James returned home upon retirement
THE remarkable story of James (Jimmy) McEvoy’s life was revealed this week after his death in his 91st year by his granddaughter, Simone whom he reared from childhood.
Jimmy, as he was known to family, died on November, 9th in Craigavon Area Hospital, but had lived at ‘Hillview’ on the Newry Road, since he retired to live in Dundalk with his wife, Bridie in 1980.
Jimmy’s family was originally from Barleyfield and during the the Civil War, on 18 August 1922, his grandfather, James McEvoy became the first victim of a car bomb, not just in Ireland, but in the belief of many, the first innocent victim of a car bomb in the world.
The bombing took place at the corner of Earl Street and Francis Street in Dundalk when a fuel delivery lorry was packed with explosives and set off.
The anti-Treaty IRA had set off the bomb to stop the Free State army who were marching on Dundalk barracks, which had been taken over by anti-Treaty forces under Frank Aiken on 14 August. There were only two casualties. James McEvoy, on his way home from work, was killed and T. A. Connolly, a local vet, was wounded by a stray bullet. Windows in the area were smashed and nearby buildings were damaged.
That killing, and the violence of the time had a major impact on both his parents lives with Jimmy’s father, Michael McEvoy moving to England and a decade or so earlier, the family of his mother, Alice Mccolgan, had left Co.Tyrone due to “the troubles”, settling in Stanley in Co. Durham.
Jimmy’s mother instilled in her three children a deep love of their Catholic faith and Jimmy often recalled his three visits each Sunday to St. Joseph’s Church in Stanley for 8.00am Mass, then 10.00am Mass when he sang in the choir and later that evening for Benediction at 4pm.
After completing his education, he served his apprenticeship as a fitter-turner and at the age of 21, and with the War in Europe over, Jimmy sought adventure when he joined the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) serving between 1946 and 1948 in Palestine when the League of Nations created a geopolitical entity under British administration.
On leaving the Army, Jimmy was visiting Dundalk with his father when he met his future wife, Bridie Maguire from Dowdallshill, and after a whirlwind romance the couple married in England in January 1949. They returned to Dundalk and Jimmy endeavoured to find work locally, but, despite excellent references, his English accent made him unemployable according to some of the firms to which he applied as ‘neither his father nor grandfather had worked there’ he was told.
The couple then returned to England, and settled on Mersyside where Jimmy worked for 27 years as a Bus Driver and where they brought up their daughter, Breda and son, Sean.
When Jimmy retired, they returned to Dundalk and settled back into the family home in Dowdallshill where Jimmy was an integral part of the community, and enjoyed endeavouring to seek small justices in life, most notably advocating with the local council for the return of the bus stop in Dowdalshill after it had been removed during roadworks and on another occasion, he successfully argued his case with respective government departments for the reinstatement of his vote which had been abruptly withdrawn.
Due of the nature of his trade, Jimmy was always resourceful and skilled with his hands, and could invent a solution to every engineering challenge in the home. This tenacity and inventiveness stayed with him throughout his life and in his latter years, when he started to lose his sight, he devised his own ingenious methods for mowing the lawn, cooking and finding his way round the house.
He loved the years that he spent in Dundalk and after 65years of marriage, Bridie passed away in 2014.
During their life together, they had suffered the loss of their daughter, Breda, who died aged 23, in a road accident in 1974 after which they took parental responsibility for her children, Simone and Simon and they were predeceased by their son, Sean, aged 58 in 2010.
Despite these personal tragedies Jimmy strived for a good life and kept his dry sense of humour which could be heard in the stories he would often recite. He was also predeceased by his brother, Leo and sister, Rose.
He is survived by Simone and Simon whom he regarded as his own children, and by his great-grand children and grandchildren, Leo, Zach, Gerard, Julie, and Donna, son-in-law, Mark, brother-in-law, Gerry Maguire and by relatives and friends.
Jimmy’s remains were taken to the Mortuary Chapel in Dowdallshill opposite his home where Requiem Mass was celebrated by Very Rev. Mark O’Hagan, Adm., St. Patrick’s before burial in the adjoining cemetery.