Colm Patton was ‘straight and honest’ man

THE Termonfeckin area has lost one of its best known and best respected residents in the sudden death of Mr. Colm Patton in his early seventies. As was briefly announced in our last issue, Mr. Patton had a fatal seizure when attending to his post cum newsagency business which he ran for the previous five years with the support of his sister, Una, after retirement from the licensed trade.

A quiet spoken man, and one with the best interests of his community always at heart, the deceased could never be accused of being mercenaryminded. Even in times when money was more plentiful than at present, Mr. Patton had his own ‘early closing’ regulations, and especially on Sundays, and over the winter period. And this was generally accepted by clientele.

Eventually, the licensed premises were disposed of to Mr. Jim Flynn, who carried out considerable improvements, and runs the business today as The Village Inn.

The deceased was a keen supporter of the local St. Fechins club, and was as proud as anyone in the parish at the team’s recent retention of their senior football championship title at Castlebellingham. For that big day, he’d given the club generous sponsorship, and was never found wanting when other calls were made on him as well — for parochial funds or other deserving causes.

In latter years, he’d also donated a trophy — known as the Colm Patton Cup — for the annual locally organised Scor competition. Chairman of the club, Mr. Gene Mulholland , this week described the deceased as a “very straight and honest man,” and one who would be considerably missed in the area.

He is survived by two sisters, Una and Maureen (Sister Oliver, Loreto Convent, Coleraine; also by other relatives and friends. Remains were brought from the Lourdes Hospital Drogheda, on Wednesday evening last, and the largely attended funeral was on Thursday following Requiem Mass in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, to the local cemetery. Rev. Jim Carroll, C.C., Ardee (relative), celebrated Mass and also present were: Very Rev. P. Morgan, P.P., Termonfeckin, and Father Michael Woods, C.C., do.

Termonfeckin post office has a new location from this week — and a new post master. The post office was, until now, run by the Patton family in Termonfeckin, and the change of hands has been occasioned by the death last year of Mr. Colm Patton the former post master.

His family had run the office for four generations and his sister Una took over the job upon his death. She is now retiring.

Mr. Ciaran Flynn, whose brother John now runs the Village Inn pub in Termonfeckin, applied for the job as post master to the Department of Posts and Telegraphs and hoped to take up his new appointment this week.