The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Warm and outgoing disposition and a great sense of humour
THE local community in Asdee bid farewell to one of its best loved personalities with the death of Paddy Holley of Littor Road.
Paddy’s health had been on the decline in recent months but he was still out and about until the final days of his illness. He passed away quietly at UHK after a long and fulfilled lifetime, just three months short of his 89th birthday.
A man of warm and outgoing disposition, Paddy had a great sense of humour and wit and loved a bit of banter, fun and devilment. He was able to raise a laugh with any company he joined and could do it all without raising his voice in his own unique way.
A native of Glin, Paddy spent most of his working life in London. Born on March 1, 1930, like most young people of his era Paddy had to go overseas to secure employment and he headed out for London in 1948. It was here he met his wife to be, Pat Henry, whose family originated from County Mayo.
Paddy joined the forces in the UK and was posted away for a couple of years. When he came back he married Pat in London in 1954.
She was his soulmate in life and they were inseparable. The couple’s calm, placid and endearing qualities complemented each other and was the ideal recipe for a long and happy marriage.
Paddy went on to etch out a good living and became a stone mason by trade. In the years that followed, his work took him to all parts of London and he had a long association with the construction industry.
He was a great family provider and was actively involved in the Irish emigrant population in South London. He had a great love of Irish music and became good friends with musicians he met in London. Many of them came to Asdee for Paddy and Pat’s golden jubilee.
While Paddy and his wife settled in well in London, they always had a great yearning for home and enjoyed coming back on holidays on a regular basis.
The happy couple came to live in Asdee by pure chance after Paddy had a chat with the late Michael Walsh at The Store Bar in Craughdarrig who, when he found out they were seeking a house to retire to, told them about a house for sale in Littor Road. The house belonged to the Brooks family at that time and the couple fell in love with it and purchased it in 1995.
They put their own trademark on the house and made it a very comfortable nest to live in while they developed the landscape at the front and back of the house into a beautiful lawn and greenery.
Paddy and Pat made friends easily and before long they were busily engaged with the local community and he fitted in from the very outset. He was a great neighbour to everyone in the Littor Road area and was always at hand to assist anyone who needed his help.
Anyone who called to the house always got the very best of hospitality and would not go home hungry and thirsty.
The couple enjoyed 23 years of happiness after their retirement in Asdee, integrating into the local community.
He loved to call to Jesse James Tavern with Pat on Sunday nights for a few sociable drinks where he had a lot of good friends and he had great tales to tell about his working days in London. He provided merriment and joviality in any company he was in and his amusing mischievous tales made him so very popular with everyone.
He was not in Asdee very long when he was tempted into playing golf with the local Happy Scrubbers Golf Society. When they folded he joined the The Sandpipers Golf Society with some of his friends and he served a term of duty as President. Not many people start playing golf at the age of 70 but Paddy did and he took to it like a duck to water and went on to become an accomplished golfer.
He was also a member of the local Active Retirement Group and he attended weekly with Pat. When bingo became part of their weekly pastime Paddy assumed the role of ball number caller and did an excellent job, adding his own humour to proceedings.
He kept himself busy at home and he could turn his hands to any kind of work and was an expert at DIY. He also had a great love of dogs and his two house trained dogs were his treasure.
The esteem in which Paddy and his family are held locally was evidenced by the very large and widely representative congregations that turned out last Wednesday evening for the removal of his remains from Lynch’s Funeral Home in Ballylongford to St Mary’s Church, Asdee.
Members of the Sandpipers Golf Society formed a guard of honour and as his remains were leaving the church members of the Asdee Active Retirement Group formed a guard of honour. He was laid rest in Kilfergus Cemetery in Glin.
Deepest sympathy is extended to his wife Pat, daughter Christine, sons Tom and John and all other family members and relatives.