SADLY MISSED The late Margaret Walsh.
Michael Duffy
The teaching fraternity and the wider west and south Mayo communities were plunged into sadness last week at the sudden death of former teacher, Margaret Walsh, at the aged of 63.
Margaret, who was the wife of well-known Westport man, Martin Walsh of, Westlands, Westport, died on Saturday, February 25, after a very short illness and was buried last Wednesday afternoon, March 1, in Aughavale Cemetery. Margaret was a native of Muckrussaun, The Neale, and is also survived by four sisters, Nora (Warde) England, Breege (Patton) Dublin, Kathleen (Mullin) Sligo, and Teresa (Higgins) The Neale. She was predeceased by her late sister Mary (Holleran) Shrule in 1988.
A large crowd gathered in St Mary’s Church in Westport on Wednesday morning for Margaret’s Funeral Mass which was celebrated by her cousin, Fr John Jones, who also officiated at Margaret and Martin’s wedding Mass in 1977.
During the Funeral Mass, an eulogy was given by Margaret’s sister’s Breege. She told the congregation that Margaret was the youngest of their family of six girls and attended the Neale National School and the Convent of Mercy in Tuam before going on to train as a teacher in Carysfort College in Dublin graduating in 1973. While teaching in Dublin, she met her husband to be and soulmate Martin, and they were married on October 1, 1977. Sadly, the couple had already made plans to celebrate their fortieth wedding anniversary in Lake Como in Italy later this year.
The couple moved back to Mayo in the early ‘90s where Martin ran Carrowbeg Stores on Castlebar Street in the town and Margaret continued her beloved teaching career. Having thought in many schools in the locality, she then moved to Killawalla and spent most of the rest of her teaching career in the central Mayo village. She also used her talents in special needs teaching in other schools in that area for many years.
Breege said Martin and her sisters had been privileged to meet so many of Margaret’s colleagues and past pupils when she reposed at Navin’s funeral home on Tuesday evening.
She also made particular reference to a function held in the Killawalla Parish to honour Margaret on her retirement in 2009. She said it was heartwarming to see the esteem in which Margaret was held by both her colleagues and students on that occasion.
On her retirement, Margaret indulged further in her other great interests in life, travel and reading. She and Martin travelled on many trips during their retirement, the last being just over a month ago when they went to the Canaries. The also attended many race meetings up and down the country during their retirement due to Martin’s great love of horse racing.
Margaret was also well-known for the amount of voluntary and charity work she did in the area, particular for the Oxfam Charity Shop in Castlebar, where she worked two days a week.
Apart from her husband Martin and her sisters, Margaret is survived by her brothers-in-law, godchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, relatives and many friends. May she rest in peace.
Sadness at sudden passing of teacher Margaret Walsh
