Ardagh, Newport
The death took place on 19 June 2016 of McGarry Fergus in St Brendan’s Nursing Home, Mulranny. McGarry, or Mac as he was better known, passed away peacefully with all his family by his side.
Mac was born on 3 June,1928, the youngest of William and Ellen Fergus’ five children. He attended Derradda NS and, upon leaving it, embarked on his working life. Originally, he was employed at Burrishoole Lodge but then went to work as a gardener and farm labourer at Curley’s in Rosyvera, Newport where he spent 40 years, while also tending to his own farm. On 7 October, 1969 he married Mary B McNulty and they had three children, Anna Marie, Francis and Cathleen.
Mac had a strong work ethic, a lively mind, a generous nature, a keen sense of humour and a deep faith in God. In his daily life, those traits were manifest. He was blessed with good friends and spent many happy and fun-filled times with family and friends. Ultimately, those were what mattered most to Mac, his family, his friends and his neighbours. Though illness may have robbed him of so much in the end, our enduring memories will be of a generous, decent and loving husband, father, friend and neighbour.
The following is from the text of the homily delivered by Fr Todd Nolan at McGarry’s Funeral Mass:
I know that Anna Marie, Francis and Cathleen are thankful beyond words to Dr Cowley and the staff in St Brendan’s, not just for the superb care which their dad received there, but also for the care and love which they received, particularly over these past few weeks. Since coming to Newport last July, I often had the privilege of visiting McGarry. Those visits with Holy Communion or for the regular monthly Anointing were always special, but Saturday when I visited for the last time was a particularly grace-filled moment. McGarry seemed somehow ready and particularly alert and, as I anointed him, holding my hand he looked at me contentedly as if saying “It is accomplished”. And so it was. Having fought the good fight, having finished the race, having kept the faith, Mc Garry slipped away peacefully surrounded by his loving family at 4 30pm last Sunday and, appropriately enough, on Father’s Day.
McGarry Fergus was indeed ready to go. A man of deep faith, he lived a life which gave expression to that faith in what he did and said. A steward at Knock Shrine for over 30 years and one of the first Eucharistic ministers in our parish, McGarry was deeply involved in the life of the Church. For McGarry, love of neighbour was never just a nice line from Scripture or a lofty religious aspiration, for Mac, it meant rolling up your sleeves and getting your hands dirty for the sake of your neighbour, it meant getting involved in the community whether that meant helping a neighbouring farmer with some troublesome animal, or doing doorman at Derradda Community Centre, fundraising for a local cause or supporting his beloved Burrishoole through thick and thin. Whatever was happening in his community, McGarry would be found stuck in the middle of it- or maybe at the end of it, as he was when he was the anchor man on the Burrishoole 1978 All-Ireland winning Tug of War team.
A quiet and modest man, his family assures me that Mac would be horrified to think that we were gathered here this morning extolling his virtues. He would claim that he simply lived his life as God would have asked him, doing his best for his family, his friends, his neighbours and his world. And so he did, whether it was working in Burrishoole Lodge or in Curley’s, whether it was farming his own land, whether it was shouting for Burrishoole or Liverpool, Seán Kelly or Stephen Roche, whether it was playing cards, whether it was being a dad or a husband or a friend, Mac gave of his best - and that is all God asks of any of us.
The sudden death of his beloved wife Mary Bridget some 13 years ago came as a huge blow to Mac, but again it was his strong faith and the support of his family and friends which carried him through the pain of that loss. Mac was a great friend to many but in return he was blessed with many great friends who were faithful to him in good days and bad. Over these past days friends have gathered to share wonderful memories of McGarry and to retell tales of great fun and devilment. Stories of his famous Bubble car which for a good while was only taken out at night or of cramming nine into a Mini heading off to a match or of the time he brought the Lucy nun to Knock and forgot about her and came home without her!
Death is a loss, a separation we cannot avoid. Today, though understandably sad, we don’t gather in despair, we gather in hope. Today is not the end. For Mac, today is the beginning of new life with God. Today Mac is made whole again and he now enjoys the fullness of God’s presence in the company of Mary Bridget, of his parents and of his brothers and sisters. Death is not an end, that is our hope, that is our faith and that was McGarry’s faith. As we gather today, let us acknowledge that hope and let us celebrate and give thanks for a life well-lived. And let us honour that life by the way in which we live ours.
