The Late Marie Curran, Reenglass
THE death on Tuesday, May 31, at the age of 58 in the Bon Secours Hospital, Cork, of Marie Curran (nee McGill) of Reenglass, Valentia, and originally of mainland Ardcost, united the adjoining communities of Valentia, Portmagee and the wider Iveragh area in grief.
Marie, who suffered from terminal illness for the past year-and-a-half, made a big impact in the community having worked as a caterer and carer in the Valentia Community Hospital for over 20 years and was also heavily involved in Valentia GAA activities as well as general community charitable fundraising.
Born into the small farming and fishing community of Ardcost, situated in the mainland across the way from Knightstown in the eastern waters of Valentia Island, she worked from a young age in the family farm, performing such activities as milking cows by hand, saving the hay and turf etc. Having married Patrick Curran of Reenglass, Valentia, she settled on a permanent basis here in the early eighties.
Marie enjoyed nothing better than a good game of cards and was a familiar presence at occasions of 31 card games in various island homes and social venues down through the years. She will also be very fondly remembered by the Valentia GAA fraternity for the huge impact she made as an administrator in that particular organisation. She was an excellent club Treasurer and in her capacity as the club’s ‘Minister for Finance’, she, together with her fellow GAA lotto ticket sellers, raised thousands of euros for the club. She controlled the purse strings with great efficiency and was well able to field questions from the floor at club meetings as to the direction and reasons for the club’s financial transactions. She will be sadly missed at the Young Islanders lotto draws.
Marie Curran’s funeral cortege, on it’s way from Cork to Valentia, was met on the main road through her native Ardcost by a guard of honour accorded to her by friends and neighbours from there.Her requiem mass in the church of the Immaculate Conception of Knightstown was concelebrated by Fr. Larry Kelly (PP of Cahirsiveen), Fr. David Gunn (PPof the parish of Prior) and Fr. Pat Murphy of Ardcost, a neighbour and long time family friend. She was also accorded a guard of honour by her work colleagues at the Valentia Community Hospital, who walked beside the hearse from her home in Reenglass to the church and also accompanied the hearse to her final resting place at Kilmore. A guard of honour was also accorded to her outside the church by members of the Valentia GAA club.
Her burial in Kilmore took place on a beautiful day allowing for the scenery of the backdrop of Valentia Harbour and Beginish Island to look it’s awesome best .However,it was of little consolation to those who mourned her and failed to disguise the palpable sadness associated with the burial of one who died all too young and had much more to offer her family and the community.
Sincere condolences are offered to her husband Patrick, son Des, daughter Miriam, sisters Kathleen and Angela, brothers James and John, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, in laws, cousins and all concerned. Ar dheis Dé go raibh si.