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Carndonagh in deep mourning
28.10.08
Fr Farrelly passes away
after long illness
CARNDONAGH is in deep mourning following the death
of the town's retired parish priest Fr Seamus
Farrelly.
Fr Farrelly's remains arrived home yesterday to a
palpable sense of grief in the town where he served
in the highest esteem for 13 years. He died, aged
72, in Beaumont Hospital in Dublin on Saturday
morning following a long battle with illness.
Hundreds of people filed through the Church of the
Sacred Heart last night and into the early hours of
this morning during an all-night vigil for the
deceased who was laid out in his beloved chapel.
His long-serving housekeeper Rita McGarrigle
yesterday described how the parochial house had been
flooded with get well cards from local
schoolchildren and their parents as Fr Farrelly's
health deteriorated.
"People in Carn are devastated – both men and women
and from the smallest child to the elderly," said a
heartbroken Rita, who was Fr Farrelly’s housekeeper
for 17 years. "So many get well cards were sent to
him and there were many from children saying things
like; 'We miss you so much and we hope you get
better soon'," she said. |
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Rita described the late
parish priest as "a humble, private and generous
person" who loved visiting the elderly of his parish
and listening to their stories. "The more humble a
person was, the more he thought of them," she said.
Born in Castlefin, Co Donegal, he moved to Moville
as a young boy with his family including a brother
and sister. His father was a Garda and his mother
went on to run a shop in the Square, Moville.
After his studies in Maynooth, he was ordained in
1960 and was one of six priests posted to the Derry
Diocese that year, including Bishop Francis Lagan.
Fr Farrelly spent 31 years in St Columb's College in
Derry where taught languages including German. His
time at the college included a stint as vice
president from 1983 until 1991.
After leaving St. Columb’s, he was sent as curate |
to Castlefin before his
appointment as parish priest of Carndonagh in 1995.
He had to retire last August due to ill health and
has been succeeded as parish priest by former
Buncrana curate Fr Con McLaughlin.
There were many strands to Fr Farrelly. Academically
gifted, he spoke a number of languages including
German, Spanish, French and Russian.
He was once called as a translator to the bedside of
a Russian fisherman who was airlifted to Altnagelvin
Hospital following a tragedy at sea. He was later
saddened to learn on the television news that the
fisherman had passed away.
He was also known to enjoy conversing with the
Spanish exchange students and Belarussian children
who visited Carn over the years, later acting as
translator when they sent letters back to their host
families. He was also a keen gardener and golfer and
regularly played Ballyliffin, Greencastle and in
Derry when he was in the full of his health.
His funeral will take place today, Tuesday, with
Requiem Mass at 12 midday in the Church of the
Sacred Heart, Carndonagh, followed by burial in the
adjoining cemetery. While not confirmed, it is
understood Requiem Mass will be said by Bishop
Seamus Hegarty. Fr Farrelly is survived by his
brother and sister. |
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