita and his family are deeply grateful to those who cared so well for him in his latter months at Mallow and Kanturk hospital and in Araglen Nursing home. His funeral was marked by many happy memories and stories from friends and strangers alike. His surviving brothers and sisters closed the proceedings with a moving rendition of the Latin hymn Salve Regina.
Timmie was a man of integrity who had a wide interest in the world at large. He would always listen to what somebody had to say and weigh it up for himself. Timmie’s life shows that you don’t have to travel far from home to make the world a better place.
MB/OB