Heartbroken Paul’s final farewell to mum Betty
A PRIVATE funeral will be held tomorrow for the mother of Irish football legend Paul McGrath.
Betty Lowth passed away peacefully at the age of 83 on Thursday, September 3, in St James’ Hospital, Dublin.
The funeral Mass will be private due to Government Covid-19 guidelines, but can be viewed live at www.dolphinsbarnparish.org tomorrow at 10am.
The former Ireland international’s much-loved mother was predeceased by her husband Noel and her daughter Okune, and will be very much missed by her son Paul and extended family.
Betty, who passed away after a short, non-Covid related illness, became very close to her son Paul who she was forced to give up to foster care within weeks of his birth on December 1959.
Paul never knew his father, a Nigerian medical student, who Betty met at a students’ dance in the old Four Province Club on Harcourt Street, Dublin and they had a brief relationship. Betty fled to the UK pregnant and gave birth to her son without telling her family. Paul was only 10 weeks old when she then had to give him into foster care. The two were later briefly reunited before Paul was transferred to a Dublin orphanage.
Betty visited her son regularly and later told her own family. She also had a daughter, Okune, who died in March 1994 following a battle with a rare blood disorder.
Betty lived in Crumlin with her late husband Noel Lowth and she and Paul grew incredibly close.
On Friday Paul took to Twitter to pay tribute to his ‘beautiful’ mother. ‘Last night I lost my best friend. My beautiful mum Betty passed away peacefully and today my heart is breaking. I owe everything to her. Sleep well
Mum, love you. Paul x.’
‘My heart is breaking. I owe everything to her’