MacBride Terrace, Westport
Bridie was an unassuming woman of quiet and gentle disposition who was held in very high regard by all who knew her. She had a well-deserved reputation as a kind and caring person, a good neighbour and a loyal friend.
A devoted wife and mother, she was blessed with many homemaking skills and was renowned for her baking, cooking and gardening.
She will be sadly missed by her sons Seán and Thomas (MacBride Terrace), daughters Breda Grady (Farnaught), Anne Cummins (Bertra Road, Lecanvey) and Mary Kenny (Cloghan, Westport), sisters Mai Hastings (Rosbeg, Westport) and Kay O’Malley (Peter Street, Westport), sons-in-law Chris Grady, John Cummins and Mel Kenny, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, other relatives, neighbours and friends.
She was predeceased by her brothers Patrick O’Malley (Kilmeena) and Michael Joe O’Malley (Lodge Road, Westport) and her sister Annie Eaton (Yorkshire).
A cortege representative of all sections of the community accompanied her removal from McGing’s Funeral Home to St Mary’s Church, Westport, where Fr Denis Carney officiated at the reception ceremony, assisted by Canon Seán Grady, a native of Murrisk and brother-in-law of Bridie’s daughter, Breda.
The concelebrants of her Funeral Mass were Fr Denis Carney, Canon Seán Grady and Fr Terence O’Malley. Family members read the lessons and prayers of the faithful and brought the offertory gifts to the altar. The funeral liturgy was beautifully complemented by the singing of St Mary’s Choir under the direction of parish organist, Gabriel Kelly.
In his homily Fr Carney said Bridie would be fondly remembered as a woman of quiet dignity and caring disposition. Her family were the central focus of her life and, while she was always a caring and loving wife and mother, she reserved a special place in her heart for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
“Bridie was a woman of deep faith and, for her, prayer was an essential part of her daily life. She had a very special devotion to the Sacred Heart and surely it was more than a coincidence that she died on the first day of the Novena to the Sacred Heart”.
He said Bridie was a lifelong member of the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association and had been awarded a special gold pin for her membership of the association.
“Twelve years ago Bridie and her late husband John celebrated the golden jubilee of their wedding. Today they are again united in their eternal home with the Lord. On behalf of the priests and people of the parish I extend sincere sympathy to her sons, daughters, sisters and extended family on their sad loss. They will miss her greatly but they will also have a measure of consolation in the many happy memories she gave them”, he said.
Bridie was laid to rest in the family grave in Aughavale Cemetery. Peace to her gentle and caring soul.
