All-Ireland champion boxer who loved his native Duagh
THE Late Jim Kelliher, Duagh
DEEP sadness as Duagh Native the last one of the Kelliher Family is laid to rest
Wednesday March 15th 2017 will always be remembered in the McCarthy family as a very sad emotional day as while we were in Brosna saying a heart felt good bye to our uncle Connie Cronin news of the passing of our dearly beloved uncle Jim Kelliher broke.
Jim passed away peacefully at his residence in Murby Crescent Nottingham England earlier that morning after a very long illness borne with great courage and faith
Jim was born 83 years ago on the 4th of June 1933 to parents Jer and Kate Kelliher (nee O’Connor) he was the youngest of a family of 10 he had six brothers and three sisters who all predeceased him
Jim attended Derrindaffe School where he walked to school each morning with his nephew John Joe who was three months older than Jim they had a great relationship and were like twin brothers as they went everywhere together.
After finishing national school Jim went working to Buckley’s farm before making the decision to follow all his other siblings to England in search of permanent employment.
It was there one night while at a dance in the cathedral hall in Nottingham he met the love of his life Susan O’Loughlin who was from Ennistymon Co Clare.
They married in August 1956 and went onto have a family of four – Maureen, Kate , James, and Mick. Together Jim and Susan maintained a long and happy marriage and celebrated their sixth wedding anniversary last August.
Jim always remained in touch with his Native home and loved to come home on holiday and would spend the time visiting neighbours and friends in Derrindaffe and calling into his cousin Jim O’Connor’s bar in Duagh village to have a sociable drink and a conversation with locals about olden days and the current events at that present time,
Jim had a great passion for football and always loved watching a Kerry game his late brother in law Sonny Faley used to post the Kerry man paper with the highlights of every match and Jule used to tape every game that Kerry were playing and send it to Jim who was deeply proud of his native Kerry home
He was also very proud of his native Duagh and took great pride in wearing the local colours along with his nephew John Joe, who was better known as Sean Beag when they both togged out for Duagh football team in 1951 and were in the winning of the north Kerry Championship against Ballydonoghue young Sean Beag scored the winning goal that day for Duagh and as their late uncle Jim Kelliher Of Knockundervaul used say young Sean Beag scored the winning goal that day for Duagh as Fast as his uncle Patcheen used shoot for the jaw.
Jim was a beautiful step dancer and had very fancy moves on the dance floor and would often take great pleasure in telling the rest of his siblings that he was the better dancer of them all. The women use to queue up to dance with Jim and again he danced along the floor so proudly.
Jim was a man of great character and had a wonderful happy spirit he also loved his game of darts and cards and also a game of dominoes.
Jim was an all-Ireland Champion Boxer and the highlight of his life was meeting and being pictured with Barry McGuigan.
Jim was very proud of his Grandson Jack Kelliher who has followed in his grandad’s footsteps and has taking up boxing and like his grandad has won several medals and trophies.
Jim was deeply proud of all his six grandchildren Sarah and Beth were the apple of his eye along with his four grandsons Sean, James, Jack and Connor who is in the army and dressed in his uniform the day of his grandad’s funeral.
Even though Jim has not been home in Kerry since attending his grandniece Marian Horgan’s wedding in 1995 he would without fail make contact with his sisters Bridie and Jule to find out the happening in the locality.
When both sisters passed away Jim would make regular contact with his niece Bridie Mai and nephew Gabe and family, his cousin John O’Connor of Tour. His friends Johnny Moloney of Derrindaffe and the late Seano Sheehey of the village, Jim enjoyed his regular chat with them all who always kept him up to date on current events.
He was a great family man and always showed great interest in his family in England and in Ireland
Jim met with a very bad work accident in the mid ‘90s where he was badly burned he was out of work for less than a year and even though he did not make a full recovery he could not stay at home any longer so he went back to work and enjoyed working away up until meeting with another severe blow to his health when Jim suffered a stroke in March 2000.
At the time Jim’s family both in England and Ireland did not expect uncle Jim to make it but his strength and will power and the love he had for his family brought him through and he went onto have 17 more years at home with his adorable wife Susan and son Mick where he was cared for so well,kindly and professionally up until his peaceful passing on March 15.
Uncle Jim was a man with a very light and decent heart he had a great sense of humour and was a real gentle person who I used love to go and visit he always made me feel so welcome and was always happy to see an Irish connection.
We could talk for hours about the neighbours and the changes in Derindaffe and the times in Duagh on my last visit to see Jim while attending his sister Auntie Nell’s Funeral last October uncle Jim was very sick at the time and was in hospital but he still maintained a great conversation and showed great interest in Duagh and asked about the neighbours and the family.
He was a man who suffered in silence he would not want anyone to be worrying about him so he always had a smile on his face despite how he was feeling.
Uncle Jim’s passing has completely broken his family’s heart as it marks the end of an era because he was the last of that generation to go. He has left a deep void in the lives of his wife Susan, four children and six grandchildren.
Jim had an emotional but meaningful send off at the church the song Irelands Call, The Soliders Song, Shanagolden and that lovely song by Daniel O Donnell, Beyond the Rainbow’s End, were sung his coffin was draped with an Irish flag, a Kerry jersey and a number seven Duagh jersey representing Jim’s Position on the 1951 team and his love and passion for football and sport.
As Uncle Jim was laid to rest in Bullwell Cemtery on Thursday March 30 at his grave side I, Benny McCarthy, Recited the song written by the late Tadhg Gouran The Boys Of Sweet Duagh and an Irish sod of turf was scattered over the grave representing his love for Ireland and for his native Townland Derrindaffe Duagh
Jim is now reunited with his father Jer, mother Kate, aunt Hannah O’Brien who he loved to visit while home in Ireland, his sister Bridie McCarthy, Julia Faley, Nell Byrnes, and by his six brothers Jerry, Dan, Larry, Patrick, Denis, Jack and nephew’s John Joe McCarthy, Denis, Kevin and Jerry Kelliher.
Jim is survived by wife Susan, daughters Maureen, Kate, sons James And Mick, his six grandchildren, sons-inlaw Claurence and Dave, daughter-inlaw Diane, nephews, nieces, neighbours and friends and in Ireland by niece Bridie Mai Horgan and her family in Duagh, Kathleen O’Connor and her family inBrosna and by nephew Gabe and his family in Duagh
So may we live to see Old Ireland free and the boys of sweet Duagh.
May Jim, gentle soul, rest in peace.