'She gave so much' - Mayo woman dies after short illness

Marie McManus, Conagher, Irishtown, who died recently at the Galway Clinic following a relatively short illness, was held in special regard along the Mayo-Galway border community.

She was formerly Fahey from Hollymount and was wife of Tom McManus who has close associations with Milltown and Galway GAA over the years.

Marie, a past pupil of Claremorris Convent of Mercy (Mount St Michael), trained as a nurse and midwife after completing her studies in Claremorris but left her nursing career to concentrate on her family life.

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That early outreach into the caring profession stayed with her all down the years and her kindness was cherished by so many in the community around Irishtown and Milltown over the years.

The regard in which Marie was held has been reflected in the outpouring of warm tributes from so many friends around the two counties and further afield.

Fr John D Flannery was the chief celebrant at the Mass in Milltown Church and he was joined by his brother Fr Seamus Flannery, and Fr Michael Gormally, a native of Milltown parish, and where Annette Griffin and John Staunton provided the hymns and music for the liturgy.

Fr John D said Marie’s many good deeds had gone before her and that she had impacted the lives of so many through her kind and gracious nature.

Her daughter, Niamh, speaking prior to the start of the Mass, said Marie was the heart of soul of the family: “There was always fun and laughter and she loved playing with the grandchildren.

“She took great pride in the home and, while she gave up her nursing career, her entire life was spent caring for her family and others and healing others. She was the kindest and most giving person I have ever known.”

Her son, Darren, delivered a warm and endearing eulogy towards the end of the Mass. He told the congregation that Marie has taken such good care of so many in the family circle of both the McManus and Fahey families over the years.

“She was there for all of us all of the time, morning, noon or night. She was caring, empathetic, humble and selfless. She sent so many Mass cards to friends and or many and lit candles for so many. She never made a fuss, just did things quietly.

“She was hard working from her early days in the Post Office in Hollymount to her days nursing, helping her dad (Joe) and Paddy and Kitty (McManus), to being a full-time mum and farmer and doing some part-time jobs.

She was humourous, as friends around Hollymount and Claremorris will testify, and had that Fahey ‘quick wit’ that was often to the fore.

“Though she was fighting her health battle since last July, she was still caring for all of us. She was elegant and stylish and she thanked God right to the end that it was her and not any of us who was fighting that battle.

“She gave so much to so many people in her life. She will live on through all of us and the best way that we can repay her is to just do our best to be happy because when the people around Mam were happy she was happy too.”

Following the conclusion of Mass in Milltown Church, the funeral cortege to Irishtown where interment took place in the local cemetery.

Marie will be greatly missed by her husband Tom and their family, Niamh, Darren, and Saorla, sons-in-law Sonny and Darragh, Darren's partner Maria, grandchildren Evie-Marie, Páidí and Lilah-Beth, her brothers Frank, Joseph, John and Karol, her sisters Teresa, Patty and Anne, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nephews, nieces, relatives, neighbours and friends.

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