Remembering our former The Kerryman colleague, Nicky Comerford
THE old saying ‘ Tralee to the core’ is often used to describe a person’s connection with their home town. Yet the saying is all the more fitting for someone of the late Nicky Comerford’s stature.
Nicky, who died on March 31, is described this week by his son Peter as a man who ‘ loved life’ and ‘ made friends everywhere he went’. Nicky was married to his wife Mary for 66 years, and last October the popular St Brendan’s Park couple celebrated a joint 90th birthday event together surrounded by family and friends.
Nicky worked in The Kerryman as a keyboard operator for 40 years, and it’s said of Nicky that whenever he was working ‘a whistle and a song’ could be heard.
Peter also worked in The Kerryman for over 30 years, some of which was spent working alongside his father. In fact, it’s a family thing on many levels for the Comerford clan, as Peter explains.
“My mother worked in The Kerryman too. That’s how she and my father met. Actually, both my grandfathers worked in The Kerryman for a time as well, so it’s a nice family tradition to have,” Peter said.
Born in Mitchel’s Avenue in 1929, Nicky passed away last month, but his death was made all the more heart-breaking because COVID-19 denied him the send off he deserved.
Sadly, this is something families all over the world are having to cope with in the present climate. A strong focus of COVID-19 reporting is on numbers, statistics and trends; but behind each number is a face, a life and a family grieving.
“It’s been hard and as a family, it feels surreal as we feel that we didn’t have a proper funeral. We didn’t get to grieve properly, and that was extremely tough as you don’t have the proper grieving process.
“I must say, though, the staff in the hospital were great to dad,” Peter explains.
Among Nicky Comerford’s passions in life was the FCA. At one point, Nicky’s father, Paddy; his brothers, Tim and Pat; and his son, Peter, all served in the
FCA at the same time.
Nicky went on to reach the rank of Company Sergeant. And even though Nicky was poor sighted in one eye, he still earned a ‘marksman’s medal’ for his shooting skills.
He was born and raised the heart of Boherbee, but living in exile in the Rock for most of his life never compromised his love for the ‘yellow road’. He immersed himself in community life, and ‘neighbourliness’ meant a lot. Meeting people while out walking was a part of Nicky’s day that he enjoyed.
Being a member of the Altar Society & Choir at nearby St Brendan’s Church was also very personal to Nicky.
In the early 1960s, many will remember Nicky standing at Abbeyfeale Bridge, dressed in his checkpoint uniform, stamping the passports of the Roses as they entered Kerry for the Rose of Tralee Festival.
It was a fun event designed to help publicise the Festival in its early years, and Nicky loved it.
Singing in the Tops of the Town shows in the 1970s and ‘80s also brought out the best in Nicky’s love of song and entertainment.
“Everywhere he went, he made friends and left a lasting impression on people,” Peter said. “He loved life, and he was a very quiet and unassuming man.
“The messages of sympathy we’ve got since he died, and the amount of people sharing their memories of him, has been unbelievable.
“I just want to mention my siblings, Tommy, Patrick, Rita and Denise, as they were always very good to my parents.
“Dad adored my mother and they had 66 great years married together.”