Terrible sadness as Sheila passes away
ON Friday, February 23, the death after a long and brave battle with terminal illness took place in London of Sheila Curran (née King), originally from Reen in Ballinskelligs.
Born on August 7, 1961, she and her husband Michael (Mike) Curran of Ballyhearney, Valentia Island, emigrated to New York in 1984 to live in Queens. Prior to that Sheila and Michael (a qualified chef ), first met while working in the hospitality and catering business in Waterville. Their wedding took place in New York in 1987 and they were to spend a few more years there as she worked in the bar trade. On returning to Ireland they opened Curran’s Supermarket and chipper outlet in the village of Chapeltown.
However, in similarity to so many retail outlets of small towns and villages in rural Ireland, the shop succumbed to the economic downturn and the difficulty of operating such businesses in such places. It was to be the last grocery outlet in Chapeltown where once existed five.
As a result they emigrated to London in the late ‘ 90s where they have since been domiciled. Mike’s skills as a chef saw him obtain work in the canteen of the Murphy Brothers construction outfit and, quite admirably, Sheila, in spite of the cares of looking after their two young children Declan and Melissa, studied and trained as a nurse in King‘s College, London, graduating to the position of Ward Sister while working in St Thomas’ Hospital, London.
Due to the effects of snow storm Emma the appointed time of the arrival of her remains to Valentia changed from Friday March 2 to Sunday March 4. On arrival to Chapeltown on Sunday night lone piper Gerard O’Donoghue led the cortège through the village of Chapeltown where the remains were received into the church of St Derarca and Teresa by Fr Patsy Lynch of Portmagee. During requiem mass on Monday celebrated by Fr Lynch, the Valentia choir sang and Paddy Casey provided accordion music. Her sister Marion Curran did a reading and her son-in-law Peter Conway rendered the eulogy.
On leaving the church her coffin was shouldered and led once more by the lone piper on the main road to the nearby building, where once Curran’s Supermarket operated, and paused for a few moments before continuing to Kilmore Graveyard.
On Monday the snow of the weekend had thawed, giving way to a peaceful,serene day in Kilmore Graveyard. Sheila liked nothing better than a sing-song on the social scene, very often singing The Waters that flow ‘round Valentia. Part of those waters as if in respectful reverence, lay calm and glass-like in the beautiful backdrop of Valentia Harbour with the snow capped mountains of Iveragh far off in the distance standing sentinel as her neighbour from Cill Rialaig,Mike Kelly, sang, in beautiful Irish, ‘Buachaill ón Eireann’. Valentia’s Pat Stewart also sang to a gathering united in grief at the passing of someone all too young.
Sincere condolences are offered to her husband Michael; son Declan; daughter Melissa; grandchildren Cillian and Oisín; sisters Margaret Marion, Christina and Joan; brothers-in-law; sisters-in-law; nephews; and nieces and all concerned. Go ndeana Dia trocaire uirthi.