Goodbye Paddy Furlong

Goodbye Paddy Furlong
Saturday April 4, 2015

The pathetic fallacy of the morning was not lost on me; the weather was cold, damp and completely in concert with the occasion and I have to admit, my mood. There was a huge crowd at St. Pious  X church when we arrived and the atmosphere was more celebratory than I expected until I realized we were here to celebrate Paddy’s life as he had organized it. Being Holy Week the empty tabernacle and covered statues seemed appropriate somehow and allowed us to focus on Paddy without the distraction of ecclesiastical pomp and circumstance. The single photo on his coffin with a great big fish he had just caught brought a smile and would have been the exact response Paddy would have wanted. I can’t say that I knew him well but my memories of him are a mixture of kindness and joie de vivre. Kindness; particularly to my mother, for whom he had a particular fondness and of course his reputation as a “party animal” is legendary.

The music at the church (all chosen by him) sent shivers down my back it was so beautiful. The choral music and arrangements were special. His son Patrick delivered a wonderful eulogy that captured Paddy’s essence and triggered spontaneous applause.

We met several “long lost cousins” leaving the church, Barbara Keogh, Phillip, Betty and Paul Furlong, along with Irene O’Brien, to mention but a few.  At the gathering, following the burial, at ‘Scholars’ near Old Bawn we again met Paddy’s family; Phillip, Patrick, Peter, Damian, Michael and the girls Clare and Ruth. So many first cousins once removed I never realize I had … and all delightful people.

        Lto R      Tom, Eileen & Peter Furlong

I also met Sandra (Paul’s daughter) and her husband, Lance, who played the piano so beautifully at the church. There were first cousins and first cousins once removed, their children and their children’s children; it was an amazing gathering of an amazing family to which I’m so lucky to belong.

I have to say the food at Scholars was fabulous and Peter insisted that we have a pint on Paddy. 

We chatted for quite a while with Peter, a lovely man who made us feel welcome and part of the family despite the years and the distance that previously separated us.

That evening I met with Hank and Helen Byrne, and Jim and Phil Callan, for a quick chat before heading into Dublin to meet two of my Camino Family; Greg Daly and Diana Martos. The Lord Edward allowed us to chat in the comfort of a ‘not over crowded’, and old world pub. The conversation was dominated by memories of the Camino and shared jokes.

                  L to R  Tom, Diana, Greg

 It was a fantastic evening of fellowship and the bus ride home was equally great, stimulating memories of my youth in Dublin.

A good night chat with Frances rounded off another perfect day.