Paddy McGing

The death took place recently of Paddy McGing, from Tonlegee, Aughagower, Westport, aged 69. The following is the Eulogy given at Paddy’s funeral Mass by his daughter, Veronica Mannion.
“Paddy was born in Tonlegee, Aughagower in October 1946; the fifth child of Paddy and Bridie McGing. Dad lived most of his life in Tonlegee. He spent five years working in Birmingham where he made many lifelong friends.
After his return from England, he met a young woman by the name of Jane Feehan at a local dance. After a year of courting, they married on June 1, 1974.
A year later their first child Caroline arrived. The following year I (Veronica) arrived. Having completed their modern family they took a break for a few years and then decided to go for the boy. However, Lisa arrived in the summer of 1979. They were not people to give up easily and Joseph arrived in the summer of 1980. Tomas and Paul followed this. The McGing house was now even.
Dad was a great sheep man. He was always generous with his time and knowledge. I have many memories of him going to help neighbours especially with sheep but also with other farming activities. The neighbours were generous with their time too; everyone helped everyone else. The Meitheal system suited dad because he liked the company.
Outside of farming dad had many interests - dancing, darts and cards. They said he was the best man to jive with two women. Unfortunately, his poor children have 12 left feet.
He loved the game of darts and played in many leagues. He was well known for his involvement in both the Westport and Aughagower area and Birmingham. I have been told that many a night he was wheeled out to win a final game decider. I didn’t follow his career but I know from the amount of trophies at home he won alot of competitions.
He loved the game of 25. He would travel to get to a game and he had great luck when he played. He once told me that a person’s real character came out when playing. If you were tight, sly, mean or honest it all came out in a game of cards. I think he loved meeting his friends, winning and win he did. I can remember one Christmas he had won six turkeys and my mother had gotten her turkey from Allergan. My mother suggested that he give a turkey to one of his sisters. His reply was ‘If I give to one I have to give to them all’. Thankfully all six got turkeys that Christmas.
In the early days, the ballroom circuit and show bands was Mum and Dad’s scene. Dad liked good country music. They loved a good band and a jive. If the band were good, he would not leave the dance floor. Women like to dance with a good dancer and a lot of them loved to dance with dad. Sometimes Mum had to join the queue to get a dance from him. When the demand was high, he would jive two women at the one time.
During the 80s, pop music became more mainstream and country music took a back seat. This was all about to change when Mid West Radio arrived. In our house, it became the only channel that was listened to. In the later years, the radio played 24/7.
The last few years have been particularly hard, especially for our mother. Six years ago, dad’s health deteriorated following a stroke. He spent alot of time in hospital and in the Sacred Heart home. When his health improved, our mum was able to take him home to Tonlegee. He spent two years at home in the care of our mother. A decline in his health last August lead him to be hospitalised. On March 31, a fatal stroke proved too much and dad lost his battle on April 13.
Dad was not a very religious person but when it came to the end of a person’s life he believed in helping them in their final journey, be it digging a grave or helping out in any way he could. May God grant him peaceful rest.”
The esteem in which Paddy was held was there for all to see after a huge turnout at his removal from Aughagower Community Centre and from all those who attended his funeral Mass and burial in Aughagower.
Paddy is survived by his loving wife Jane and his daughters and sons, Caroline (Galway), Veronica (Louisburgh), Lisa (Aughagower), Joseph (Tonlegee), Tomas (Canada) and Paul (Dublin). His also survived by his brother Tommy in Birmingham and sisters Frances and Anne (Westport), Bernadette (Erriff), Veronica (Leitrim), Margaret (Ballintubber) and predeceased by three other sisters, Maureen, Peggy and Rita.
He will also be sadly missed by his grandchildren Killian, Erin, Aine and Eoin Robinson, Aughagower; Caroline and Richard Mannion, Killadoon and Louise Martin, Galway; by his in-laws Leo, Richard, Barry and Renato and his brothers-in-law, nieces and nephews.
Fr Jackie Conroy and Fr. Micheál MacGréil were celebrants at Paddy’s Requiem Mass in St Patrick’s Church Aughagower, before burial afterwards in the adjacent cemetery. May his gentle soul rest in peace.