Tributes paid to East Mayo women who retired recently

American country singer Faron Young had a number one song back in the 1970s with Four In The Morning. It was a song that could resonate in a special way with Noelle Keegan from Ballyhaunis who brought the curtains down on her working career at that same hour last Sunday night week. Noelle called it a day and night after eighteen years of doing ‘security’ work at Lannon’s Western Brand in Ballyhaunis.

It was the culmination of a life spent in various careers over the decades and where, without any fear of contradiction, she left her mark on all places of employment. Noelle is like the John Wayne and Clint Eastwood of life in Mayo, she shoots from the hip. No one is in any doubt as to where she stands on any issue. She is, as the Americans might say, the absolute epitome of the ‘First Amendment’, the right to free speech and to say exactly what you feel. Political correctness has always been anathema to her. She is a ‘one-off’, a legend in her own time.

I first came across Noelle in my early days with Midwest Radio when it was still a ‘pirate’ station. She had an uncanny ability to ‘take off’ animal sounds and she often featured on the radio with Paul Claffey in those times and, of course, was a regular at the legendary Midas Club at Clare Road in the town. Noelle comes from a generation that was willing to undertake a variety of work and many in the current generation would find absolutely alien.

She spent a good many years with Iarnród Éireann, taking charge of opening and closing the railway gates on a stretch of line from Ballinlough down to Mossbrook between Claremorris and Balla. “Those were great times and the railway community were like a family. From Holywell, Ballyhaunis, out to Carrick and Willsbugh level-crossings near Ballinlough down to Mossbrook (in the parish of Mayo Abbey) on the way to Balla, I was on call and I loved those times.

I have the best of memories from those years. “I was often on call to lock up Ballyhaunis Railway Station at night and also take the mail off the late trains,” says Noelle. She also undertook milk runs for Vincent Judge (RIP) from Coolnaha, Ballyhaunis, that took her to Claremorris and other places. “I was fit for anything that came my way. I worked as a chef in the Hazel Restaurant in Ballyhaunis for a few years too and work never bothered me as I am happy at whatever I am at,” said Noelle.

Colleagues and friends gathered at Paddy’s Bar in Clare Street on Monday night (formerly Byrne’s and Gill’s) to join Noelle on her retirement. “It was a special evening and night for me and I am grateful to all who came along. Eugene and Claire Hannon were out of the country and Pat Bruton deputised with the presentation of flowers to me on my retirement. “I had a mighty eighteen years doing security at Western Branch and not much would have passed me in that time. I enjoyed every day I went to work there and made many great friends. “

I got a lovely message from my neighbour, Tommy Lynch, in Holywell, that said: ‘Well the day has finally arrived, Noelle, and enjoy your last shift. Where have the years gone? I know they will all miss you. You are a lady of many talents keeping the show on the road in all weathers and always going above and beyond the call of duty’.” Noelle can now take things at her own pace and she is looking forward to not ‘watching the clock’.

“While I can take things easy now I am sure I’ll find plenty of things to occupy me. I have to say I enjoyed all the places I worked in over the years. I had a great time out at Lannon’s and I loved my work there. Like Frank Sinatra, I did it my way!”

Joining Noelle Keegan at a gathering in Paddy’s Bar in Ballyhaunis last week to mark her retirement from Western Brand Chicken were Aisling Toal, Paul Regan, Kieran Folliard, James Folliard, Maura Prendergast, John McGarry, Michael Jennings, Luigi Hayden, Martha Lucey, Brendan Morrissey and Dominick Lowry. Noelle is pictured with the bouquet of flowers alongside Pat Bruton from Western Brand who presided at the presentation.

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