Acaringand warm soul, John Martin was a true gentleman

ON the 26th of January 2020, John Martin O Carroll of Doonferrris, Lisselton, late of Kilcolman, Asdee, was called to his eternal reward. He was an exceptional man, caring, warm and a true gentleman.

His life began at the Mount, Asdee, on a small farm on the 9th of November 1940 to his late parents John and Annie (nee McElligott) O’Carroll. Later to follow was his late brother Eamon and sister Noreen Burgess, Manchester. He attended Asdee school and later worked for local farmers in the area as did many back then and where he met his now wife Joan (Barry) of Lahardane at the local dance in Asdee.

They took the boat to London which would become a home from home for them, their siblings and a lot of locals from the North Kerry area who later followed, who were welcomed with open arms and ‘a start’ the following Monday and helped them in any way possible.

They decided to return to Ireland in 1967 with their first born daughter Marina and lived locally in Ballybunion until they got a house in Doonferris where their two other daughters Jackie & Jennifer were to follow.

Best known for his building works in North Kerry which he adored and worked hard for years, John Martin was also a delivery man for Western Pride bread.

He was also well known for being a bouncer in the Central Hotel in Ballybunion in the ‘70s and he loved his pint back then and Cooleys was his house.

John Martin’s life was full of kindly deeds and he always had a helping hand for other people’s needs. He was sincere and true and lived a very simple life.

He made friends throughout his life and nobody had an unkind word to say about him.

He was to be the link for Kerry Emigrants Support Housing Association and he worked tirelessly for the group.

Through the years he met some wonderful people who later became great friends. He became known in all Kerry and Limerick for church gate collections and as secretary of the group we all had to cross the ‘t’s & dot the ‘i’s. All the work as secretary had to be done today and that was that.

He had a great love of Irish culture and both he and Joan attended every competition that their grandchildren were competing in and were very proud when their grandson Kevin won the All-Ireland.

They were well known as they both attended every competition venue all over Ireland arriving two hours early to make sure that they got a good seat and to record every event.

Conversation also formed a very important part of his life. He was at his best when debating with people young and old on all topics ranging from politics to soccer & football and he had a great love for the Kerry team.

He loved to keep up to date with all the Asdee news by word of mouth and later through the computer. He also loved his technology which is where he would be checking up on all of the latest, and on all the news from Asdee. He went to a lot of local events and he would stay talking all day between catching up and tracing families.

He was a loving, caring and fantastic family man who adored his wife Joan & his three daughters, Marina, Jackie & Jennifer & his five grandchildren Kevin & Laura O’Neill, Lisselton, and Barry, Tracy and Sean Kelliher Listowel, sons in law Jerry McSherry, John Kelliher and James O’Neill and wider family, friends and neighbours all whom greatly miss him.

Ar dheis De go raibh a anam

The late John Martin O’Carroll